Heuvelland Municipality

Heuvelland
Municipality
Heuvelland Location in Belgium
Location of Heuvelland
Coordinates: 50°46′N 02°49′E / 50.767°N 2.817°E / 50.767; 2.817Coordinates: 50°46′N 02°49′E / 50.767°N 2.817°E / 50.767; 2.817
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	West Flanders
Government
• Mayor	Bernard Heens
• Governing party/ies	CD&V
Area
• Total	94.24 km2 (36.39 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	7,827
• Density	83/km2 (220/sq mi)
Postal codes	8950-8954, 8956, 8958
Area codes	057
Website	www.heuvelland.be

Heuvelland is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Dranouter, Kemmel, De Klijte, Loker, Nieuwkerke, Westouter, Wijtschate and Wulvergem. Heuvelland is a thinly populated rural municipality, located between the small urban centres of Ieper and Poperinge and the metropolitan area of Kortrijk-Lille along the E17. On 1 January 2006 Heuvelland had a total population of 8,217. The total area is 94.24 km² which gives a population density of 87 inhabitants per km². The name heuvelland is Dutch meaning "hill country", as the municipality is characterized by the different hills on its territory.

The municipality is located in an area known as the West-Flemish Hills. The highest hill in Heuvelland is the Kemmelberg (156 m); followed by the Vidaigneberg (136 m), the Rodeberg (129 m), the Scherpenberg (125 m) and a lower hill in Wijtschate (82 m). On the border with France is the Zwarteberg.

Kemmelberg, seen from the west

Landscape, with the village of Loker, as seen from the Rodeberg

Heuvelland, "deelgemeenten" and neighbouring villages. The yellow areas are urban areas.

The municipality Heuvelland consists of eight small rural villages. The "deelgemeentes" of Dranouter, Kemmel, Loker, Nieuwkerke, Westouter, Wijtschate and Wulvergem were independent municipalities before the merger in 1977. De Klijte wasn't independent, but was a part of Reningelst (then independent, now part of Poperinge).