Elim (Drenthe)
| Elim |
| Coordinates: |
| Country |
Netherlands |
| Province |
Drenthe |
| Municipality |
Hoogeveen |
| Population (1 januari 2004) |
2,400 |
Elim is a village in Drenthe (province of The Netherlands) and it is part of the Hoogeveen municipality. The population of Elim and rural area is about 2500.
The history of Elim
A few hundred years ago there were only swamps in this part of the Netherlands. After the drainage of the swamps, people started to harvest peat. This peat was transported to the west of the Netherlands. The people who harvested the peat, built houses on the land and started a small community. This first community, on the present place of Elim, was called "Het Dwarsgat". In 1914 the name Elim was used for the first time in the Hoogeveensche Courant, the local newspaper. On the first of February 1923 the council of Hoogeveen approved the name Elim. On the first of May 1924 the village was called Elim. The name Elim is from the Bible, Exodus 15:27 : "there were twelve wells of water, and seventy date palms," and the Israelites "camped there near the water". The village is considered a Christian enclave in a relatively low observant region.
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