- Emmen, Netherlands
Infobox City
official_name = Emmen
mapsize = 280px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =Netherlands
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 =Drenthe
area_footnotes = (2006)
area_total_km2 = 346.29
area_land_km2 = 337.48
area_water_km2 = 8.81
population_as_of =1 January ,2007
population_note = Source: CBS, [http://statline.cbs.nl/ Statline] .
settlement_type = Municipality
population_total = 108863
population_density_km2 = 323
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2Emmen (Pronunciation|031 Emmen.ogg) is a
municipality and atown in the northeasternNetherlands .A prime example of a
planned city , Emmen arose from several small farming and peat-harvesting communities which have dotted theprovince ofDrenthe since the Middle Ages. Traces of these communities can still be seen in the form of the villages of Westenesch, Noordbarge and Zuidbarge: they have a separate history and layout, but are surrounded by the suburbs and the centre of Emmen.The expansion of the town did not happen until after the
Second World War . Suburbs were built in a clockwise direction around the old centre of Emmen, starting withEmmermeer directly to the north, and followed byAngelslo (for which an old village of the same name was demolished),Emmerhout (famed at the time for being built in the forest, quite separate from the town),Bargeres , theRietlanden andParc Sandur . Construction of the last suburb, calledDelftlanden , has only recently begun, with the streets laid out and construction of houses and other buildings yet to begin.There are few historic landmarks left within the town, but those few include the church on the market square, where a church has been standing since the
Middle Ages , the court of law building, dating from the beginning of the twentieth century and the post office from the same time. In the town's environs an earthwork byRobert Smithson , "Broken Circle/Spiral Hill," may be found.Prime economic booster since the 1980s is the zoo, the
Dierenpark Emmen . Begun in the 1930s, it was almost completely redesigned in the 1970s, and is now co-owned by the municipality of Emmen. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year. Important industries includeTeijin Aramid ,DSM Engineering Plastics , Wellman andDiolen Industrial Fibers . There are extensive glasshouse complexes for horticulture, especially in theKlazienaveen -Erica area. The governmental Topographical Department of the Netherlands is located in Emmen. The municipality offers some 38,000 jobs.Emmen is the second most populous urban area of Drenthe. Its municipality is one of the largest in
the Netherlands , although the area outside the town borders of Emmen is rather rural. The only villages of importance areEmmercompascuum ,Klazienaveen ,Nieuw-Amsterdam andSchoonebeek .Population
The municipality of Emmen has some 104,000 inhabitants, with 56,000 living in the town Emmen. Compared to some 3,000 inhabitants in the nineteenth century, this illustrates the rapid growth of Emmen in the past 150 years.
Connections
Emmen is served by one train connection with
Zwolle , which in turn leads to the rest of the country. In addition, there are regular and frequent bus lines with Groningen,Hoogeveen andAssen , as well as the surrounding countryside, and Meppen inGermany , departing from Emmen's two bus terminals.
By car, the town is accessible via the N34 fromZwolle to Groningen, theN381 toDrachten , theN391 toVeendam and the A37 fromHoogeveen to Meppen inGermany .The nearest airport isGroningen Airport Eelde at a distance of 50 kilometers.Furthermore, there are inland shipping connections viaNieuw-Amsterdam toCoevorden ,Hoogeveen andAlmelo .Population centres
Barger-Compascuum , Emmen,Emmer-Compascuum , Erica,Klazienaveen , Nieuw-Amsterdam,Nieuw-Dordrecht ,Nieuw-Schoonebeek ,Nieuw-Weerdinge ,Roswinkel ,Schoonebeek ,Veenoord ,Weiteveen ,Zwartemeer port
The town's football club
FC Emmen plays their home games inUnivé Stadion . They play in theEerste Divisie .External links
* [http://www.emmen.nl Official Website]
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