Eemsmond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eemsmond
Former municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Location in Groningen
Country	Netherlands
Province	Groningen
Established	1 January 1979
Area
• Total	543.35 km2 (209.79 sq mi)
• Land	189.81 km2 (73.29 sq mi)
• Water	353.54 km2 (136.50 sq mi)
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Population  (May 2014)
• Total	15,864
• Density	84/km2 (220/sq mi)
Postcode	9979–9989, 9995–9999
Area code	0595, 0596

Eemsmond was a former municipality (like a local government area) in the north of the Groningen province in the Netherlands. It was located in the northeast part of the country. The name "Eemsmond" means "Ems Mouth," referring to the Ems River where it meets the sea.

In 2019, Eemsmond joined with three other municipalities: Bedum, De Marne, and Winsum. Together, they formed a new, larger municipality called Het Hogeland. Before it merged, Eemsmond had about 15,864 people living there.

History of Eemsmond

How Eemsmond Was Formed

The story of Eemsmond began on January 1, 1979. At that time, two smaller municipalities, Uithuizen and Uithuizermeeden, decided to combine. They formed a new municipality called Hefshuizen.

Growing Bigger

A few years later, on January 1, 1990, Hefshuizen grew even larger. Three more municipalities joined in: Kantens, Usquert, and Warffum. This made the area much bigger.

Changing the Name

Then, on January 1, 1992, the name of the municipality was officially changed. It went from Hefshuizen to Eemsmond. This new name, meaning "Ems Mouth," connected the area to its location near the Ems River and the sea.

Geography of Eemsmond

This map shows the area of Eemsmond in June 2015.

Eemsmond was located in the northern part of the Groningen province. This is in the northeast of the Netherlands.

Towns and Villages

Many towns and villages were part of the Eemsmond municipality. These included:

• Eemshaven
• Eppenhuizen
• Kantens
• Oldenzijl
• Oosteinde
• Oosternieland
• Oudeschip
• Roodeschool
• Rottum
• Startenhuizen
• Stitswerd
• Uithuizen
• Uithuizermeeden
• Usquert
• Warffum
• Zandeweer

Coastal Location

To the north of Eemsmond is the North Sea. This area is also home to part of the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea is very special and has been a World Heritage Site since 2009. This means it's recognized globally for its unique nature.

Within the Wadden Sea, Eemsmond included a sandbank called Simonszand. It also had three uninhabited islands: Rottumeroog, Rottumerplaat, and Zuiderduintjes. The very northernmost point of the entire Netherlands is found on the island of Rottumerplaat.

Culture and Events

Eemsmond was sometimes a host for special events. For example, in 2013, it hosted the start of stage 4 of the 2013 Energiewacht Tour. This was a cycling race.

Transportation

Getting around Eemsmond and connecting to other parts of the Netherlands was possible by train. The Sauwerd–Roodeschool railway line ran through the area.

Train Stations

This railway line connected several local train stations:

• Warffum
• Usquert
• Uithuizen
• Uithuizermeeden
• Roodeschool

These stations linked the towns to the larger Groningen railway station. From Groningen, people could travel to the rest of the Dutch railway network.

Notable People from Eemsmond

Seth Gaaikema, a famous Dutch artist.

Many interesting people have come from the towns and villages that were part of Eemsmond. Here are a few:

• Willem Surenhuis (around 1664 in Rottum – 1729) was a Dutch scholar who studied Hebrew.
• Hendrik Bulthuis (1865 in Warffum – 1945) was a Dutch customs official. He was also an author and translated many works into Esperanto, an international language.
• Frits Peutz (1896 in Uithuizen – 1974) was a well-known architect.
• Aldert van der Ziel (1910 in Zandeweer – 1991) was a Dutch physicist. He was famous for his studies on electronic noise.
• Molly Geertsema (1918–1991) was a politician and a jurist (a legal expert). She was the Mayor of Warffum from 1953 to 1957.
• Seth Gaaikema (1939 in Uithuizen – 2014) was a popular Dutch cabaret artist, writer, and lyricist.
• Ede Staal (1941 in Warffum – 1986) was a Dutch singer-songwriter. He mostly sang in the local Gronings dialect.

See also

In Spanish: Eemsmond para niños