Alblasserdam

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Alblasserdam

Flag

Coat of arms

Coordinates: 52.87° N 4.67° E

Country

Netherlands

Province

South Holland

Area (2006)

- Municipality

9.96 km² (3.8 sq mi)

- Land

8.78 km² (3.4 sq mi)

- Water

1.18 km² (0.5 sq mi)

Population (1 January 2007)

- Municipality

18,676

- Density

2,127/km² (5,508.9/sq mi)

Source: CBS, Statline.

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

- Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Website: www.alblasserdam.nl

Alblasserdam is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 9.96 km² (3.85 mile²) of which 1.18 km² (0.46 mile²) is water.

The name is derived from its location near the creek Alblas where a dam was built.

[edit] History

The history of Alblasserdam goes back some 700 years. The name is first mentioned in the chronicles of Melis Stoke in 1299, but the municipality was formed in 1447. Before that time it was part of Oud-Alblas.

Because of its location on the Noord River, one of the busiest waterways in Western Europe, water has played a major role in Alblasserdam's history. The river was important for its development and makes it an advantageous location for industry. This strategic location also brought negative consequences: between 1350 and 1821 the Alblasserwaard polder has been flooded 32 times. It also suffered during the German raid on Rotterdam on May 11, 1940, when its town center was seriously hit. However, the historic Kerkstraat (Church Street) and the characteristic dike construction along the river were spared. And also the North Sea flood of 1953 affected a portion of Alblasserdam.

Today, because of reinforcements to the dikes and improvements to the locks, water does not pose a direct danger any more. In 2004 its population was 18,386.