Heusden-Zolder

Heusden-Zolder (Limburgish: Heuze-Zolder) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total area is 53.23 km² which gives a population density of 578 inhabitants per km².

Heusden-Zolder
Municipality
Heusden-Zolder town hall
Flag
Coat of arms
Heusden-Zolder
Location in Belgium
Location of Heusden-Zolder in Limburg
Coordinates: 51°03′N 05°17′E
CountryBelgium
CommunityFlemish Community
RegionFlemish Region
ProvinceLimburg
ArrondissementHasselt
Government
 • MayorMario Borremans
Area
 • Total53.23 km2 (20.55 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total33,406
 • Density630/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Postal codes
3550
Area codes011
Websitewww.heusden-zolder.be

Heusden-Zolder was the result of the merger on 1 January 1977 of the two former municipalities of Heusden and Zolder, and currently consists of the former Heusden parishes of Heusden centre, Berkenbos and Eversel, and the former Zolder parishes of Zolder centre, Boekt, Viversel, Bolderberg and Lindeman.

Heusden-Zolder is home to almost 2,000 immigrants from all over the world. This is due to the (now closed) coal mine of Zolder. During the 1960s Belgian coal mines faced an enormous shortage of employees. To address this problem, foreigner labourers were encouraged to immigrate and work near the mines. After their closure (the mine in Zolder was the last one in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg to close in 1992) most of the immigrants chose to stay, which makes Heusden-Zolder a relatively multicultural place.

Local infrastructure

The town hall, a large glass construction, is located in Zolder centre since the merger. As a compromise, the former town hall of Heusden is now used instead by the local social security department (OCMW).

Heusden-Zolder has one hospital, the Sint-Franciscusziekenhuis. Also, it has one secondary school, the Sint-Franciscuscollege, which is spread over two campusses: one in Heusden centre and one in Berkenbos. Heusden-Zolder also has a railway station, called "Zolder station". The town is easily accessible via the Albert Canal and the highway E314 and has therefore several industrial zones, such as 'Zolder-Lummen'.

Places of interest

Famous activities

Climate

Heusden-Zolder has an oceanic climate due to Gulf Stream influence, in spite of its inland position. The municipality is in the region with the warmest summers in the Benelux region with 23.9 °C (75.0 °F) July average highs.

Climate data for Heusden-Zolder (1981–2010 normals, sunshine 1984–2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 6.0
(42.8)		 6.8
(44.2)		 10.6
(51.1)		 14.4
(57.9)		 19.0
(66.2)		 21.5
(70.7)		 23.9
(75.0)		 23.5
(74.3)		 19.5
(67.1)		 15.1
(59.2)		 9.8
(49.6)		 6.4
(43.5)		 14.6
(58.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.0
(37.4)		 3.4
(38.1)		 6.6
(43.9)		 9.4
(48.9)		 13.6
(56.5)		 16.2
(61.2)		 18.5
(65.3)		 17.9
(64.2)		 14.7
(58.5)		 11.1
(52.0)		 6.7
(44.1)		 3.8
(38.8)		 10.4
(50.7)
Average low °C (°F) 0.0
(32.0)		 −0.2
(31.6)		 2.2
(36.0)		 4.0
(39.2)		 8.0
(46.4)		 10.8
(51.4)		 13.0
(55.4)		 12.4
(54.3)		 9.7
(49.5)		 6.6
(43.9)		 3.2
(37.8)		 1.0
(33.8)		 5.9
(42.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 72.3
(2.85)		 61.0
(2.40)		 66.4
(2.61)		 50.7
(2.00)		 66.4
(2.61)		 78.2
(3.08)		 78.5
(3.09)		 74.9
(2.95)		 67.1
(2.64)		 74.6
(2.94)		 75.7
(2.98)		 78.5
(3.09)		 844.5
(33.25)
Average precipitation days 13.2 11.1 13.0 10.1 11.2 11.1 10.9 10.6 10.8 11.3 12.9 13.3 139.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 57 73 120 167 201 195 207 197 139 115 62 45 1,577
Source: Royal Meteorological Institute [2]

Famous inhabitants

References
  1. "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. "Klimaatstatistieken van de Belgische gemeenten" (PDF) (in Dutch). Royal Meteorological Institute. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
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