Tholen Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Tholen

Harbour of Tholen

Flag	Coat of arms

Location in Zeeland

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

254.00 km² (98.07 sq mi)

• Land

147.09 km² (56.79 sq mi)

• Water

106.91 km² (41.28 sq mi)

Elevation

-1 m (−3.3 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

25,444

• Density

173/km² (450/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Tholenaar

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

4675, 4690–4699

Area code

0166, 0167

Tholen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈtoːlə(n)]) is a town and a municipality in the southwest of the Netherlands. A municipality is like a local government area. About 25,000 people live in Tholen. The municipality is named after the town of Tholen, which is its biggest community.

The Tholen municipality includes two land areas that used to be islands. The larger one in the south is also called Tholen. The smaller one in the north is named Sint Philipsland. These two areas are separated by a former strait, which is a narrow water passage. This passage is now a bay called Krabbenkreek.

The municipality has water borders on all sides. To the east, it borders the Eendracht, which is now part of the Scheldt-Rhine Canal. Three road bridges cross this canal. To the south is the Oosterschelde estuary, where a river meets the sea. To the west are the straits of Keeten-Mastgat. To the north is the Krammer strait.

The town of Tholen has a small historic center. Part of it is surrounded by a "gracht" (a canal). Another part borders a harbor where fishing boats and yachts can dock.

Towns and Villages in Tholen
- Villages on Sint Philipsland
- Communities on Tholen Island
Sister City Connections
Famous People from Tholen
Images for kids
See also

Towns and Villages in Tholen

Dutch Topographic map of Tholen, June 2015

The municipality of Tholen is made up of several towns and villages. They are located on the two main land areas.

Villages on Sint Philipsland

On the former island of Sint Philipsland, you can find three villages:

Sint Philipsland
Anna Jacobapolder
Sluis

Communities on Tholen Island

The larger former island, also called Tholen, has seven communities:

Oud-Vossemeer
Poortvliet
Scherpenisse
Sint-Annaland
Sint-Maartensdijk
Stavenisse
Tholen

Sister City Connections

Tholen has a special friendship with another city in a different country. This is called a "twin town" or "sister city" relationship.

Iława, Poland

Famous People from Tholen

Many interesting people have come from Tholen and its surrounding villages.

Artists and Thinkers

Ghiselin Danckerts (around 1510 in Tholen – 1567) was a Dutch composer, singer, and music expert.
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden (1595 in Sint-Maartensdijk – 1677) was a Dutch engineer. He brought Dutch methods of reclaiming land from water to England.
Chris Lanooy (1881 in Sint-Annaland - 1948) was a Dutch artist. He worked with pottery, design, ceramics, painting, drawing, and sculpture. He also created stained-glass art.
Leen Quist (1942 in Sint Philipsland – 2014) was a Dutch ceramist. He was known for his perfect finishes and geometric blue lines in his work.

Public Figures

Maertin Cornelissen Geldersman bought a farm in Tholen called Rosevelt, meaning "rose field." His descendants include famous American presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (born 1947 in Tholen) became a Member of the European Parliament. This means she helped make laws for countries in Europe.

Sports Stars

Keetie van Oosten-Hage (born 1949 in Sint-Maartensdijk) is a Dutch former cyclist.
Deborah Gravenstijn (born 1974 in Tholen) is a Dutch judoka. She is also a Captain in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. She won a bronze medal in judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.