Kinrooi (; li, Kinder) is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
in the
Belgian province of
Limburg, between
Maaseik
Maaseik (; li, Mezeik) is a city and municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg. Both in size (close to 77 km2) and in population (approx. 25,000 inhabitants, of whom some 3,000 non-Belgian), it is the 8th largest municipality in Limburg ...
and
Bree. On January 1, 2006, Kinrooi had a total population of 11,978. The total area is 54.76 km², which gives a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
of 219 inhabitants per km².
Kinrooi was formed on September 18, 1971, when the four municipalities Kinrooi,
Kessenich,
Geistingen-
Ophoven and
Molenbeersel were fused. There have been three mayors. The current mayor is Jo Brouns.
History
Before, Kinrooi was a hamlet of the village of
Kessenich. The flag reminds to that; the clarions stood on the shield of Kessenich. After the independence of Belgium in 1839 it became a little municipality, together with some nearby hamlets. In 2005 there are prehistoric remains found in the center, when it was being renovated.
Economy
Kinrooi's main economic activities are agriculture, tourism and the reclamation of gravel, sand and loam.
The downside of this reclamation is that a lot of land surface gets lost. Tourism is also an important resource. Kinrooi attracts a lot of tourists because it has seven nature reserves that harbor rare animal and plant species, it has a marina and because it has several old windmills. Besides, there is a lot of watersporting, in the old gravel pools. One of them, lying in Ophoven, is now the greatest inner harbour of Europe.
Places of interest
* The
Lemmensmolen,a mill dating from 1856
*
Sint-Martinuskerk, a neogotical church built in 1853
References
External links
*
Official website
Municipalities of Limburg (Belgium)
{{LimburgBE-geo-stub