Opsterland

Opsterland Opsterlân
Municipality
Former court in Beetsterzwaag
Flag Coat of arms
Location in Friesland
Coordinates: 53°4′N 6°5′E / 53.067°N 6.083°ECoordinates: 53°4′N 6°5′E / 53.067°N 6.083°E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Friesland
Government[1]
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Francisca Ravestein (D66)
Area[2]
• Total	227.64 km^2 (87.89 sq mi)
• Land	224.63 km^2 (86.73 sq mi)
• Water	3.01 km^2 (1.16 sq mi)
Elevation[3]	3 m (10 ft)
Population (May 2014)[4]
• Total	29,883
• Density	133/km^2 (340/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode	8400–8409, 9240–9249
Area code	0512, 0513, 0516
Website	www.opsterland.nl

Opsterland (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɔpstərlɑnt]; West Frisian: Opsterlân) is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands.

Population centres

• Bakkeveen
• Beetsterzwaag
• Frieschepalen
• Gorredijk
• Hemrik
• Jonkerslân
• Langezwaag
• Lippenhuizen
• Luxwoude
• Nij Beets
• Olterterp
• Siegerswoude
• Terwispel
• Tijnje
• Ureterp
• Wijnjewoude

Topography

Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Opsterland, June 2015

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Opsterland is twinned with:

• Ra'anana, Israel (since 1963)^[5][6]
• Beit Sahur, Palestinian Authority
• The choice of twinning with both an Israeli city and a Palestinian one is Opsterland's modest contribution to trying to solve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. As well as bilateral contacts with both of their partners, the Dutch officials try to encourage trilateral meetings and induce greater contact between Ra'anana and Beit Sahur, which are located at a short geographical distance from each other but are separated by conflict and mutual mistrust. Recently Francisca Ravestein, Nahum Hofree, Hani Al-Hayik - the mayors, respectively, of Opsterland, Ra'anana and Beit Sahur - jointly inaugurated a photo exhibition at the municipal building in Opsterland.^[7]

References

Notes

1. "Burgemeester Francisca Ravestein" [Mayor Elma van Selm] (in Dutch). Gemeente Opsterland. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
2. "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten" [Key figures for neighbourhoods]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
3. "Postcodetool for 9244CR". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
4. "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
5. "Stedenband Opsterland-Ra'anana" [City Connection Opsterland-Ra'anana]. Stedenbanden.nl. Vanaf 1960 onderhoudt de gemeente Opsterland contacten met de gemeente Ra'anana. Deze contacten zijn in 1963 officieel vastgelegd in een 'vriendschapsverdrag'. In maart 2000 is een delegatie naar Ra'anana gereisd om te praten over een meer themagerichte invulling van het verdrag.
6. "Ra'anana: Twin towns & Sister cities - Friends around the World". raanana.muni.il. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
7. • Ra'anana Municipality website

External links

• Media related to Opsterland at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website