Pekela (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpeːkəlaː] ⓘ) is a municipality in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. It was created in 1990 when Oude Pekela and Nieuwe Pekela were merged.
Pekela | |
|---|---|
_04.jpg) Bridge in Oude Pekela | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
.svg) Location of Pekela (green) in the province of Groningen (dark grey) in the Netherlands (light grey) | |
| Coordinates: 53°6′N 7°0′E / 53.100°N 7.000°E | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | Groningen |
| Government | |
| • Body | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Jaap Kuin (PvdA) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 50.20 km2 (19.38 sq mi) |
| • Land | 49.04 km2 (18.93 sq mi) |
| • Water | 1.16 km2 (0.45 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Population (January 2021)[4] | |
| • Total | 12,176 |
| • Density | 248/km2 (640/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postcode | 9662–9669 |
| Area code | 0597 |
| Website | www |
History edit
The municipality of Pekela was created when the municipalities of Oude Pekela and Nieuwe Pekela were merged in 1990.[5]
Geography edit
Pekela is located at 53°6′N 7°0′E / 53.100°N 7.000°E in the southeast of the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is bordered by the municipalities of:
- Oldambt (in the north)
- Bellingwedde (east)
- Stadskanaal (south)
- Veendam (west)
- Menterwolde (northwest).
The river Pekel Aa crosses the municipality from north to south. The main population centres in the municipality are the villages of Boven Pekela (Upper Pekela), Nieuwe Pekela (New Pekela), and Oude Pekela (Old Pekela). Part of the village of Alteveer and the hamlets of Bronsveen and Hoetmansmeer are also in the municipality.
The municipality has a total area of 50.20 km2 (19.38 sq mi), of which 49.04 km2 (18.93 sq mi) is land and 1.16 km2 (0.45 sq mi) is water.[2]
Governance edit
Mayor (burgemeester) of Pekela is Jaap Kuin of the Labour Party.[1] The municipal council of Pekela consists of 15 seats, which are divided as follows:
| Municipality seats | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010 | 2014 | ||||||||||
| PvdA | 6 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||
| GroenLinks | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| CDA | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| VVD | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| SP | - | - | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||
| ChristenUnie | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | ||||||||||
| Samen Voor Pekela | - | - | - | 4 | 3 | ||||||||||
| VCP | - | - | - | - | 1 | ||||||||||
| Total | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | ||||||||||
Demographics edit
In 2021, the municipality had a total population of 12,176 and a population density of 248/km2 (640/sq mi).[4]
Notable people edit
- Jan de Boer (1859 in Nieuwe Pekela – 1941) a Dutch gymnast who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics[6]
- Fré Meis (1921–1992), communist politician[7]
- Janneke Snijder-Hazelhoff (born 1952 in Nieuwe Pekela) a Dutch farmer and politician[8]
- Gerard Wiekens (born 1973 in Oude Pekela) a Dutch former footballer with 518 club caps who played for SC Veendam and Manchester City F.C.[9]
Gallery edit
-
Villa Elsa, Clockstraat, Oude Pekela -
Art project "Geveltjes viadukt" in Nieuwe Pekela -
Het Dokhuis, a retirement home in Oude Pekela -
Pekelder Windmill "De Onrust" in Oude Pekela
_02.jpg)
.jpg)
References edit
- ^ a b "Burgemeester" [Mayor] (in Dutch). Gemeente Pekela. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
- ^ a b "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ "Postcodetool for 9665JD". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
- ^ a b "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ Ad van der Meer and Onno Boonstra, Repertorium van Nederlandse gemeenten, KNAW, 2011.
- ^ "Jan de Boer". Olympedia (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ Gerrit Voerman (2013). "Meis, Frederik (1921-1992)". Biographical Dictionary of the Netherlands (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ "J.F. (Janneke) Snijder-Hazelhoff". Dutch Parliament (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Gerard Wiekens". World Football. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
External links edit
