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Sassenheim

Sassenheim is a town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.

The former municipality covered an area of 6.62 km2 (of which 0.23 km2 water) and had a population of 14,906 in 2005. Since 1 January 2006, it is part of the Teylingen municipality. In 2020, the population reached 15,755. The name Sassenheim consists of two parts; the first (Sassen) means Saxons, and the second portion (heim) is Old Frankish for "home".

History
The name Sassenheim is mentioned in documents for the first time in 870 as Hostsagnem ('East Sassenheim') and Westsagnem ('West Sassenheim'). Later, in the 10th century, the name Saxnem, Zassenem or Sassem was used. It was formed between the towns of Leiden and Lisse on the eastern edge of the old coastal beach ridges where the main road from Leiden to Haarlem was located. Along this road many castles and estates were built, including the mansions along Sassenheim's Main Street (Hoofdstraat) dating from the early 1900s. The village church is built on a dune top and portrays a variety of construction styles. Sassenheim is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek). Historically, Sassenheim had a large bulbflower industry but this has now all but disappeared, only a few fields remain.

One of the most interesting attractions in Sassenheim are the ruins of Castle Teylingen. This stronghold was built to guard the north–south route in Holland and later became a residence of countess Jacoba of Bavaria. Its outer walls date from the beginning of the 13th century. Around 1570 during the Eighty Years' War, the castle was heavily damaged but rebuilt afterwards. It was bought by the State in 1889 and restored in 1900.

Since World War II it has placed much emphasis on attracting light industry. The territory of Sassenheim is partly used for this purpose and partly for residential construction. The few bulbs lands owned by the municipality, have virtually disappeared. The many bulbs barns are almost all demolished. Trade and production have moved to areas outside Sassenheim. In the second half of the 20th century Sassenheim becomes a greater town with new districts around the historical town center, first in the Southeast and the West (during the 60s-70s) and later in the rest of the village.

On December 11, 2011 Sassenheim Train station has opened near the motorway A44.

Notable people from Sassenheim

 * Bart Zoet (20 October 1942), cyclist
 * Patty Trossèl (born 1963), singer and composer
 * Tim Mudde (23 February 1965), far-right activist and singer of Brigade M
 * Martin Hersman (26 February 1974), speed skater
 * Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten - pilot in the Tenerife disaster

title: Sassenheim


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Otto Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Otto Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 526 at the 2000 census.

Otto Township was organized in 1883.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.6 square miles (92.3 km$2$), of which 31.2 square miles (80.9 km$2$) is land and 4.4 square miles (11.3 km$2$) (12.29%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 526 people, 197 households, and 150 families living in the township. The population density was 16.8 people per square mile (6.5/km$2$). There were 353 housing units at an average density of 11.3/sq mi (4.4/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 99.05% White, 0.19% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 197 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were married couples living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the township the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $40,833, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $27,885 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,337. About 6.0% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Schipluiden

Schipluiden is a village in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is the seat of the council of the municipality of Midden-Delfland.

The village was founded relatively late in the 15th century and evolved around the Keenenburg castle, which no longer exists. The current Dutch Reformed church in the village centre belonged to the Catholic Teutonic Knights before 1572, when the Calvinists took over control of the church. The village inhabitants worked in the food trade from the agrarian area Westland to the cities of Vlaardingen and Delft. Most of the population became Roman Catholic in the 17th century. For sermons, they had to go to the Roman Catholic Church, some kilometres out of the village.

In 1855, the municipality of Sint Maartensregt was merged into Schipluiden.

A new Roman Catholic church was built in the 1960s. Schipluiden remained a small agrarian village until the 1950s. Its population began to grow significantly in the second half of the twentieth century as many middle-class people from the cities came to live in the village, but the village has maintained its village culture.

Schipluiden was a separate municipality until 2004, when it became part of Midden-Delfland.

title: Schipluiden


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Schoonhoven

Schoonhoven is a city and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Since 2015 it has been a part of the municipality of Krimpenerwaard, before it had been an independent municipality.

The former municipality had a population of 0 in, and covered an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 water. From 2010 to 2014, it was the smallest municipality in the Netherlands in land area, following the merger of Rozenburg into Rotterdam.

The first winner of the Dutch version of Pop Idol, Jamai Loman, is from this town. Also Jan-Arie van der Heijden, football player for Feyenoord, lives in Schoonhoven.

History
c. 1220 a castle was built on the north side of a small stream called "Zevender", near its mouth at the Lek River. The city of Schoonhoven was then formed near the castle. The oldest reference to the city is in a document from 1247, where it is referred to as Sconhoven. In 1280, it was granted city rights.

Around 1350, city walls and gates were constructed. The city's economy depended on shipping, brewing, fishing and agriculture. Schoonhoven was also the marketplace for the region. In 1518, the castle burned down and its remnants were removed in subsequent decades.

Between 1582 and 1601 the city's defense walls were renewed and expanded to include the shipyards as well. At this point, the fortifications mainly faced eastward (as can be seen on the 1652 map of Schoonhoven by Joan Blaeu), because of the historically strategical location on the border between the County of Holland and the Bishopric of Utrecht. Following the Disaster Year of 1672, they were reinforced once again and expanded on the west and north sides. Yet in 1816, when bastion fortifications were no longer relevant to the warfare of the time, they were mostly demolished and made way for a cemetery and a park. Nowadays, most of the city walls and gates too have disappeared. The only remaining medieval entrance gate of Schoonhoven is the Veerpoort (Ferry Gate) that faces the Lek River. This Veerpoort has protected Schoonhoven from the floods of the river Rhine and from the sea during the devastating North Sea flood of 1953 and is still fully functional as a water barrier today.

By 1860, the city had 2900 inhabitants. Not until the middle of the 20th century did the city expand beyond the former fortress limits; firstly in a north-westerly direction, and then eastward since the 1990s.

Tourism and attractions
Schoonhoven is known for its silver and therefore carries the nickname: Zilverstad ("Silver City"). Since the 17th century, silver and gold smiths have been working here. Today, Schoonhoven is still known for its silver. It is the host of "Het Nederlands Zilvermuseum" (the Dutch Silver Museum) and the International Silver School.

Schoonhoven is also known for is its production of clocks. There still is a variety of clock makers in Schoonhoven, some of which can be visited. A beautiful example of a large clockwork is the Van den Gheyn Beiaard in the tower of the medieval town hall of Schoonhoven.

The city is a popular stop for inland cruise ships, especially during the summer period. Tourists are often offered a guided tour of the city and its museums, or a relaxing cycling day trip through Schoonhoven's rural surroundings. The town is also popular among Dutch day-trippers and bicycle tourers. The grassy polders of the Krimpenerwaard, Lopikerwaard and Alblasserwaard surrounding the city of Schoonhoven are home to a magnificent variety of birds such as storks.

Popular events that take place in Schoonhoven include the annual well-visited Silver day (Zilverdag) on Whit Monday and "Spookhoven", a celebration of Halloween. Also, Koningsdag and the arrival of Sinterklaas are celebrated each year.

Schoonhoven has two main shopping streets with a variety of shops and boutiques. There are several restaurants and bars, as well as a hotel and a discotheque.

Transport
Schoonhoven lies in the middle of the Dutch Green Heart (Groene Hart), which is mostly a rural area with a relatively low population density. It therefore has no railway connection (although there was a tram connection with Gouda from 1914 until 1942, when it was broken up by the German Nazi authorities) and lacks a direct connection to a motorway. The city can be reached within half an hour from the major cities of Rotterdam and Utrecht via the N210 road, and from Gouda via the N207. It also has a frequent bus connection (lines 295 and 497) with these cities. Amsterdam is about an hour away by car.

A ferry transporting both vehicles and pedestrians across the Lek River connects Schoonhoven with Gelkenes in the municipality of Molenwaard. From here, the towns of Gorinchem, Dordrecht and Kinderdijk can each be reached within half an hour.

Notable people

 * Martin van Bruinessen
 * Rick Karsdorp, Dutch professional footballer
 * Olivier van Noort, the first Dutchman to circumnavigate the world. His statue can be found outside the ferry gate, overlooking the river.

Trivia

 * Schoonhoven, being a fortified town, was part of the Old Hollandic Water Line.

title: Schoonhoven


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Paddock Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Paddock Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 323 at the 2000 census.

Paddock Township was organized in 1882, and named for L. A. Paddock, the owner of a sawmill.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.8 square miles (92.6 km$2$), of which 35.7 square miles (92.5 km$2$) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km$2$) (0.17%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 323 people, 108 households, and 84 families living in the township. The population density was 9.0 people per square mile (3.5/km$2$). There were 128 housing units at an average density of 3.6/sq mi (1.4/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 97.52% White, 0.62% Native American, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.31% of the population.

There were 108 households, out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.2% were married couples living together, 2.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.3% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.44.

In the township the population was spread out, with 31.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $33,542, and the median income for a family was $35,833. Males had a median income of $21,458 versus $18,875 for females. The per capita income for the township was $14,081. About 7.1% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 27.8% of those age 65 or over.


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Sliedrecht

Sliedrecht is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is covered by water.

Sliedrecht is known for the many large dredging companies (including Boskalis and IHC Merwede) that come from it. The Dredging Festival takes place in Sliedrecht every two years. The first IKEA store in the Netherlands opened in Sliedrecht in 1978, but it closed in 2006. Sliedrecht is also the site of the Nationaal Baggermuseum (National Dredging Museum) - featuring dredging and salvage.

Topology

Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Sliedrecht, June 2015

Public transportation
Sliedrecht railway station and Sliedrecht Baanhoek railway station are situated on the Geldermalsen–Dordrecht railway.

Waterbus route 2:
 * Dordrecht Merwekade - Dordrecht Hooikade - Zwijndrecht Veerplein - Papendrecht Veerdam - Papendrecht Oosteind - Hollandse Biesbosch - Sliedrecht Middeldiep

Notable people

 * Jan Rudolph Slotemaker de Bruïne (1869–1941) was a Dutch politician and theologian
 * Wina Born (1920–2001) was a Dutch journalist and writer of cooking books
 * Aad Nuis (1933–2007) was a Dutch politician and political scientist
 * Bas van der Vlies (1942–2021) was a retired Dutch politician and teacher
 * Jorien van den Herik (born 1943) is a Dutch business man, Chairman of Feyenoord Rotterdam 1992/2006
 * Joop Hartog (born 1946) is a Dutch labour economist and academic

Sport

 * Henri Wijnoldy-Daniëls (1889–1932) was a Dutch fencer, team bronze medallist at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics
 * Johan de Kock (born 1964) is a former Dutch football central defender with 449 club caps
 * Daniël Mensch (born 1978) is a Dutch rower, team silver medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics

title: Sliedrecht


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Parkers Prairie, Minnesota

Parkers Prairie is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2020 census.

History
Parkers Prairie was platted in 1880, some ten years after its namesake Parkers Prairie Township. The city was incorporated in 1903.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.23 sqmi, of which 1.22 sqmi is land and 0.01 sqmi is water.

Minnesota State Highway 29 and Otter Tail County Road 38 are two of the main routes in the community.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,011 people, 428 households, and 248 families living in the city. The population density was 828.7 PD/sqmi. There were 464 housing units at an average density of 380.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 99.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 428 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.1% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the city was 46.6 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.7% were from 25 to 44; 21% were from 45 to 64; and 30.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.7% male and 54.3% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 991 people, 401 households, and 240 families living in the town. The population density was 841.8 PD/sqmi. There were 442 housing units at an average density of 375.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.39% White, 0.10% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.61% of the population.

There were 401 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 29.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,618, and the median income for a family was $36,042. Males had a median income of $28,068 versus $19,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,748. About 6.0% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

Industry
Parkers Prairie has a number of different primary and secondary industries, from machine parts manufacture to arable produce processing. The high-tech medical device company AbbeyMoor Medical has its head office and manufacturing plant in Parkers Prairie. AbbeyMoor Medical manufactures The Spanner, a prostatic stent.

Notable people

 * Duane Hanson – sculptor
 * Donald M. Hultstrand – Bishop of Springfield, Illinois
 * Hugo Magnuson – grocer

title: Parkers Prairie, Minnesota


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Spijkenisse

Spijkenisse is a large town in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Following an administrative reform in 2015, it is part of the municipality of Nissewaard, and has a population of 72,500. It covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. It is part of the Greater Rotterdam area.

History
Archaeological evidence suggests that the area around Spijkenisse has been inhabited for several thousand years. The area's prehistoric inhabitants depended on fishing in the Maas and hunting in the surrounding swamps for sustenance.

The oldest known reference to the name Spickenisse is in a source from 1231. Spijkenisse is a portmanteau of the words spieke (spit) and nesse (nose) meaning "pointy nose." The name is a reference to the settlement's location on a spit of land protruding into the river.

Spijkenisse formed as a farming and fishing village on a creek along the Oude Maas. It originally belonged to the Lord of Putten (whose coat of arms is now used by the town) but in 1459 the fiefdom of Putten, including Spijkenisse, was transferred to Philip III, Duke of Burgundy. In 1581, after the Dutch declaration of independence, the area came under the control of the States of Holland and West Friesland.

In the 16th century, the village suffered several floods, and endured destructive fires in the following two centuries which hampered its economic growth. In the 20th century Spijkenisse heavily urbanised as part of the Greater Rotterdam area. Contemporary Spijkenisse includes the communities of Hekelingen, Den Hoek, and Beerenplaat.

Transport
Spijkenisse has a connection to the city of Rotterdam by Rotterdam Metro lines C and D, through Spijkenisse Centrum, Heemraadlaan and De Akkers stations. The metro is operated by RET.

On 2 November 2020, at about 00:30, a train ran through buffers at the end of the line and was saved from plunging 10 metres by the "Whale tails" sculpture.

There are also several bus services operated by EBS and 1 line of Connexxion to Ouddorp.

In 2011, the town built seven bridges designed by Robin Stam, replicating Robert Kalina's fictional designs on the euro banknotes.

Districts
• De Akkers

• Centrum

• De Elementen

• De Hoek

• Gildenwijk

• Groenewoud

• Hoogwerf

• Maaswijk

• Schenkel

• Schiekamp

• Sterrenkwartier

• Vierambachten

• Vogelenzang

• Vriesland

• Waterland

Health

 * Spijkenisse Medisch Centrum (former Ruwaard van Putten hospital)

Notable residents

 * Jan Campert (1902 in Spijkenisse –  1943) a journalist, theater critic and writer
 * Marleen de Pater-van der Meer (1950 in Hekelingen – 2015) a Dutch politician
 * Jan Bechtum (born 1958 in Spijkenisse) a Dutch guitarist and composer
 * Erik de Jong (born 1961 in Spijkenisse) known as Spinvis, a Dutch one-man music project
 * Rolf Habben Jansen (born in 1966 in Spijkenisse), current CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG
 * Medy van der Laan (born 1968 in Spijkenisse) a retired Dutch politician
 * Björn Franken (born 1983 in Spijkenisse) known as Vato Gonzalez, DJ and producer
 * Nick van de Wall (born 1987 in Spijkenisse) known as Afrojack, DJ and producer
 * Duncan Laurence (born 1994 in Spijkenisse) singer, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019
 * Fabiënne Nicole Groeneveld (born 1999 in Spijkenisse) businesswoman, model, winner of Miss Universe Indonesia 2023

 * Sport
 * Bram Groeneweg (1905 in Spijkenisse – 1988) a Dutch long-distance runner, competed in the marathon at the 1928 Summer Olympics
 * Emiel Mellaard (born 1966 in Spijkenisse) is a retired Dutch long jump record holder
 * Joeri de Groot (born 1977 in Spijkenisse) a Dutch rower, competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics
 * Patrick van Luijk (born 1984 in Spijkenisse) a Dutch sprinter
 * Martijn Barto (born 1984 in Spijkenisse) a Dutch professional footballer with over 200 club caps
 * Djenairo Daniels

International relations
Spijkenisse is twinned with the following cities:

title: Spijkenisse


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Strijen

Strijen is a town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality, covering an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water, is located on the Hoeksche Waard island along the Hollands Diep estuary. On 1 January 2019 it was merged with the municipalities of Binnenmaas, Cromstrijen, Korendijk, and Oud-Beijerland to form the municipality of Hoeksche Waard.

Strijen hosts a public library, swimming pool, a small shopping centre and a local museum.

Furthermore, Strijen is home to an important and welcome resting stop for migrating birds, especially geese. During winter, the endangered Eurasian spoonbill uses this area as a foraging ground.

The municipality of Strijen also includes the population centres of Cillaarshoek, De Klem, Mookhoek, Oudendijk, and Strijensas.

Notable people

 * Anton Corbijn (born 1955), photographer, music video director and film director.

title: Strijen


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Parkers Prairie Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Parkers Prairie Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 345 at the 2000 census.

Parkers Prairie Township was organized in 1870, and bears the name of a pioneer who settled there upon the prairie.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.1 square miles (90.9 km$2$), of which 32.7 square miles (84.6 km$2$) is land and 2.4 square miles (6.3 km$2$) (6.95%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 345 people, 127 households, and 97 families residing in the township. The population density was 10.6 people per square mile (4.1/km$2$). There were 144 housing units at an average density of 4.4/sq mi (1.7/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 98.84% White, 0.29% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 127 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the township the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $37,159, and the median income for a family was $43,125. Males had a median income of $31,786 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $15,018. About 9.1% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

Industry
Parkers Prairie has a number of different primary and secondary industries, from machine parts manufacture to arable produce processing. A notable industry is the high-tech medical device company, AbbeyMoor Medical whose head office and manufacturing plant is located there. AbbeyMoor Medical manufacture The Spanner Prostatic stent.


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Ter Aar

Ter Aar is a town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is located about 6 km northeast of Alphen aan den Rijn. The town had a population of 9,007 on 1 July 2006.

The area of Ter Aar is divided into two parts by the small canal De Aar. The western, larger part is named Langeraar (Long Aar), the eastern part Korteraar (Short Aar). These are also the names of two villages in the area. In 1788, the former village of Langeraar was destroyed by a flood; a village of that name was rebuilt in the northern part of the area. At the former location of Langeraar, the new village of Aardam (52.16583°N, 4.71111°W) was built, near a bridge across the Aar. The Kerkbuurt (Church Neighbourhood, 52.17083°N, 4.7°W) was located northwest of Aardam around the reformed church, which was built in 1568. The current village of Ter Aar is built around these two former villages.

North of Aardam, the hamlet Papenveer grew around a ferry across the Aar.

The municipality Ter Aar existed from 1812 to 2007. In 1817, the small municipality of Vrijhoeven was split of; it merged again with Ter Aar in 1841. In 2004, the municipality covered an area of 21.71 km2 of which 2.34 km2 was water. Its population was 9,010. Ter Aar was merged into the municipality of Nieuwkoop on 1 January 2007.

People from Ter Aar

 * Jan W. van der Hoorn (1923–2017), speed skater and winner of the 1947 Elfstedentocht.
 * Deborah (Bora) van der Hoorn (1927), sister of Jan W., speed skater, winner of the 1947 Ronde van Loosdrecht (120 km). She was one of six women that finished the recreational 1947 Elfstedentocht. Women were not allowed to participate in the race.
 * Jan J. van der Hoorn (1931–2016), nephew of Jan W. and Bora, speed skater, one of five joined winners of the 1956 Elfstedentocht. He started a skating shop in Ter Aar.
 * Lenie van der Hoorn-Langelaan (1948), winner of the 1985 Elfstedentocht, the first women's race edition, and 11 alternative Elfstedentochten
 * Jos Valentijn (1952), Dutch speed skater, silver medallist at the 1973 World Sprint Championships.
 * Jody Pijper (1952), Dutch voice actress and singer in Stars on 45 (Stars On, Starsound, Star Sound), a Dutch novelty pop act that was successful in Europe, the United States, and Australia in the early 1980s, with their Stars on 45 song medley.
 * Jens Toornstra (1989), Dutch professional footballer, player for the Dutch national team, Feyenoord, FC Utrecht and ADO Den Haag.
 * Melissa Wijfje (1995), Dutch speed skater and 2020 European Speed Skating Champion in the Women's team pursuit.

title: Ter Aar


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Valkenburg

Valkenburg means falcon castle in Dutch and can refer to:

 * Valkenburg aan de Geul, a town and municipality in the province of Limburg
 * Valkenburg Castle, ruined castle near Valkenburg aan de Geul
 * Valkenburg, South Holland, a village in the municipality of Katwijk in the province of South Holland
 * Valkenburg Naval Air Base, a former Royal Netherlands Navy air base
 * Valkenburg (surname), a Dutch surname

title: Valkenburg


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Pelican Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Pelican Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 831 at the 2000 census.

Pelican Township was organized in 1870, and named for the Pelican River.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 33.2 square miles (85.9 km$2$), of which 31.2 square miles (80.9 km$2$) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.1 km$2$) (5.88%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 831 people, 270 households, and 225 families living in the township. The population density was 26.6 PD/sqmi. There were 331 housing units at an average density of 10.6/sq mi (4.1/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 85.32% White, 1.93% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 11.19% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.08% of the population.

There were 270 households, out of which 45.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.6% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the township the population was spread out, with 34.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.6 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $46,058, and the median income for a family was $47,857. Males had a median income of $31,750 versus $22,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $15,649. About 7.8% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.


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Vlist

Vlist is a village and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. As of 2015, it is a part of the municipality of Krimpenerwaard.

Description
Vlist is named after the river with the same name, along which the population is concentrated. The river forms a connection between the Lek river and the city of Schoonhoven to Haastrecht, where it empties into the Hollandsche IJssel. It has a length of approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 miles). The Vlist was formerly used as a drainage basin for polders around the river; there were many windmills on the banks of the river, to pump water out of the adjacent polders and into the river. It was also used for the transport of goods, particularly from Schoonhoven to Utrecht. Today the river has a larger function in tourism, and is particularly popular among cyclists and pedestrians, who enjoy walking or riding along the river. The river itself is often navigated with canoes which can be rented in Haastrecht. If the river is sufficiently frozen in winter, the Two Provinces skating tour is organized for the ice-skate enthusiasts.

Arrest at Goejanverwellesluis
Famously, along the river Vlist, Wilhelmina of Prussia, was halted by patriots from Gouda while on her way to The Hague. She was planning to attempt to convince the States General to let her husband William V return to the city. The patriots tried to prevent this and she was then brought to a farm near the Goejanverwellesluis (in present Hekendorp). Afterwards, she was not allowed further passage into Holland and returned to Nijmegen without result. This event, that directly led to the invasion of the Dutch Republic by Frederick William II of Prussia and the fall of the patriots, occurred on June 28, 1787, and is (incorrectly, because it happened at Bonrepas) known as the Arrest at Goejanverwellesluis.

Twin towns - Sister cities
Vlist is twinned with:
 * 🇷🇸 Bač, Serbia

title: Vlist


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Voorhout

Voorhout is a village and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality covered an area of 12.59 km2 of which 0.33 km2 is covered by water, and had a population of 14,792 in 2004. Together with Sassenheim and Warmond, it became part of the Teylingen municipality on January 1, 2006. Voorhout is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek).

It also included the communities of Piet Gijzenbrug (partly) and Teijlingen with the Slot Teylingen.

History

In 1988 Voorhout celebrated its 1000th anniversary. A letter mentioning Voorhout from 988 states that count Dirk II of Holland granted the church of “Foranholte” (the old name of Voorhout) to Egmond Abbey. The second part of the name –holte or –hout (meaning “wood”) is a reference to the dune area that was supposedly very wooded at the time. Settlements arose around this area, and Voorhout arose in front of a forest. The nearby Noordwijkerhout also refers to this forest, just like Holland, which is a degeneration of Holtland, meaning woodland.

The area was inhabited long before 988 with Roman coins having been found. In 1907 a farmer found 18 bronze axes and 1 chisel, about 3500 years old, at the Rijnsburgerweg. They are now on display in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden.

Since 1150 the nobles of Teylingen took an important role in the area. Dutch Counts regularly met at Slot Teylingen. The most important inhabitant of the castle was Jacoba van Beieren. Voorhout still remained a small settlement. In 1514 there were only 40 recorded houses.

In 1657 the Leidsevaart canal was dug, going from Haarlem to Leiden and Voorhout started to grow because of this. In 1842 the Haarlem-Leiden train line was opened and Voorhout got two halts, one in the hamlet of Piet Gijzenbrug near Noordwijk and another called Voorhout. In 1900 Voorhout had about 2000 inhabitants. After 1944 new roads were constructed and both stations closed for passenger transport. In 1960 about 5000 people lived in Voorhout. By 1988 that number had grown to 9360, the growth caused by the establishment of the new neighbourhood of Oosthout. In 1997 Voorhout got a train station again. More neighborhoods were constructed and the population continued to grow. On January 1, 2005, Voorhout had 14,919 inhabitants.

Until World War II the main source of income in Voorhout was from the flower bulb industry. Today only a small proportion of the population still work in bulb cultivation. Most work outside of Voorhout. On January 1, 2006, the municipalities of Voorhout, Warmond and Sassenheim merged to form the new municipality of Teylingen to the dismay of some of the inhabitants.

Born in Voorhout

 * Herman Boerhaave (31 December 1668 - 23 September 1738), botanist, humanist and physician of European fame
 * Edwin van der Sar (29 October 1970), football player (goalkeeper)
 * Rob van Dijk (15 January 1969), football player (goalkeeper)
 * Jens Salfeld (17 March 2004), football player (goalkeeper)

Lived in Voorhout

 * Jacqueline of Bavaria (Le Quesnoy, 16 July 1401 – Slot Teylingen, 9 October 1436), Countess of Holland, lived for a few years in Slot Teylingen
 * Carlo l'Ami, old football player (goalkeeper) and later goalkeeper's trainer by AFC Ajax, in Amsterdam
 * Joris Schouten (Blokker, 23 September 1926 - Voorhout, 2 July 2021), politician
 * Chiara Tissen (5 March 1964), actress and writer
 * E.M. Uhlenbeck (The Hague, 9 August 1913 - Voorhout, 27 May 2003), linguist
 * Truus van Aalten (Arnhem, 2 August 1910 - Warmond, 27 June 1999), actress, she ran a souvenir import/export business in Voorhout after 1954, after the Nazis ended her career as a film comedian in Germany
 * Marco van Basten (31 October 1964), former football player (Striker) and later a coach at AFC Ajax, SC Heerenveen and AZ Alkmaar
 * Frank van Borssele (1395–1470), Stadholder (Governor) of Holland and Zeeland provinces, Count of Oostervant, fourth husband of Jacoba van Beieren, lived for a few years in Slot Teylingen
 * Edwin van der Sar (29 October 1970), goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United and the National team, started career at VV Foreholte

Sights

 * Teylingen Castle, in Dutch: Slot Teylingen (monument)
 * The Boerhaave House, in Dutch: het Boerhaavehuis (monument)
 * Small Church, in Dutch: Kleine Kerk (monument)
 * Saint-Bartholomew Church (or Big Church), in Dutch: Sint-Bartholomeüskerk (of Grote Kerk)
 * Polder Mill Hope Brings Life, in Dutch: Poldermolen Hoop Doet Leven (monument)
 * Tulipland Panorama, in Dutch: Panorama Tulipland (discontinued since 2011)
 * The Hooghkamer Farm, in Dutch: De Hooghkamer (monument)
 * Rijnoord Farm, in Dutch: Rijnoord Boerderij (monument)
 * Klein Bouwlust Farm, in Dutch: Klein Bouwlust (monument)
 * Noordhout Farm, in Dutch: Noordhout (monument)

Sport clubs

 * VV Foreholte, football club
 * h.v. Foreholte, handball club
 * MHC Voorhout, hockey club
 * SV Voorhout, tennis club
 * TV Voorhout, tennis club
 * De Columbiaan, swimming club
 * Forwodians, basketball club
 * Bacluvo, badminton club
 * Inspiration, majorettes and twirl club

Music organisations

 * Sint Cecilia, Roman Catholic music organisation

title: Voorhout


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Pelican Rapids, Minnesota

Pelican Rapids is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,577 at the 2020 census.

History
Pelican Rapids was platted in 1872, and named for the rapids on the Pelican River. A post office has been in operation at Pelican Rapids since 1872. Pelican Rapids was incorporated in 1882.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.63 sqmi, of which 2.53 sqmi is land and 0.10 sqmi is water.

U.S. Highway 59 and Minnesota State Highway 108 are two of the main routes in the city.

Culture
Local landmarks include "Pelican Pete", a sculpture constructed beside the river in 1957 that is claimed to be the world's largest statue of a pelican. It stands 15.4 ft tall and is constructed from concrete and plaster. A survey of the state's architecture published by the University of Minnesota Press characterizes Pelican Pete as "An effective programmatic advertisement for the town, just eye-catching and outrageous enough to attract considerable attention."

In 2007, for the fiftieth anniversary of Pelican Pete's installation, the town launched a painted statue public art project wherein about three dozen smaller, 4 ft pelican sculptures were placed around town and decorated by local artists.

The O.A.E. Blyberg House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,464 people, 904 households, and 569 families living in the city. The population density was 973.9 PD/sqmi. There were 984 housing units at an average density of 388.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 74.1% White, 5.8% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 11.6% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.5% of the population.

There were 904 households, of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.42.

The median age in the city was 35.4 years. 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 21.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,374 people, 884 households, and 558 families living in the city. The population density was 905.8 PD/sqmi. There were 962 housing units at an average density of 367.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 60.43% White, 0.72% African American, 1.93% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 1.04% Pacific Islander, 6.76% from other races, and 4.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.59% of the population.

There were 884 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,232, and the median income for a family was $36,970. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $20,645 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,699. About 9.5% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Roy Emery Dunn - American businessman and politician
 * Dave Goltz - Retired Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Roger L. Hanson - American businessman and politician
 * Tucker Hibbert - Professional snowmobile racer for Team Monster Energy/Arctic Cat
 * Buck Paulson - American painter with a show on PBS

title: Pelican Rapids, Minnesota


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Voorschoten

Voorschoten is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is covered by water.

The town is relatively affluent, and the majority of Voorschoten's population are commuters, generally to either the Hague or Leiden. Despite the fact that it is situated in one of the most densely populated areas in the Netherlands, and, indeed, the world, the town retains a strong, independent identity and village-like atmosphere. Several buildings of historical importance are situated in Voorschoten. For example, the old Castle Duivenvoorde, and the Manor Vredenhof – rebuilt by Dirck Jansz Graeff, and until the 18th century in the hands of the De Graeff family – are located in or near Voorschoten.

The town's proximity to the Hague, as well as the presence of the British School in the Netherlands in the town, and the American School of the Hague in nearby Wassenaar, means that Voorschoten has a large community of expatriates, particularly British nationals.

Floris V of Holland granted Voorschoten market rights in 1282.

In recent years, the settlement has seen considerable expansion, with the addition of several new areas of housing, such as Starrenburg, Krimwijk II and, most recently, Voorsche Park. The town benefits from excellent sporting and recreational facilities, including hockey, football and baseball clubs, a tennis club, a swimming pool and a golf course. There are a number of churches located throughout the town, the two most striking of which are the main church, located in Voorschoten's historic centre, and the St. Laurentius Church, located in the north of the town.

Local government
The municipal council of Voorschoten consists of 21 seats, which divided as follows at the 2022 election: • VVD, 4 seats

• GroenLinks, 4 seats

• CDA, 4 seats

• Voorschoten Lokaal, 4 seats

• D66, 3 seats

• PvdA, 1 seat

• SP, 1 seat

Public transportation
Voorschoten railway station is situated on the Amsterdam–Rotterdam railway and trains run regularly toward The Hague and Amsterdam.

On 4 April 2023, the Voorschoten train crash occurred near to the railway station.

Notable people

 * Melchior Treub (1851–1910) a Dutch botanist, founded the Bogor Agricultural Institute
 * Lodewijk Thomson (1869–1914) a Dutch military commander and politician
 * Max van der Stoel (1924–2011) a Dutch politician, diplomat and jurist
 * Piet Bukman (1934–2022) a Dutch politician, diplomat and economist
 * Benk Korthals (born 1944) a retired Dutch politician and jurist
 * Helma Neppérus (born 1950) a Dutch politician, former tax inspector, rower and Voorschoten municipal councillor
 * Henk A. M. J. ten Have (born 1951) a professor of healthcare ethics
 * Han Schuil (born 1958) a Dutch multimedia artist
 * Hans Vijlbrief (born 1963) a Dutch civil servant, economist, and State Secretary for Finance
 * Rolf Muntz (born 1969) a Dutch professional golfer

title: Voorschoten


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Waddinxveen

Waddinxveen is a town and municipality along the Gouwe river in the western Netherlands in the province of South Holland near Gouda. The municipality had a population of 0 in and covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water.

A small piece of artwork named  (Dutch for 'The Forgotten Place') marks the lowest point on the Dutch polders, 7.01 meters below Amsterdam Ordnance Datum.

History
The first reference to the area is from 1233, when on April 20, Floris IV, Count of Holland, sold an area of peat lands along the Gouwe River for 200 Dutch pounds to Nicolas of Gnepwijk, Lord of Aalsmeer and Woubrecht. The area was given the name "Waddinxvene". Because of this event, Waddinxveen celebrated its 750-year anniversary in 1983.

Between 1817 and 1870, Waddinxveen was dissolved and its area split into the municipalities of Noord-Waddinxveen and Zuid-Waddinxveen. Due to further expanding, those two municipalities reunited into one.

Notable people

 * Tjark de Vries (born 1965), rower
 * Mark Vanderloo (born 1968), model
 * Pepijn van den Nieuwendijk (born 1970), painter and ceramist
 * Mirjam Overdam (born 1973), water polo player
 * Sharon den Adel (born 1974), songwriter, singer and fashion designer
 * Robert Westerholt (born 1975), musician and guitarist
 * Martijn Westerholt (born 1979), keyboardist and songwriter
 * Roald van Hout (born 1988), footballer

title: Waddinxveen


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Perham, Minnesota

Perham is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. The population was 3,512 at the time of the 2020 census.

History
Perham was platted in 1873, and named for Josiah Perham, first president of the Northern Pacific Railway. As the village grew in economic importance, the surrounding township was renamed Perham Township in 1877 and Perham was incorporated in 1881.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 3.18 sqmi, all land.

U.S. Route 10 and Minnesota State Highways 78 and 108 are three of the main routes in the community.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,985 people, 1,304 households, and 722 families living in the city. The population density was 938.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,388 housing units at an average density of 436.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 94.1% White, 1.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population.

There were 1,304 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.6% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the city was 41.5 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 23.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,559 people, 1,104 households, and 642 families living in the city. The population density was 976.2 PD/sqmi. There were 1,167 housing units at an average density of 445.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.99% White, 0.35% African American, 1.02% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.66% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. 50.3% were of German and 14.8% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 1,104 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,397, while the median income for a family was $40,184. Males had a median income of $29,087 versus $20,817 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,444. About 8.1% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Radio stations

 * FM radio

 * 92.5 KXKK 92.5 Hot Country
 * 94.5 KDLB Adult Contemporary The Arrow 94.7
 * 97.5 KDKK 97.5 Music of Your Life
 * 99.5 KPRW Lakes 99.5
 * 99.9 KVOX-FM Froggy 99.9
 * 100.3 KXPM-LP Relevant Radio
 * 102.3 KRCQ Real Country 102.3
 * 107.9 KPFX 107.9 The Fox
 * 97.9 KFNW Contemporary Christian Music Life 97.9
 * AM radio

 * 870 KPRM Classic Country News/Talk
 * 1070 KSKK Country
 * 1570 KAKK Sports Radio

Newspaper
The Perham Focus is based in Perham, and serves Otter Tail County and surrounding areas with a print newspaper, an e-paper and online news.

Transportation
Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which operates between Seattle/Portland and Chicago, passes through the town on BNSF tracks, but makes no stop. The nearest station is located in Detroit Lakes, 21 mi to the northwest.

Notable people

 * Colvin G. Butler, Presbyterian clergyman, farmer, and politician
 * Gabriele Grunewald, U.S. champion middle distance runner
 * Fritz Hanson, legendary Canadian Football League pioneer
 * John Anthony Kaiser, Roman Catholic priest
 * Roger Molander, government official and activist
 * Dean Simpson, businessman and politician
 * Ray Taylor, film director
 * Larry N. Vanderhoef, 5th chancellor of University of California-Davis

title: Perham, Minnesota


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Warmond

Warmond is a village and former municipality in the Western Netherlands, north of Leiden in the province of South Holland. The municipality covered an area of 14.42 km2, of which 4.42 km2 is water; had a population of 4,977 in 2004. Together with Sassenheim and Voorhout, it became part of the Teylingen municipality on 1 January 2006. Warmond, which is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek), is notable for being very affluent.

Warmond is situated on a lake system called Kagerplassen and has several marinas which make it a popular recreational area for boating and other water sports.

An 18th-century mansion called "Huys te Warmond" ("House at Warmond") is located north of the village along the main road.

The Major Seminary, Warmond, was founded here in 1799. Located in a converted in the former French Boarding School, it provided training for Priests until 1967. The only known surviving copy of Joos Lambrecht Dutch-French dictionary, the Naembouck, was discovered by Wytze Hellinga in the library here shortly after it was closed.

The first railway accident in the Netherlands occurred near Warmond on 10 March 1843. 1 person was killed.

Demographics (2000)
When it was a municipality, Warmond had the highest death rate in all of Netherlands. (22.3 per 1000 in 2004, three times the national average). Now Laren has the highest Death Rate in all of Netherlands.
 * Birth Rate: 8.97 per 1000 (2000)
 * Death Rate: 23.10 per 1000 (2000)
 * NGR: -1.41% per year (2000).

Notable inhabitants
The Dutch painter Jan Steen lived in Warmond for a brief period, his house can still be visited. It is also the home of Dutch author Maarten 't Hart who regularly uses the village and its inhabitants as inspiration for his novels. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, commonly known as "the Father of Microbiology", and considered to be the first microbiologist, was schooled in Warmond.
 * The film comedian Truus van Aalten died in Warmond in 1999.

title: Warmond


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Wassenaar

Wassenaar (population: 0 in ) is a municipality and town located in the province of South Holland, on the western coast of the Netherlands.

An affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km north of that city on the N44/A44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region and the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area. The municipality covers an area of undefined km2, of which undefined km2 is covered by water.

Wassenaar is home to some of the Netherlands' richest residential neighborhoods as well as the country's most expensive street, the Konijnenlaan.

History
By tradition, the 12th-century Romanesque church in Wassenaar is the spot where the Northumbrian missionary Willibrord landed in the Netherlands; the high dunes to the west were not formed until later.

Wassenaar long remained an unremarkable small town, known only as the home of the House of Wassenaer. It only began to gain prominence in the 19th century when Louis Bonaparte ordered the construction of the Heerweg ("Army Road") between The Hague and Leiden, which forms the current Rijksstraatweg. In approximately 1840, Prince Frederik had the De Paauw (Peacock) palace built, where he lived for many years; it now serves as the city hall of Wassenaar.

In 1907 a railway was built, connecting Rotterdam, The Hague, Wassenaar and Scheveningen, the course of which now forms the Landscheidingsweg. Wassenaar became attractive as a residence for wealthy people from Rotterdam. Buildings such as the monumental Huize Ivicke were constructed.

Some remnants of the Atlantic wall are located on Wassenaar's beach, the Wassenaarseslag; nearly a thousand metres of underground walled tunnels are present, connecting five bunkers. The network now serves as a bat sanctuary and is no longer open to visits.

From September 1944 to March 1945 Wassenaar was one of launch sites used by the German Luftwaffe for the V-2 rockets directed mainly towards London.

The American World War II and Korean War general Haywood Hansell, who helped plan the Allied bombing offensive against both Germany and Japan, lived in Wassenaar in retirement from 1957 to 1966.

In 1982 the Wassenaar Agreement between employers' organisations and trade unions in the Netherlands was signed here. This groundbreaking agreement helped in restraining wage growth in return for the adoption of policies to combat unemployment and inflation.

The Wassenaar Arrangement, a post Cold War era arms control convention, was signed here by forty member nations in May 1996.

Modern history

Since the days of Prince Frederik, Wassenaar has often served as an official residence: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, his wife, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, and their daughters lived in the villa Eikenhorst at the estate De Horsten in Wassenaar from 2003 until 2019; Princess Alexia was baptized at the Romanesque church in Wassenaar. The princesses attended the Bloemcampschool in Wassenaar, founded in 1931.

From 1970 until its relocation to Amsterdam in 2016, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) which provides research time, space and support for foreign and Dutch scholars, was located in Wassenaar and the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael, is situated in Huys Clingendael.

The U.S. Embassy The Hague as well as several ambassadorial residences are located here, including those of Canada, South Korea, Indonesia, and Ireland. In general, there is a large expatriate community of diplomats and business people in Wassenaar, largely due to its proximity to both the international organizations and embassies in The Hague. There are several international schools located in Wassenaar, including the American School of The Hague (ASH), and The International School Wassenaar, part of Rijnlands Lyceum Foundation.

Wassenaar has several parks and a network of bicycle paths. Trees, mainly beech, oak, and horse chestnut, are widespread, giving the town a green character. The town centre supports a number of high-end shops, delicatessens and bakeries as well as cafes, bars, and restaurants. There are Football, Field Hockey, Cricket, Rugby, and Tennis clubs. The theme park Duinrell and the race track Duindigt, the only remaining grass race track in the Netherlands, are also here. The art Museum Voorlinden was opened by King Willem-Alexander in 2016.

Despite being a relatively small town, Wassenaar is well known in the Netherlands for its conspicuous wealth. Areas of the town are amongst the most affluent in the Netherlands, and residents have a reputation for being bekakt or posh. Wassenaar is home to some of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the nation. In 2018 the Konijnen laan had an average house price of around 2.5 million Euros, making it the most expensive street in the Netherlands. The Dutch artists Ross and Iba released a song entitled 'Wassenaar,' which poked fun at the wealth of the town.

Wassenaar has always enjoyed good relations with the neighbouring town of Voorschoten, with which it has shared a history. The House of Wassenaer, for example, historically resided in the Kasteel Duivenvoorde in Voorschoten. A merger into one municipality has been discussed.

Local government
The municipal council of Wassenaar consists of 21 seats, which are divided as follows (from the election results of 2022):
 * VVD, 5 seats
 * Hart voor Wassenaar, 5 seats
 * Lokaal Wassenaar!, 3 seats
 * CDA, 2 seats
 * D66, 2 seats
 * GroenLinks, 2 seats
 * Democratische Liberalen Wassenaar (DLW), 1 seat
 * PvdA, 1 seat

Sports
The following annual sports events take place in Wassenaar; The Zwemloop Wassenaar, which in 2024 will be organized by the Tri-Team Wassenaar, for the 28th occasion. Also, the 15 van Wassenaar, which will be hosting the 10th edition in 2024.

Academic and public service

 * Jonkheer Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer (1888–1978 in Wassenaar) nobleman and statesman, the last colonial Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies
 * Henk Hofstra (1904–1999 in Wassenaar) politician
 * Gerard Helders (1905–2013) politician died in Wassenaar aged 107
 * Maurits Kiek (1909–1980) World War II MI9 agent, parachuted into Nazi occupied territory.
 * Johan Witteveen (1921–2019 in Wassenaar) retired politician
 * Sidney van den Bergh, (born 1929 in Wassenaar) Canadian retired astronomer
 * Pieter Kooijmans, (1933–2013), Dutch jurist, politician and diplomat, sat at the International Court of Justice
 * Teun A. van Dijk, (born 1943) discourse analyst, lived in Wassenaar between 1945 and 1962
 * Corinne Hofman (born Wassenar, 1959) professor of Caribbean Archaeology at Leiden University
 * Leendert de Lange (born 1972) politician, deputy mayor in Wassenaar 2013/14 and mayor since 2019

Royal family

 * Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (born 1967) King of the Netherlands
 * Queen Máxima of the Netherlands (born 1971) spouse of King Willem-Alexander
 * Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (born 2003) heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
 * Princess Alexia of the Netherlands (born 2005) second daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima
 * Princess Ariane of the Netherlands (born 2007) third daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima

The arts

 * Felix Tikotin (1893–1986) architect, art collector, art dealer; founded the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art; lived in Wassenaar.
 * Henri Friedlaender (1904–1996) Israeli typographer and book designer, lived in the attic of his house in Wassenar in WWII
 * Boudewijn Büch (1948–2002) writer, poet and television presenter; grew up in Wassenar
 * Theo van Gogh (1957–2004) film director and producer; TV director and producer; screenwriter, actor, critic and author
 * Thom Hoffman (born 1957 in Wassenaar), actor and photographer
 * Lorena Kloosterboer (born 1962), artist and author, lived in Wassenaar from 1972–1979 and again from 1987–1993
 * Anthony Ingruber (born 1990), Canadian actor, voice actor and impressionist, currently lives in Wassenaar

Science & business

 * Sidney Van den Bergh FRS (born 1929 in Wassenaar) a retired Canadian astronomer
 * Morris Tabaksblat (1937–2011) ex CEO of Unilever, lived and died here
 * Rattan Chadha (born 1949) joint founder of the fashion company Mexx
 * Hans M. Heybroek (1927–2022) botanist, breeder of elms resistant to Dutch elm disease

Sport

 * Nico van der Voet (born 1944 in Wassenaar), water polo player
 * Konrad Bartelski (born 1954), skier, lived in Wassenaar for a number of years
 * Junior Strous (born 1986) racing driver, racing team owner and entrepreneur from Wassenaar
 * Annebel van der Knijff (born 1996 in Wassenaar) ICF Dutch-Spanish canoe slalom paddler
 * Laurens van Hoepen (born 2005), racing driver
 * Mark Slats Athlete, lived in Wassenaar. The fastest solo row across the Atlantic in 30 days, 7 hours and 49 minutes in 2017.

title: Wassenaar


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Perham Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Perham Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 931 at the 2000 census.

Perham Township was originally called Marion Lake Township for the lake in its southwest corner, and under the latter name was organized in 1872. The present name was adopted in 1877 to match that of the village of Perham located therein.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 33.3 square miles (86.3 km$2$), of which 31.5 square miles (81.6 km$2$) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km$2$) (5.46%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 931 people, 316 households, and 253 families residing in the township. The population density was 29.5 PD/sqmi. There were 389 housing units at an average density of 12.3/sq mi (4.8/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 98.71% White, 0.32% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.21% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.08% of the population.

There were 316 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the township the population was spread out, with 32.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $45,500, and the median income for a family was $52,679. Males had a median income of $33,864 versus $18,869 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,639. About 2.5% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.


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Wateringen

Wateringen is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 5 km southwest of The Hague.

Until 2004 it was a separate municipality and covered an area of 8.93 km2.

The former municipality of Wateringen also included the town Kwintsheul.

The village of Wateringen has a population of around 10,860. The statistical area Wateringen, which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 13,880.

title: Wateringen


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Pine Lake Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Pine Lake Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 656 at the 2000 census.

Pine Lake Township was organized in 1883, and named for Pine Lake.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 35.7 square miles (92.6 km$2$), of which 29.2 square miles (75.5 km$2$) is land and 6.6 square miles (17.0 km$2$) (18.38%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 656 people, 252 households, and 187 families residing in the township. The population density was 22.5 people per square mile (8.7/km$2$). There were 563 housing units at an average density of 19.3/sq mi (7.5/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 99.39% White, 0.15% Asian, and 0.46% from two or more races.

There were 252 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the township the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $43,056, and the median income for a family was $50,938. Males had a median income of $34,063 versus $22,875 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,878. About 3.1% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.


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Voorne aan Zee

Voorne aan Zee is a municipality on the island of Voorne-Putten in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 189.82 km2 of which 67.99 km2 is water. It had a population of 73,873 in 2022.

The municipality of Voorne aan Zee was formed on 1 January 2023, through the merger of the former municipalities of Brielle, Hellevoetsluis and Westvoorne, which itself was formed on 1 January 1980, through the merger of the former municipalities Oostvoorne and Rockanje.

It consists of the towns Brielle and Hellevoetsluis, the villages Nieuwenhoorn, Nieuw-Helvoet, Oostvoorne, Oudenhoorn, Rockanje, Tinte, Vierpolders and Zwartewaal, the water board neighbourhood Oude en Nieuwe Struiten, and the hamlet Helhoek.

Notable people

 * Jacob van Maerlant (ca.1230–40 – ca.1288–1300), a Flemish poet of the 13th century, an important Middle Dutch author of the Middle Ages
 * Maarten Tromp (1598 in Brielle – 1653), a Dutch army general and admiral in the Dutch navy
 * Witte de With (1599 in Hoogendijk – 1658), a Dutch naval officer during the Eighty Years War and the First Anglo-Dutch war
 * Volkert Simon Maarten van der Willigen (1822–1878), a Dutch mathematician, physicist and professor
 * Jan Greshoff (1888 in Nieuw-Helvoet – 1971), a Dutch journalist, poet, and literary critic
 * Belinda Meuldijk (born 1955), a Dutch actress, writer, and activist
 * Meindert van Buuren (born 1995), a Dutch racing driver

title: Voorne aan Zee


text:
Zederik

Zederik is a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covered an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. It had a population of 0 in.

The municipality of Zederik was formed on January 1, 1986, through the merger of the former municipalities of Ameide, Hei- en Boeicop, Leerbroek, Lexmond, Meerkerk, Nieuwland, and Tienhoven aan de Lek. Zederik merged with Leerdam and Vianen into the municipality of Vijfheerenlanden in the province of Utrecht on January 1, 2019. The municipality was named after the Old Zederik, a small canal running through its area.

The population centres of Zederik consisted of Ameide, Hei- en Boeicop, Leerbroek, Lexmond, Meerkerk, Nieuwland, and Tienhoven aan de Lek.

Topography

Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Zederik, Sept. 2014.

Notable people

 * Maarten Schakel Sr. (1917–1997) politician
 * Teun Kloek (born 1934) economist and Emeritus Professor of Econometrics at the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
 * Govert Schilling (born 1956) popular-science writer and amateur astronomer
 * Rita de Jong (born 1965) rower, she competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics
 * Robin Chaigneau (born 1988) former cyclist

title: Zederik


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Richville, Minnesota

Richville is a city in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 77 as of the 2020 census.

History
Richville was platted in 1903, and named for Watson Wellman Rich, a railroad engineer. A post office has been in operation at Richville since 1904. Richville was incorporated in 1904.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.00 sqmi, of which 0.99 sqmi is land and 0.01 sqmi is water.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 96 people, 43 households, and 26 families living in the city. The population density was 97.0 PD/sqmi. There were 49 housing units at an average density of 49.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.9% White, 1.0% Native American, 1.0% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 43 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.5% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.77.

The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 18.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 32.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.2% male and 45.8% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 124 people, 50 households, and 33 families living in the city. The population density was 123.7 PD/sqmi. There were 50 housing units at an average density of 49.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 99.19% White and 0.81% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.

There were 50 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $42,813. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,290. There were 12.9% of families and 12.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 12.5% of under eighteens and 11.5% of those over 64.

title: Richville, Minnesota


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Zevenhuizen-Moerkapelle

Zevenhuizen-Moerkapelle is a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.

The municipality was formed on January 1, 1991, through the merger of Moerkapelle and Zevenhuizen. It was initially called Moerhuizen before being renamed to Zevenhuizen-Moerkapelle on February 1, 1992.

The municipality joined the new municipality of Zuidplas on January 1, 2010.

It consisted of the population centres of Moerkapelle, Oud Verlaat, and Zevenhuizen.

title: Zevenhuizen-Moerkapelle


text:
Zoetermeer

Zoetermeer is a city in the Western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950. By 2023 this had grown to 126.998, making it the fourth largest population centre in the province of South Holland, after Rotterdam, The Hague and Leiden. While now a city in its own right, Zoetermeer started out as a suburb of The Hague and is still a part of the Greater The Hague urban area.

The name Zoetermeer (Dutch for "freshwater lake") refers to the former lake north of the town (reclaimed in 1614). Because the name literally translates as "sweet lake" local residents have dubbed Zoetermeer "Sweet Lake City".

History

The Zoetermeer Archaeological Working Group has found some Roman shards, but they are so few that it is not clear whether Zoetermeer already existed in Roman times. Excavation did find older animal material. During the extraction of sand for the new housing estates, bones of mammoths, aurochs and saber-toothed tigers surfaced from great depths. Those animals walked around here ten to a hundred thousand years ago.

The village of Zoetermeer is more than a thousand years old. In the Middle Ages, farmers dug so-called valley holes. The clay from those holes was used to improve their peatland. At the bottom of one such hole, Zoetermeer archaeologists found a carved wooden pole a few years ago, dating back to the year 985. So people were already living in Zoetermeer then.

Zoetermeer used to have to pay a certain tax, the botting, to the Count of Holland. It is known that only the oldest towns in this province paid that tax. This shows that Zoetermeer must have been founded at least before 1100. The first written evidence for the existence of a village on the site of present-day Zoetermeer is found in 1269. Count Floris V then gave away part of the tax revenue here as a dowry.

In the 13th century a village center was formed, which still exists as the historic Dorpsstraat. Until the 17th century there was a lake called the Zoetermeer. A reminder of this is the "Zoetermeerse Plas" in the Noord Aa recreation area at the northern edge of town; this artificial lake was created when tons of sand were needed to lay the foundation for new housing development, and the area north of Zoetermeer was a good source of this resource.

After the foundation of Zoetermeer, the settlement Zegwaart arose at the site of the present Zegwaartseweg. It was probably named after the sedge-covered worth, a low-lying area, where most people went to live. In the 13th century the settlement centers moved from Langeland and Zegwaartseweg to Dorpsstraat. In 1296 there was probably already a church on the site where the Oude Kerk now stands. Zoetermeer and Zegwaart remained independent, but formed one parish.

Zoetermeer developed more prosperously over the centuries than Zegwaart. That village suffered relatively often from fires and floods. On May 1, 1935, both municipalities were merged into the present municipality of Zoetermeer. Seghwaert, an older way of spelling of Zegwaard, is now the name of a neighbourhood outside the old village centre.

Zoetermeer began to grow slightly when the first train service came around 1868. A few decades later the Numico factory started near the station. The real growth started in 1966, when there was an urgent need of houses from people around The Hague. From then they started to build new quarters around the old village centre, so Zoetermeer began to grow and became a city in the meantime.

Although contemporary Zoetermeer has the image of a modern city, there are still remains of the past. Like the old village centre with its small houses and the church with late medieval 15th-century clock tower (on picture, wooden top from 1642), and the old farms, surrounded by modern houses nowadays.

Lake Dobbe divides the old town from the new city centre, with the medieval village centre on one side of the lake and the modern high-rise and skyscrapers on the other side.

==Neighbourhoods == Zoetermeer is divided into 6 neighbourhoods (wijken), which cover most of the municipality's territory, with the remainder being the commercial area in the east and the mostly green and undeveloped Buitengebied in the west. Every neighbourhood has at least one (smaller) shopping mall and (except for Noordhove) a tram stop. Each neighbourhood consists of one or more wijken, each of which has a separate postcode with differing last two digits following "27", from within Zoetermeer's 2710-2729 assigned postcodes (2700, 2701 and 2702 are used for post-office boxes and the rest are not used )

These neighbourhoods have the following names (in brackets the year the neighbourhood was designated, although some of the neighbourhood already existed before designation):

Meerzicht (1969)
Literally meaning "lake view", Meerzicht is divided by the RandstadRail light rail tracks into Meerzicht-Oost (postcode 2715), with taller block of flats, and Meerzicht-West (postcode 2716) with low-rise residential development. Further to the west is the water-rich, 280-hectare urban park and recreation area Westerpark.

Buytenwegh de Leyens (1974)
The development of this area marked the shift to the development of single-family homes with private gardens more popular with Dutch families of that and coming decades, and encompasses the much older settlements of Buytenwegh (postcode 2717) and De Leyens (postcode 2725), and an area called "Buytenwegh de Leyens" per se (postcode 2726).

Centrum (1978)
The construction of a new centre of Zoetermeer actually started only in 1981, to serve as a shopping and administrative heart of the city. It followed modern urban planning principles, placing parking garages, some storage facilities and a RandstadRail station on the ground level, which is covered by pedestrian- and bicycle-only area with shops on the lower floors and apartments above them, to ensure the centre does not die out outside of the business hours.

The centre was completed in phases, the last one being the Cadenza residential development in 2017. The Stadscentrum has two RandstadRail stations. The Centrum-West station is the terminus of RandstadRail line 3 and is the locations of Zoetermeer's busiest bus station. The Stadscentrum includes the modern town hall of Zoetermeer and the local police station. A small lake called Grote Dobbe is placed directly in between Stadscentrum and Dorp, with the promenades and bicycle paths along the lake connecting the old and the new centres of Zoetermeer. The postcode for Stadscentrum is 2711.

Noordhove & Seghwaert (1986)
Noordhove (postcode 2728) is located between Seghwaert to the south and the artificial lake known as 'Zoetermeerse Plas' to the north. Unlike the other wijken, it has no dedicated RandstadRail station, as both RandstadRail track branches run to the south of it.

Rokkeveen (1987)
Rokkeveen is separated from the other wijken by the A12 motorway and the Den Haag-Gouda railway line. As such, it enjoys direct access to Zoetermeer's railway stations and features numerous crossings under or over both transport corridors to allow access to the rest of Zoetermeer. Rokkeveen is further divided into Rokkeveen-Oost and Rokkeveen-West. A significant turning point in the development of this part of town was the Floriade 1992, which took place there.

Rokkeveen-Oost (postcode 2718) extends between the railway stations Zoetermeer-Oost and Zoetermeer. The Mandelabrug (Nelson Mandela bridge) was built over the latter for the Floriade (replacing an earlier smaller bridge, deemed insufficient for the increased traffic) as a covered bicycle and pedestrian passage over the railway, motorway and the RandstadRail, which adjoins it at this point from the North. The Mandelabrug connects the train station, the Randstadrail station Driemanspolder and the wijken of Rokkeveen-Oost and Driemanspolder. Next to the Mandelabrug runs a road crossing - a bridge between Afrikaweg on the northern side and Zuidweg in Rokkeveen.

The other crossing are the road, pedestrian and bicycle tunnels between Tweede and Eerste Stationsstraat next to Zoetermeer-Oost train station, connecting Rokkeveen-Oost with Dorp. The historic water tower De Tien Gemeenten is also now located in Rokkeveen-Oost.

Rokkeveen-West (postcode 2719) mainly encompasses newer development on the grounds of the former Floriade-park, which includes both residential and office buildings.

Oosterheem (1999)
Oosterheem is the newest district of Zoetermeer, a Vinex-location and the source of Zoetermeer's most recent and continuing growth, which allowed it to become the third most populous municipality in South Holland. The districts development was not without problematic issues and delays, stemming first from the concerns over the environmental impacts of such development, and later from the planning and construction of HSL-Zuid, which now forms the district's and municipality's eastern border. An enduring concern is an old pipeline, now used for the transportation of pressurized CO2, which runs through Oosterheem.

Oosterheem is served by three stations on RandstadRail line 4, whose tracks branch out from the original RandstadRail loop in Seghwaert. It is further divided into Oosterheem-Oost (postcode 2721) and Oosterheem-West (postcode 2729).

Wijkposten
Zoetermeer has a network of "wijkposten" ("neighbourhood stations"), which provide more direct contacts between the municipality and the inhabitants of the neighbourhoods. The wijkposten employ personnel to deal with housing issues and provide space for local police officers. There are six wijkposten throughout Zoetermeer. Buytenwegh de Leyens, Meerzicht, Oosterheem and Rokkeveen have a wijkpost each, while Noordhove and Seghwaert share a common station and Wijkpost Center serves Dorp, Driemanspolder, Palenstein and Stadscentrum, which are for some purposes also lumped together as "Zoetermeer Centrum".

Dorp (1962)
Literally meaning "village", this wijk covers mostly the territory of the pre-existing village of Zoetermeer, with the central Dorpstraat (village street) with historic buildings serving as a shopping and recreation area. The area also features the historic De Hoop windmill, which unlike many other windmills in the area used for drainage, has always been used as a flourmill. The postcode for Zoetermeer-Dorp is 2712.

Driemanspolder (1965)
Driemanspolder (postcode 2713) was the first area to be developed as part of modern Zoetermeer, and contains mostly large multi-apartment buildings characteristic of the era. It is next to the A12 motorway, which forms the southern border of the wijk, and directly north of the Zoetermeer railway station (which is on the other side of A12).

Palenstein (1966)
Palenstein (postcode 2722) is north of the Dorp, deriving its name from the former Castle of Palenstein, which used to be there. It mainly consists of highrise residential development. A rejuvenation project was started in Palenstein in 2006, providing for the renovation of some and demolition of other older buildings.

Seghwaert (1975)
Seghwaert was formed around what was the former village of Zegwaart (or Zegwaard), which fused with Zoetermeer in 1935, using the archaic spelling of the locale's name. The old Zegwaart was a ribbon development along what remains until today as Zegwaartseweg, which is perpendicular to Dorpstraat. It is further divided into Seghwaert-Oost (postcode 2723), -Midden (postcode 2724) and -Noord (postcode 2727).

Economy
Zoetermeer's economy is primarily dependent and revolving around Information technology. With modern infrastructure, a highly digitised centre called 'het Forum' that houses city hall, the central library and numerous other organisations, and many schools that offer IT-related education, it also is a major software development centre, with many software developers based here. There are a large number of IT companies with branches in Zoetermeer, like Siemens, which has its Dutch Tech Campus in Zoetermeer, and Toshiba Medical Systems Europe BV. 20% of the population of Zoetermeer has an IT-related job. The local government designates a comparatively large part of the budget to computers for schools.

To stress the IT tradition of Zoetermeer, the city is the first in the world to have a city hall in Second Life.

Light rail
The former Zoetermeer Stadslijn urban railway was rebuilt as light rail in 2006/2007. The stadslijn was the only urban railway in The Netherlands. It had 12 stations in Zoetermeer and ran to and from The Hague Central Station.

The new light rail system is part of the RandstadRail network between The Hague, Rotterdam and Zoetermeer. Besides the rebuilt original Stadslijn, which now has 13 stations, the added Oosterheemlijn leads to the new suburb Oosterheem. The Oosterheemlijn has five stations and ends at the heavy rail Station Lansingerland-Zoetermeer.

Heavy rail
Zoetermeer has three stations on the main railway between The Hague and Utrecht. Zoetermeer-Zegwaard, built when the city was connected by railway in 1868, burnt down in 1906. Later the station reopened 1965 on the same location as Zoetermeer-Oost. The main station, Zoetermeer station, was opened in 1973. Lastly, the newest station, Station Lansingerland-Zoetermeer, was completed in May 2019.

The HSL-Zuid high speed line from Amsterdam to Paris passes Zoetermeer on its eastern side. Although there have been proposals to open a station on the line, this seems highly unlikely this will be realized.

Motorway
Zoetermeer is next to the A12 motorway, connecting The Hague with Utrecht, Arnhem and Germany.

Religion
Zoetermeer is the only place in the Netherlands with a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is situated near the old village centre.

Entertainment and recreation
This former new town used to be a satellite city of The Hague, as many residents worked, shopped and were entertained in The Hague. With the growth of Zoetermeer came a large theatre, mega cinema, and other entertainment such as go-karts, laser gaming, survival centre, and a golf centre.

Museums
The city has two museums, Museum deVoorde and the National Videogame Museum. In 2022, subsidy for Museum deVoorde was stopped by the local government because of low visitor numbers after the COVID19-pandemic.

SnowWorld
SnowWorld was the first indoor ski slope made of real snow in Europe, opened in 1996. It now has three slopes, of which the 200 m slope is the longest. Plans are being made to extend this to 300 m. Open since December 2016, SnowWorld attracts over a million visitors each year, making it the most important tourist attraction in Zoetermeer.

Dutch Water Dreams
Dutch Water Dreams (DWD) was an artificial Olympic wild water rafting circuit. It was a copy of the one built in China for the 2008 Olympic Games and was mainly used for training by European rafting teams, and also for team building and recreation. DWD also had an indoor Flowrider centre. Dutch Water Dreams closed in 2015.

Silverdome
Silverdome is an indoor Olympic ice skating track and convention centre. It is used as a training centre for the KNSB, the Dutch Olympic and world championship ice skaters. It is also home to the only curling rink in the Netherlands. Outside the skating season it is used as a convention centre and concert hall and for large raves.

Parks
Zoetermeer has many parks, the biggest being the "Westerpark" on the west side of town. It is almost as large as Central Park in New York. Other notable parks are the "Buytenpark", the "Aldo van Eyckpark", the "Binnenpark", the "Van Tuyllpark (with Dutch Water Dreams and Aquapark Keerpunt), the "Hoekstrapark", the "Wilhelminapark", the "floriade park", the "Seghwaertse Hout" and the "Seghwaertpark".

At the north side there is a lake, the "Zoetermeerse Plas", often called "Noord Aa" because it is in the Noord Aa Recreational Area. There is a beach along one side of the lake and a marina on the other. Wind- and kite surfing, sailing and fishing are the most popular activities on the lake.

On both the west and east side of the city forests are being planted, called "Balijbos" (west side) and Bentwoud (east side). These forests are intended to form a "natural" barrier between The Hague and Zoetermeer.

Twin towns – Sister cities
Zoetermeer is twinned with:

Public thinking & public service

 * Antonius van den Broek (1870 in Zoetermeer - 1926) a Dutch amateur physicist and lawyer
 * Hilbrand Nawijn (born 1948) Dutch politician, lives in Zoetermeer
 * Bert van der Spek (born 1949 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch ancient historian, specializing in the Seleucid Empire
 * Charlie Aptroot (born 1950) a Dutch politician, Mayor of Zoetermeer since 2012
 * Martijn van Dam (born 1978 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch engineer and politician, member of the Second Rutte cabinet
 * Rutger de Regt (born 1979 in Zoetermeer) Dutch furniture designer

The arts

 * Dennis Princewell Stehr (born 1984 in Zoetermeer) stage name Mr Probz, Dutch singer-songwriter, rapper, producer and actor
 * San Holo (born 1990 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch DJ, musician, record producer and composer
 * Shandro Jahangier (born 1992 in Zoetermeer) stage name Sandro Silva, a Dutch DJ and record producer
 * Romee Strijd (born 1995 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch model

Sport

 * Jopie Selbach (1918–1998 in Zoetermeer) Dutch freestyle swimmer, gold medallist at the 1936 Summer Olympics
 * Xenia Stad-de Jong (1922–2012 in Zoetermeer), Dutch track and field athlete, gold medallist at the 1948 Summer Olympics
 * Monique Bolleboom (born 1962 in Zoetermeer) a former artistic gymnast, competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics
 * Karen Venhuizen (born 1984 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch former competitive figure skater
 * Suzanne Harmes (born 1986 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch gymnast, competed at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics
 * Leroy Fer (born 1990 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch footballer, over 300 club caps
 * Yara van Kerkhof (born 1990 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch short track speed skater, silver medallist at the 2018 Winter Olympics
 * Charlton Vicento (born 1991 in Zoetermeer) is a Curaçaoan footballer with over 150 club caps
 * Remon van Bochoven (born 1989 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch footballer, over 185 club caps
 * Rosalin Kuiper (born 1995 in Zoetermeer) a Dutch Sailor, 24 hour World Record Holder for Monohulls, during the Ocean Race 2023 as Co-Skipper of Team Maliza 'Sea Explorer'

title: Zoetermeer


text:
Zoeterwoude

Zoeterwoude is a municipality in the province of South Holland, Western Netherlands. It covers undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. It had a population of 0 in.

Located to the southeast of Leiden and north of Zoetermeer, the municipality of Zoeterwoude consists of Gelderswoude, Weipoort, Westeinde, Zoeterwoude-Dorp, Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk and Zuidbuurt.

Topography

''Dutch topographic map of Zoeterwoude, Sept. 2014. Click to enlarge.''

History
The name Zoeterwoude is first mentioned in a document from 1205, which references a certain "Florentius van Sotrewold". It is uncertain if this is a reference to the village. The first confirmed existence is from 1276 when Dirk van Santhorst received the "Soetrewold" fiefdom from Floris V, Count of Holland.

Its municipal boundaries were set circa 1300. At that time it was one of the largest municipalities in the Netherlands, but later much land was annexed by surrounding cities, notably Leiden. In 1450, the first bridge between Leiderdorp and Zoeterwoude was built. In 1574, Zoeterwoude was burnt to the ground and its polders inundated by Leideners in order to increase the range of the city's cannons. Almost no inhabitants remained in Zoeterwoude.

Around 1650, Zoeterwoude had been almost rebuilt and 50 years later it was prospering. After 1800, Leiden started a long series of annexations, reducing the land area of Zoeterwoude.

In 1960, the A4 motorway was built and since 1966 it has been the municipal boundary between Leiden and Zoeterwoude.

Economy
A datacenter from SWIFT is located in Zoeterwoude.

The main brewery of Heineken International is located in Zoeterwoude.

Notable people

 * Lucretia Wilhelmina van Merken (1721-1789), dramatist and poet
 * Harm Kamerlingh Onnes (1893–1985), portrait painter and ceramist
 * Paul van Kempen (1893–1955), violinist and conductor
 * Bram van Velde (1895–1981), fine-art painter
 * Aar de Goede (1928–2016) politician

Sport

 * François Brandt (1874–1949) rower, competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics
 * Jeroen Straathof (born 1972), cyclist and speed skater
 * Suzanne de Goede (born 1984), cyclist

title: Zoeterwoude


text:
Rush Lake Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Rush Lake Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 966 at the 2000 census.

Rush Lake Township was organized in 1871.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.7 square miles (89.8 km$2$), of which 26.8 square miles (69.4 km$2$) is land and 7.9 square miles (20.5 km$2$) (22.80%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 966 people, 379 households, and 294 families residing in the township. The population density was 36.1 PD/sqmi. There were 872 housing units at an average density of 32.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 98.65% White, 0.21% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.

There were 379 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were married couples living together, 2.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $46,944. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $21,538 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,800. About 4.4% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.


text:
Scambler Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Scambler Township is a township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 504 at the 2000 census.

Scambler Township was organized in 1871, and named for Robert Scambler, an early settler.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.3 square miles (93.9 km$2$), of which 32.1 square miles (83.2 km$2$) is land and 4.2 square miles (10.7 km$2$) (11.44%) is water.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 504 people, 208 households, and 154 families living in the township. The population density was 15.7 people per square mile (6.1/km$2$). There were 552 housing units at an average density of 17.2/sq mi (6.6/km$2$). The racial makeup of the township was 96.23% White, 2.38% Native American, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60%.

Of the 208 households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.4% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.6% of households were one person and 9.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.77.

The age distribution was 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% 65 or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median household income was $40,625 and the median family income was $45,500. Males had a median income of $32,059 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,550. About 2.7% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.