Sittard-Geleen (Dutch: [ˈsɪtɑrt xəˈleːn] ; Limburgish: Zittert-Gelaen [ˈzɪtəʀt xəˈlɛːn])[tone?][a] is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It was formed in 2001 from the former municipalities Sittard, Geleen and Born.

Sittard-Geleen
Zittert-Gelaen (Limburgish)
Sittard market square
Sittard market square
Flag of Sittard-Geleen
Highlighted position of Sittard-Geleen in a municipal map of Limburg
Location in Limburg
Coordinates: 51°0′N 5°52′E / 51.000°N 5.867°E / 51.000; 5.867
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceLimburg
Established1 January 2001[1]
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorHans Verheijen (CDA)
Area
 • Municipality80.58 km2 (31.11 sq mi)
 • Land79.01 km2 (30.51 sq mi)
 • Water1.57 km2 (0.61 sq mi)
Elevation47 m (154 ft)
Highest elevation
100 m (300 ft)
Population
 (Municipality, January 2021; Urban and Metro, May 2014)[5][6]
 • Municipality91,743
 • Density1,161/km2 (3,010/sq mi)
 • Urban
135,255
 • Metro
148,217
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
6120–6167
Area code046
Websitewww.sittard-geleen.nl

The combined municipality has approximately 92,650 inhabitants (January 2024)[7] and is thus the third most populated municipality in Limburg (after Maastricht with 125,000 and Venlo with 103,000 inhabitants). Since February 2020, the city has been governed by a coalition of CDA (Christian Democrats), GroenLinks (Green) and the local parties GOB and Stadspartij.[8]

The highway connecting the centres of Sittard and Geleen, the Rijkswegboulevard, has been rebuilt to be a main route for cycling and walking. The cycling and walking provision is both generous and continuous. Side road junctions, or crossroads, are made 'subordinate'. The carriageways have been narrowed to one 3m lane in each direction. Parking places have been made, in small groups, at the side of the carriageways. These are made to be "not easy to use for larger vehicles," so the road centre is marked as a place for delivery vehicles to stop.[9]

To the west, Sittard-Geleen borders on Belgium, while to the east, it borders on Germany.

Population centres

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Abshoven, Born, Broeksittard, Buchten, Einighausen, Geleen, Graetheide, Grevenbicht, Guttecoven, Holtum, Limbricht, Munstergeleen, Windraak, Obbicht, Papenhoven, Schipperskerk and Sittard.

Topography

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Dutch topographic map of the municipality

Notable people

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Charles Houben, 1851
 
Laurence Stassen, 2009

Sport

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Leo Horn, 1964
 
Maartje Paumen, 2009

Notes

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  1. ^ In isolation, Geleen and Gelaen are pronounced [ɣəˈleːn] and [ʝəˈlɛːn],[tone?] respectively.

References

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  1. ^ "Gemeentelijke indeling op 1 januari 2001" [Municipal divisions on 1 January 2001]. cbs.nl (in Dutch). CBS. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  2. ^ "Burgemeester Hans Verheijen" [Mayor Hans Verheijen] (in Dutch). Gemeente Sittard-Geleen. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Postcodetool for 6131LB". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; Regionale kerncijfers Nederland" [Regional core figures Netherlands]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Kerncijfers - Gemeente Dashboard". sittard-geleen.incijfers.nl. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  8. ^ Addendum coalitieakkoord 2020-2022
  9. ^ Information supplied by the highway engineers: Büro für Stadt und Verkehr (BSV), Aachen, Germany.
  10. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 12 October 2019
  11. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 12 October 2019
  12. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 12 October 2019
  13. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 12 October 2019
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