Zottegem (ˈzɔtəɣɛm) is a municipality

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...

 located in Belgium and more particularly in Flanders

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...

, in the province of East Flanders

East Flanders

East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...

. The municipality comprises the town of Zottegem proper and the villages of Elene, Erwetegem, Godveerdegem

Godveerdegem

Godveerdegem is a village belonging to the municipality of Zottegem. It is located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium....

, Grotenberge

Grotenberge

Grotenberge is a village belonging to the municipality of Zottegem. It is located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium....

, Leeuwergem

Leeuwergem

Leeuwergem is a village belonging to the municipality of Zottegem. It is located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium....

, Oombergen, Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove

Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove

Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove is situated in the municipality of Zottegem. It is located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium. Its name refers to Saint Gaugericus , bishop of Cambrai during the 7th century.-External links:**...

, Sint-Maria-Oudenhove

Sint-Maria-Oudenhove

Sint-Maria-Oudenhove is a village in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders, Belgium....

, Strijpen and Velzeke-Ruddershove

Velzeke-Ruddershove

-Preview:Velzeke-Ruddershove is a double village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium, currently part of the municipality of Zottegem.The two villages of Velzeke and Ruddershove were merged in 1825...

. On January 1, 2006 Zottegem had a total population of 24,548. The total area is 56.66 km² which gives 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 433 inhabitants per km².
With its beautiful nature Zottegem is part of the geographical area Vlaamse Ardennen (Flemish Ardennes

Flemish Ardennes

The Flemish Ardennes is an informal name given to a hilly region in the south of the province of East Flanders, Belgium.The area is distinct from the Ardennes, which is situated further to the south in Wallonia, France and Luxembourg....

) and the Denderstreek

Denderstreek

The Denderstreek or Denderland is a region in the heart of Belgium. It is named after the river Dender. Though the river stretches over three provinces, Hainaut, East Flanders and Flemish Brabant, the region called after the river is situated in East-Flanders. The Dutch word streek means region....

. There is also a little village in Zottegem Bevegem that was never a municipality before.

Famous inhabitants

• Lamoral, Count of Egmont
  Lamoral, Count of Egmont
  Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere was a general and statesman in the Habsburg Netherlands just before the start of the Eighty Years' War, whose execution helped spark the national uprising that eventually led to the independence of the Netherlands.The Count of Egmont headed one of the...
  
  , general and statesman, is buried in Zottegem
• Patricia de Martelaere
  Patricia de Martelaere
  Patricia De Martelaere was a Flemish writer. She was born in Zottegem, Belgium. She graduated in philosophy at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven...
  
   (b. in Zottegem), writer
• Magali Uytterhaegen (b. in Zottegem), actress (The curiosity of Chance
  The Curiosity of Chance
  The Curiosity of Chance is a 2006 film directed by Russell P. Marleau, produced by Bigfoot Entertainment and starring Tad Hilgenbrink.-Plot:...
  
  )

External links

• Official website - Information available in Dutch and limited information available in English, French and German