Heusden-Zolder
Heusden-Zolder | |
|---|---|
Heusden-Zolder town hall | |
Location of Heusden-Zolder | |
| Coordinates: 51°03′N 05°17′E / 51.050°N 5.283°E | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province | Limburg |
| Arrondissement | Hasselt |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mario Borremans |
| • Governing party/ies | G❘O❘E❘D, Vooruit, CD&V-Groen |
| Area | |
• Total | 53.4 km2 (20.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01) | |
• Total | 33,406 |
| • Density | 630/km2 (1,600/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 3550 |
| NIS code | 71070 |
| Area codes | 011 |
| Website | www |
Heusden-Zolder (Flemish: [ˌɦøːzdə(n) ˈzɔldər]; Limburgish: Heuze-Zolder [ˌɦøːzəˈzɔldəʀ]) 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 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.