Middelkerke () 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' ...
located in the
Belgian province of
West Flanders
West Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemis ...
, on the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
, west of
Ostend
Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
. The municipality comprises the villages of
Leffinge,
Lombardsijde,
Mannekensvere, Middelkerke proper,
Schore,
Sint-Pieters-Kapelle,
Slijpe,
Westende and
Wilskerke. On January 1, 2006, Middelkerke had a total population of 17,841. The total area is 75.65 km
2 which gives a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
of 236 inhabitants per km
2.
The first reference of 'Middelkerca' is found in 1218. Before 1876 it mainly was a farming settlement.
In 1902, Middelkerke became the world's first municipality to have their drinking water disinfected by continuous
chlorination.
Sports
The
Noordzeecross is a February
cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross (cyclocross, CX, cyclo-X or cross) is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is October–February), and consist of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5&nb ...
race held in Middelkerke, which is part of the
Superprestige.
References
External links
*
Official website
{{Authority control
Sub-municipalities of Middelkerke
Municipalities of West Flanders