Blankenberge
Encyclopedia
Blankenberge (ˈblɑŋkəmbɛrɣə) is a town and a municipality
in the Belgian
province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke
.
On 1 January 2010 Blankenberge had a total population of 18,907. The total area of the municipality is 17.41 km², giving a population density
of 1,086 inhabitants per km².
Like most other Flemish
coastal towns, a main characteristic of this one is that it is a national and to a certain extent international seaside resort.
Apart from the sandy beach, there's a structure unique along the Belgian coast: a 350-m long pier
, constructed in 1933.
with:
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke
Uitkerke
Uitkerke is in West Flanders and is part of the coastal city of Blankenberge, Belgium. The two neighboring communities were officially united in the early 1970s.-History:Uitkerke, as an independent village, is more than a thousand years old...
.
On 1 January 2010 Blankenberge had a total population of 18,907. The total area of the municipality is 17.41 km², giving a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1,086 inhabitants per km².
Like most other Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
coastal towns, a main characteristic of this one is that it is a national and to a certain extent international seaside resort.
Apart from the sandy beach, there's a structure unique along the Belgian coast: a 350-m long pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
, constructed in 1933.
Famous events
- Carnival Parade
- Two Day Marching event, every first weekend of May
- Klankenberge
- Flower Parade, every last Sunday of August
Famous inhabitants
- Adolf Eugen FickAdolf Eugen FickAdolf Eugen Fick was a German physiologist. He started to study mathematics and physics, but then realized he was more interested in medicine. He earned his doctorate in medicine at Marburg in 1851...
, the inventor of the contact lens, who died in Blankenberge in 1901 - Frans MasereelFrans MasereelFrans Masereel was a Flemish painter and graphic artist who worked mainly in France. He is known especially for his woodcuts. His greatest work is generally said to be the wordless graphic novel Mon Livre d'Heures . He completed over 20 other wordless novels in his career...
, Flemish painter and woodcutter born here in 1889 - Rudi Pillen, Belgian contemporary painter
- Brian VandenbusscheBrian VandenbusscheBrian Vandenbussche is a Belgian footballer who plays for SC Heerenveen as a goalkeeper. His former team is Sparta Rotterdam.-References:**...
, Belgian goalkeeper
Twin towns
Blankenberge is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Chikura, Chiba, Japan |
External links
- Official website in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(also available in DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) - Tourist Information Blankenberge
- The Pier Blankenberge