Valkenswaard

Valkenswaard
Municipality
Church in Valkenswaard
Flag Coat of arms
Location in North Brabant
Coordinates: 51°21′N 5°28′E / 51.350°N 5.467°ECoordinates: 51°21′N 5°28′E / 51.350°N 5.467°E
Country	Netherlands
Province	North Brabant
Government[1]
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Anton Ederveen (CDA)
Area[2]
• Total	56.49 km^2 (21.81 sq mi)
• Land	55.01 km^2 (21.24 sq mi)
• Water	1.48 km^2 (0.57 sq mi)
Elevation[3]	25 m (82 ft)
Population (May 2014)[4]
• Total	30,336
• Density	551/km^2 (1,430/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Valkenswaarder
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode	5550–5556
Area code	040
Website	www.valkenswaard.nl

Valkenswaard ( pronunciation ) is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. The municipality had a population of 30,336 in 2014 and spans an area of 56.49 km² (21.81 sq mi) of which 1.48 km² (0.57 sq mi) is water.

The name Valkenswaard stems from its history of falconers, who caught wild falcons there; valk is Dutch for "falcon". It lay on a route where falcons migrated south each year. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, Valkenswaardian falconers were active at many European courts, in which falconing was a beloved pastime. Valkenswaard's falcon-catching area has now been built over and falcons are no longer caught there.

In the 19th and 20th century, a number of large cigar factories were founded in Valkenswaard, the two most renowned of which being Willem II and Hofnar.

The spoken language is Kempenlands (an East Brabantian dialect, which is very similar to colloquial Dutch).^[5]

Population centres

• Borkel en Schaft
• Dommelen
• Valkenswaard

Topography

Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Valkenswaard, June 2015

Partner municipalities

• Tienen (Belgium)
• Salvaterra de Magos (Portugal)

Notable people born in Valkenswaard

• Pieter van Geel, politician
• Dominique van Hulst ("Do"), singer
• Jan Tops, equestrian
• Daniëlle van de Donk, footballer

References

1. "Samenstelling college van B&W" [Members of the board of mayor and aldermen] (in Dutch). Gemeente Valkenswaard. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
2. "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten" [Key figures for neighbourhoods]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
3. "Postcodetool for 5554DA". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
4. "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
5. Jos & Cor Swanenberg: Taal in stad en land: Oost-Brabants, ISBN 9012090105

External links

• Media related to Valkenswaard at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website