Waadhoeke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waadhoeke
Municipality
Franeker town hall and planetarium Frisian handball in Franeker Church in Sint Jacobiparochie Museum Martena in Franeker Poptaslot in Marssum
Flag Coat of arms
Location in Friesland
Country	Netherlands
Province	Friesland
Established	1 January 2018
Government
• Body	Municipal council
Area
• Total	data missing km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi)
• Land	data missing km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi)
• Water	30.4 km2 (11.7 sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	Parts of 8800 and 9000 range
Area code	0515, 0517, 0518, 058

Waadhoeke is a cool municipality (like a town or city area) in the northern part of the Netherlands. It's located in the province of Friesland. This municipality was created on January 1, 2018. It was formed by combining four older municipalities: Franekeradeel, het Bildt, Menameradiel, and parts of Littenseradiel.

Waadhoeke is surrounded by other towns and areas. These include Harlingen, Terschelling, Ferwerderadiel, Leeuwarden, and Súdwest-Fryslân. In January 2019, about 46,133 people lived here. This makes Waadhoeke the sixth largest municipality in Friesland by population. The biggest town in Waadhoeke is Franeker, which had 12,793 residents in 2018. People in Waadhoeke speak different languages. They might speak Dutch, West Frisian, or Bildts. Bildts is a special dialect from the former municipality of het Bildt.

What Does Waadhoeke Mean?

The name "Waadhoeke" comes from the Wadden Sea (which is called Waadsee in Frisian). The municipality is like a "corner" (hoeke in Frisian) of the province of Friesland. So, it means "Wadden Corner."

Towns and Villages in Waadhoeke

Map of Waadhoeke municipality, January 2018

Waadhoeke is made up of 41 different settlements. These are like towns and villages. The main government office is in Franeker.

Here's a list of the main towns and villages and how many people lived there:

A tiny part of the village Alde Leie is also in Waadhoeke. The settlement of Ritsumazijl is here too, but it's not yet an official village.

Small Settlements (Hamlets)

Waadhoeke also has many smaller places called hamlets. Some of these are: 't Heechhout, Arkens, Barrum, Bonkwert, De Kampen, De Oasterein, De Puollen, De Vlaren, Doijum, Dijkshoek, Dyksterhuzen, Fatum, Franjumerbourren, Hatsum, Holprijp, Kie, Kiesterzijl, Kingmatille, Kleaster Anjum, Koehool, Koum, Laakwerd, Lutjelollum, Miedum, Nieuwebildtzijl, Oosthoek, Rewert (partially), Roptasyl (partially), Salverd, Skyldum, Sopsum, Stad Niks, Tallum, Teetlum, Tolsum, Tritzum, Tsjeppenbûr, Vrouwbuurtstermolen (partially), War, Weakens, Westerein, and Zwarte Haan.

Getting Around Waadhoeke

Roads

A major road, the A31, goes around the towns of Franeker and Dronryp. This helps traffic move smoothly.

Trains

You can travel by train in Waadhoeke! Trains run on the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway line. They stop at Franeker, Dronryp, and Deinum. These trains are operated by a company called Arriva.

Canals

The Van Harinxmakanaal is an important canal in the area. It flows through Franeker, Dronryp, and Deinum. Canals are like man-made rivers used for boats and shipping.

Famous People from Waadhoeke

Many interesting people have come from the Waadhoeke area.

Academics and Public Service

Jelle Zijlstra, a former Prime Minister.

Pia Dijkstra, a politician and former TV presenter.

• Sixtinus Amama (1593 in Franeker – 1629): He was a theologian who studied ancient languages.
• Tjerk Hiddes de Vries (1622 in Sexbierum – 1666): A brave Dutch admiral.
• Sicco van Goslinga (1664 in Herbaijum – 1731): A Dutch statesman and diplomat.
• François Hemsterhuis (1721 in Franeker – 1790): A writer who thought about beauty and right and wrong.
• Johan Valckenaer (1759 in Franeker – 1821): A lawyer and diplomat.
• Michael Jan de Goeje (1836 in Dronryp – 1909): He studied the history and culture of Arabia and Islam.
• Dirk Boonstra (1893 in Sint Annaparochie – 1944): A police commander and hero during World War II.
• Jelle Zijlstra (1918 in Oosterbierum – 2001): He was a politician who became the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1966 to 1967.
• Jacob Klapwijk (1933 in Dronryp – 2021): A Dutch philosopher and professor.
• Aucke van der Werff (born 1953): A Dutch politician who was the Mayor of het Bildt.
• Pia Dijkstra (born 1954 in Franeker): A Dutch politician and used to be a TV news presenter.

Science and Discovery

Johan Sems, a cartographer.

• Johan Sems (1572 in Franeker – 1635): He was a cartographer (map maker), engineer, and land surveyor.
• Eise Eisinga (1744 in Dronryp – 1828): An amazing amateur astronomer who built a working model of the solar system in his house!
• Adolphus Ypey (1749 in Franeker – 1822): A Dutch botanist who studied plants.
• Sebald Justinus Brugmans (1763 in Franeker – 1819): A botanist and doctor.
• Jan Oort (1900 in Franeker – 1992): A famous Dutch astronomer who studied the Milky Way galaxy.
• Rein Strikwerda (1930 in Franeker – 2006): A Dutch orthopedic surgeon who helped footballers with their injuries.
• Johan Bouma (born 1940 in Vrouwenparochie): A Dutch soil scientist who studies dirt and land.

Art and Creativity

Anna Maria van Schurman, an artist and poet.

• Jacobus Mancadan (around 1602 in Minnertsga – 1680): A painter from the Dutch Golden Age known for his beautiful countryside scenes.
• Anna Maria van Schurman (1607–1678): A talented artist, engraver, and poet.
• Jan Jansz. de Stomme (1615 in Franeker – 1658): A portrait painter from the Dutch Golden Age.
• Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836 in Dronryp – 1912): A famous painter.

Sports Stars

• Sippie Tigchelaar (born 1952 in Franeker): A speed skater who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics.
• Tjalling van den Bosch (born 1958 in Achlum): A strongman and powerlifter.
• Petronella de Jong (born 1970 in Sint Jacobiparochie): A sailor who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Waadhoeke para niños