kids encyclopedia robot

Weststellingwerf facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Weststellingwerf

Weststellingwarf  (Stellingwerfs)
Municipality
Weststellingwerf city hall
Weststellingwerf city hall
Flag of Weststellingwerf
Flag
 Coat of arms of Weststellingwerf
Coat of arms
Position of Weststellingwerf in a map of Friesland
Location in Friesland
Country Netherlands
Province Friesland
Government
 • Body Municipal council
Area
 • Total 228.45 km2 (88.21 sq mi)
 • Land 221.19 km2 (85.40 sq mi)
 • Water 7.26 km2 (2.80 sq mi)
Elevation
2 m (7 ft)
Population
 (May 2014)
 • Total 25,486
 • Density 115/km2 (300/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
8388–8398, 8470–8489
Area code 0527, 0561

Weststellingwerf is a municipality (which is like a local government area) in the northern Netherlands. It is located in the province of Friesland.

What makes Weststellingwerf special is its language. While most of Friesland speaks West Frisian, people here speak Stellingwerfs. This is a dialect that comes from Dutch Low Saxon.

Villages and Hamlets

Weststellingwerf is made up of many different villages and smaller places called hamlets. These are the main population centres where people live.

  • Blesdijke
  • Boijl
  • De Blesse
  • De Hoeve
  • Langelille
  • Munnekeburen
  • Nijeholtpade
  • Nijeholtwolde
  • Nijelamer
  • Nijetrijne
  • Noordwolde
  • Oldeholtpade
  • Oldeholtwolde
  • Oldelamer
  • Oldetrijne
  • Oosterstreek
  • Peperga
  • Scherpenzeel
  • Slijkenburg
  • Sonnega
  • Spanga
  • Steggerda
  • Ter Idzard
  • Vinkega
  • Wolvega
  • Zandhuizen

A small part of the village Willemsoord is also located within Weststellingwerf. Noordwolde-Zuid is often called a village, but the municipality officially considers it a hamlet.

Other hamlets in the area include: Boekelte, Gracht, Munnekezeel, Overburen, Rijsberkampen, Rode Dorp, Schoterzijl (partially) and Zuid (partially).

Weststellingwerf's Landscape

2013-Weststellingwerf
Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Weststellingwerf, 2013.

This map shows the landscape of Weststellingwerf in 2013. It helps you see where the different villages and natural areas are located.

Wolvega: The Capital

Station Wolvega 09c
Station Wolvega

Wolvega is the main town and the capital of Weststellingwerf. This means it's where the local government offices are located.

Getting Around

The main way to travel by train in Weststellingwerf is through the Wolvega railway station.

Famous People from Weststellingwerf

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

  • Peter Stuyvesant (1592–1672): He was the last governor of New Amsterdam, which is now New York City in the United States.
  • Johan Eilerts de Haan (1865-1910): A Dutch explorer and soldier who went on important expeditions.
  • Johan van Minnen (1932–2016): A well-known journalist and politician.
  • Johan Veenstra (born 1946): An author, poet, and columnist who writes in the local language.
  • Sijtje van der Lende (born 1950): A former speed skater who competed in the Winter Olympics in 1976 and 1980.
  • Gerard van Klaveren (born 1951): A politician who served as the Mayor of Weststellingwerf from 2005 to 2017.
  • Monique Knol (born 1964): A former racing cyclist who won gold and bronze medals at two different Summer Olympics.

Images for kids

  • Kerk Boijl

    Kerk Boijl

  • Molen Windlust in Noordwolde

    Molen Windlust in Noordwolde

  • Keersluis in de Linde - panoramio

    Keersluis in de Linde

  • Noardwâlde, PKN-tsjerke

    Noardwâlde, PKN-tsjerke

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Weststellingwerf Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.