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Opsterland

Opsterlân
Former court in Beetsterzwaag
Former court in Beetsterzwaag
Flag of Opsterland
Flag
Coat of arms of Opsterland
Coat of arms
Position of Opsterland in a map of Friesland
Location in Friesland
Country Netherlands
Province Friesland
Government
 • Body Municipal council
Area
 • Total 227.64 km2 (87.89 sq mi)
 • Land 224.63 km2 (86.73 sq mi)
 • Water 3.01 km2 (1.16 sq mi)
Elevation
3 m (10 ft)
Population
 (May 2014)
 • Total 29,883
 • Density 133/km2 (340/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
8400–8409, 9240–9249
Area code 0512, 0513, 0516

Opsterland (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɔpstərlɑnt]; West Frisian: Opsterlân) is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands.

Population centres

  • Bakkeveen
  • Beetsterzwaag
  • Drachten-Azeven [nl]
  • Frieschepalen
  • Gorredijk
  • Hemrik
  • Jonkerslân
  • Langezwaag
  • Lippenhuizen
  • Luxwoude
  • Nij Beets
  • Olterterp
  • Siegerswoude
  • Terwispel
  • Tijnje
  • Ureterp
  • Wijnjewoude

Drachten-Azeven is an industrial zone of Drachten located in Opsterland.

Hamlets

The hamlets within the municipality are: Ald Beets, Allardsoog (partially), De Hanebuert, De Koaibosk, Easterein, Foarwurk, Haneburen, Heidehuizen, Hemrikerverlaat, Klein Groningen, Kortezwaag, Moskou (partially), Nieuwe Vaart, Petersburg (partially), Rolbrêge, Selmien, Sparjebird, Ulesprong, Ureterp aan de Vaart, Vosseburen, Welgelegen (partially), Wijngaarden and Wijnjeterpverlaat.

Topography

Gem-Opsterland-OpenTopo.jpg
Map of the municipality of Opsterland, June 2015

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Opsterland is twinned with:

The choice of twinning with both an Israeli city and a Palestinian one is Opsterland's modest contribution to trying to solve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. As well as bilateral contacts with both of their partners, the Dutch officials try to encourage trilateral meetings and induce greater contact between Ra'anana and Beit Sahour, which are located at a short geographical distance from each other but are separated by conflict and mutual mistrust. In 2012 Francisca Ravestein, Nahum Hofree, Hani Al-Hayik – the mayors, respectively, of Opsterland, Ra'anana and Beit Sahour – jointly inaugurated a photo exhibition at the municipal building in Opsterland.

Notable people

Tinco Lycklama (1837-1900) - par Emile Vernet-Lecomte
Tinco Lycklama, 1869
  • Tinco Martinus Lycklama à Nijeholt (1837 in Beetsterzwaag – 1900) a Frisian aristocrat, adventurer, writer, socialite and a Dutch orientalist
  • Sytze Wierda (1839 in Hemrik – 1911) an architect and engineer, worked on the architecture of the South African Republic
  • Tjeerd Bottema (1884 in Langezwaag – 1978) a painter, illustrator and book cover designer
  • Hein Vos (1903 in Tijnje – 1972) a politician and economist
  • Eduard Meine van Zinderen-Bakker (1907 in Opsterland – 2002) a Dutch-born South African palynologist
  • Gerard van Klaveren (born 1951 in Terneuzen) a Dutch politician

Sport

  • Riemer van der Velde (born 1940 in Bakkeveen) the former chairman of football club SC Heerenveen
  • Foppe de Haan (born 1943 in Lippenhuizen) a Dutch football coach with SC Heerenveen
  • Lieuwe de Boer (born 1951 in Ureterp) a former ice speed skater, bronze medallist at the 1980 Winter Olympics
  • Hilbert van der Duim (born 1957 in Beetsterzwaag) a Dutch former speed skater, participated in the 1980 and 1984 Winter Olympics

Gallery

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