Hamme

Hamme
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Hamme Location in Belgium
Location of Hamme in East Flanders
Coordinates: 51°05′N 04°08′E / 51.083°N 4.133°E / 51.083; 4.133Coordinates: 51°05′N 04°08′E / 51.083°N 4.133°E / 51.083; 4.133
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	East Flanders
Arrondissement	Dendermonde
Government
• Mayor	Herman Vijt (CD&V)
• Governing party/ies	CD&V, VLD
Area
• Total	40.21 km2 (15.53 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	24,702
• Density	610/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Postal codes	9220
Area codes	052
Website	www.hamme.be

Hamme (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɑmə]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Hamme proper, Kastel Moerzeke, St-Anna and Zogge. On March 18, 2010, Hamme had a total population of 24,026. The total area is 40.21 km² which gives a population density of 578 inhabitants per km². The current mayor of Hamme is Herman Vijt, from the CD&V (Christian Democratic) party.

Hamme also has its own legends. The most famous one is the legend of the "Hamse Wuiten". The people of Hamme are also called Hamse Wuitens. The "Hamse wuiten" is also the main mascot in a streetparade at the end of March every year. The inhabitants dress up and build big trucks with funny giant puppets, making fun of local and national politicians and scandals.