- Vaals
Infobox City
official_name = Vaals
image_shield = Vaals.jpg
mapsize = 280px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =Netherlands
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 =Limburg (Netherlands)
area_footnotes = (2006)
area_total_km2 = 23.90
area_land_km2 = 23.89
area_water_km2 = 0.01
population_as_of =1 January ,2007
population_note = Source: CBS, [http://statline.cbs.nl/ Statline] .
settlement_type = Municipality
population_total = 9952
population_density_km2 = 417
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2Vaals (Pronunciation|164 Vaals.ogg) is a town in the southeastern
Netherlands , in the province of Limburg. The municipality covers an area of 23.90 km² in the foothills of theArdennes -Eifel range.The town is located in the extreme southeast of the Netherlands province Limburg, about 23 km east of
Maastricht and 5 km west of the city centre ofAachen .The
municipality of Vaals also includes the following towns, villages and townships:Camerig ,Cottessen ,Harles ,Holset ,Lemiers ,Mamelis ,Melleschet ,Oud Lemiers ,Raren ,Rott ,Vijlen ,Wolfhaag .The municipality of Vaals borders on both
Belgium andGermany . The two borders meet on the Drielandenpunt a few hundred meters from the highest point of the Netherlands, theVaalserberg .Vaals is the place in the Netherlands with the highest portion of German inhabitants (26%). With the last local elections on
7 March 2006 Georg Goetz, a German citizen with the Burgerbelang party, was elected into the local council (15 seats). A first in the history of the Netherlands. Vaals is governed since then by a coalition from CDA (5), Burgerbelang (4) and PvdA (3).Tourism is regarded as the main source of income for Vaals. The neighbouring coal industry and textile industry were to a large extent lost starting from the 60's. Most inhabitants commute today to the larger neighbouring cities of
Heerlen ,Kerkrade andMaastricht as well as toAachen and surroundings. A sixth of the population is classified as poor in the current national poverty monitor of the Netherlands.Notable People
*
Ronald Waterreus (fromLemiers ), goalkeeper for the MLS sideRed Bull New York
*John Bröcheler (fromVaals ), an opera singer with performances all over the worldExternal links
* [http://www.vaals.nl/ Official website (in Dutch)]
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