Gistel
Following local government boundary reforms in 1971 and 1977, the municipality has comprised not only Gistel, but also the towns of Moere, Snaaskerke and Zevekote.
On January 1, 2006 the Gistel municipality had a total registered population of 11,125, of whom more than 8,000 were in Gistel itself. The total area is 42.25 km² which gives a population density of 263 inhabitants per km². The German town of Büdingen is its twin town.
The most famous inhabitant of Gistel was Sylvère Maes, winner of the Tour de France in 1936 and 1939.
Another former resident of Gistel is Johan Museeuw, also famous cyclist, but now retired. He won Paris–Roubaix three times.
In 2011, a museum opened in Gistel, in honor of Maes and Museeuw.
A former mayor, Bart Halewyck, was the first hacker ever convicted in Belgium after the 'Bistel Trial' in 1990. He was already alderman and had to resign after his conviction.
Map - Gistel
Map
Country - Belgium
Flag of Belgium |
Belgium is a sovereign state and a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. Its institutional organization is complex and is structured on both regional and linguistic grounds. It is divided into three highly autonomous regions: the Flemish Region (Flanders) in the north, the Walloon Region (Wallonia) in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels is the smallest and most densely populated region, as well as the richest region in terms of GDP per capita. Belgium is also home to two main linguistic communities: the Flemish Community, which constitutes about 60 percent of the population, and the French Community, which constitutes about 40 percent of the population. A small German-speaking Community, numbering around one percent, exists in the East Cantons. The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the dominant language.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
EUR | Euro | € | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
NL | Dutch language |
FR | French language |
DE | German language |