Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht

Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
Municipality

Flag
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht in a municipal map of South Holland
Location in South Holland
Coordinates: 51°51′N 4°38′E / 51.850°N 4.633°E / 51.850; 4.633Coordinates: 51°51′N 4°38′E / 51.850°N 4.633°E / 51.850; 4.633
Country Netherlands
Province South Holland
Government[1]
 • Body Municipal council
 • Mayor Jan Heijkoop (CDA)
Area[2]
 • Total 11.90 km2 (4.59 sq mi)
 • Land 10.67 km2 (4.12 sq mi)
 • Water 1.23 km2 (0.47 sq mi)
Elevation[3] −1 m (−3 ft)
Population (February 2017)[4]
 • Total 29,147
 • Density 2,732/km2 (7,080/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Ambachter
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode 3340–3344
Area code 078
Website www.h-i-ambacht.nl

Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht ( pronunciation ) (population: 29,147 in 2017) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands. It is located on the island of IJsselmonde, and borders with Zwijndrecht, Ridderkerk, and the Noord River (with Alblasserdam and Papendrecht on the other side).

The jurisdiction of the municipality covers an area of 11.90 km2 (4.59 sq mi) of which 1.23 km2 (0.47 sq mi) is water. The municipality comprises no other population centres.

Name

Until 1855, the town was known as Hendrik-Ido-Schildmanskinderen-Ambacht en de Oostendam. Then it merged with Sandelingen-Ambacht and its full name for a period of time was said to be Hendrik-Ido-Oostendam-Schildmanskinderen-Groot-en-Klein-Sandelingen-Ambacht. This used to be the longest name of any town in the Netherlands.

Topography

Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, June 2015

History

Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht in 1866

The area has been populated from circa the year 1000 CE. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the only means of existence for many centuries. All lands were owned by or in control of the nobility of Dordrecht. Not until the Eighty Years' War some industrial activities began to appear along the river dike. Furthermore, horticulture and flax growing also developed.

Because of the rapid industrial growth in Germany and the daily tides, two citizens of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht started a ship breaking yard which grew into an industry resulting in the town becoming worldwide known as the "ship breaking village".

The establishment of industries in the region changed the centuries-old seasonal labour to permanent work opportunities with higher wages. Only a few monumental farms and buildings, including the 14th century Reformed Church, remain as a reminder of its historic past.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "college: samenstelling, taken en functies" [Board: Members, tasks and functions] (in Dutch). Gemeente Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten" [Key figures for neighbourhoods]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Postcodetool for 3342XA". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht Official Website
Waaltje
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.