Pekela Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Pekela

Bridge in Oude Pekela

Flag	Coat of arms

Location of Pekela (green) in the province of Groningen (dark grey) in the Netherlands (light grey)

Country

Netherlands

Province

Groningen

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

50.20 km² (19.38 sq mi)

• Land

49.10 km² (18.96 sq mi)

• Water

1.10 km² (0.42 sq mi)

Elevation

1 m (3 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

12,709

• Density

259/km² (670/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

9662–9669

Area code

0597

Pekela is a municipality (a type of local government area) in the Netherlands. It is located in the province of Groningen. Pekela was formed in 1990 when two older towns, Oude Pekela and Nieuwe Pekela, merged into one.

Discovering Pekela's Location
How Pekela is Governed
- Who is Pekela's Mayor?
- Understanding the Municipal Council
Pekela's Population Facts
Famous People from Pekela
Gallery
See also

Discovering Pekela's Location

Map of the municipality of Pekela, June 2015

Pekela is found in the southeast part of the Groningen province. This area is in the northeast of the Netherlands.

Neighboring Areas of Pekela

Pekela shares its borders with several other municipalities. These include:

Oldambt to the north
Bellingwedde to the east
Stadskanaal to the south
Veendam to the west
Menterwolde to the northwest

Rivers and Villages in Pekela

The Pekel Aa river flows through the municipality from north to south. The main villages in Pekela are Boven Pekela (Upper Pekela), Nieuwe Pekela (New Pekela), and Oude Pekela (Old Pekela). You can also find parts of the village of Alteveer and the small communities of Bronsveen and Hoetmansmeer here.

How Big is Pekela?

Pekela covers a total area of about 50.20 km² (19.38 sq mi). Most of this area, around 49.10 km² (18.96 sq mi), is land. The rest, about 1.10 km² (0.42 sq mi), is water.

How Pekela is Governed

Pekela is run by a municipal council and a mayor. The mayor is like the head of the town's government.

Who is Pekela's Mayor?

The current mayor of Pekela is Jaap Kuin. He is a member of the Labour Party.

Understanding the Municipal Council

The municipal council makes important decisions for Pekela. It has 15 members, also called seats. These seats are divided among different political parties.

Pekela Municipal Council Seats (2022)
Party	Seats
SP	3
Samen Voor Pekela	3
PvdA	2
CDA	2
GroenLinks	2
Party for Freedom (PVV)	2
VVD	1
Total	15

Pekela's Population Facts

In 2014 , Pekela had a total population of 12,709 people. This means there were about 259/km² (670/sq mi) people living in each square kilometer of land.

Famous People from Pekela

Many interesting people have come from Pekela. Here are a few:

Jan de Boer (1859–1941): He was born in Nieuwe Pekela. Jan was a Dutch gymnast who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Fré Meis (1921–1992): A well-known communist politician.
Janneke Snijder-Hazelhoff (born 1952): She was born in Nieuwe Pekela. Janneke is a Dutch farmer and politician.
Gerard Wiekens (born 1973): Born in Oude Pekela. Gerard was a Dutch professional footballer. He played in 518 club games for teams like SC Veendam and Manchester City F.C..