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Leeuwarden

Leeuwarden
Ljouwert
City and municipality
Former weigh house in Leeuwarden
Former weigh house in Leeuwarden
Flag of Leeuwarden
Flag
Coat of arms of Leeuwarden
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Leeuwarden in a municipal map of Friesland
Location of the municipality (green) in the province of Friesland (dark grey) in the Netherlands (light grey)
Coordinates: 53°12′N 5°47′E / 53.200°N 5.783°E / 53.200; 5.783Coordinates: 53°12′N 5°47′E / 53.200°N 5.783°E / 53.200; 5.783
Country Netherlands
Province Friesland (Fryslân)
Government
 • Body Municipal council
 • Mayor Ferd Crone (PvdA)
Area
 • Municipality 166.99 km2 (64.48 sq mi)
 • Land 151.70 km2 (58.57 sq mi)
 • Water 15.29 km2 (5.90 sq mi)
Elevation 3 m (10 ft)
Population (Municipality, May 2014; Urban and Metro, May 2014)
 • Municipality 108,249
 • Density 714/km2 (1,850/sq mi)
 • Urban 108,254
 • Metro 174,724
Demonym(s) Leeuwarder
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode 8900–8941
Area code 058
Website www.leeuwarden.nl

Leeuwarden (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈleːʋ.ɑrdə(n)], West Frisian: Ljouwert [ˈʎɔːw(ə)t], Stadsfries: Liwwadden) is a city and municipality with a population of 108,249 in Friesland in the Netherlands. It is the provincial capital and seat of the States of Friesland.

The oldest remains of houses in the city date back to the 2nd century AD. Leeuwarden has been permanently inhabited since the 10th century. It was granted city privileges in 1435. The city was liberated from German occupation in World War II by The Royal Canadian Dragoons in 1945. It is the economic hub of the province of Friesland, situated in a green and water-rich environment, with lakes, villages and recreational areas. Leeuwarden is a former royal residence and has a historic centre, many listed buildings, and a large shopping centre with squares and restaurants. Leeuwarden has been awarded the title European Capital of Culture 2018.

One important cultural and historical event is the (Eleven Cities Tour), an ice skating-tour of eleven cities in Friesland, starting and finishing in Leeuwarden.

Besides the city of Leeuwarden, population centres in the municipality with a population of 1,000 or more are Grou, Goutum, Wergea, Jirnsum, Reduzum, and Wirdum. The municipality is governed by the mayor Ferd Crone () and a coalition of the Labour Party, Christian Democratic Appeal, and PAL-GroenLinks.


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Wikipedia

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