Houthalen-Helchteren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Houthalen-Helchteren
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 Houthalen-Helchteren
Location in Belgium
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | Limburg | ||
| Arrondissement | Maaseik | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 78.27 km2 (30.22 sq mi) | ||
| Population
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| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Postal codes |
3530
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| Area codes | 011, 089 | ||
| Website | www.houthalen-helchteren.be | ||
Houthalen-Helchteren is a town in the Belgian province of Limburg. It is a municipality, which means it's like a local government area.
This municipality includes several smaller areas. These are Houthalen-centrum, Houthalen-Oost, Helchteren, Sonnis, Laak, Meulenberg, and Lillo. As of January 1, 2020, about 30,000 people lived here. The total area of Houthalen-Helchteren is about 78.27 square kilometers. This means there are about 389 people living in each square kilometer.
Contents
Exploring Houthalen-Helchteren's Geography
Houthalen-Helchteren is in a special place. It sits near where the land divides water flow. This is called a watershed. Water here can flow towards two different large rivers: the Meuse or the Scheldt.
Rivers Starting Here
Several rivers begin their journey very close to Houthalen-Helchteren. The Dommel river starts here and flows towards the Meuse. The Grote Nete also begins nearby and flows towards the Scheldt. Another river, the Neer, joins the Meuse a bit further south.
A Glimpse into Helchteren's History
Helchteren almost became famous in 1702. This was during a big conflict called the War of the Spanish Succession. A French army, led by a general named Boufflers, faced an alliance army. This alliance was led by Marlborough.
The Cannonade of Helchteren
People expected a huge battle to happen. But instead, something unusual took place. It was called the "cannonade of Helchteren." This means that instead of a full battle, there was mostly just a lot of cannon fire. This kind of event, where armies mostly just fire cannons at each other without a full fight, is quite rare in military history.
Notable People from Houthalen-Helchteren
Many interesting people have connections to Houthalen-Helchteren.
Famous Scientists and Musicians
- Ingrid Daubechies was born in Houthalen on August 17, 1954. She is a very smart person who became a physicist and a mathematician.
- The music band Nemo was started here in 1991.
- Divock Origi, a professional football player, grew up in Houthalen.
See also
In Spanish: Houthalen-Helchteren para niños
