Turnhout

Municipality

Flag

Coat of arms

Turnhout

Location in Belgium

Location of Turnhout in the province of Antwerp

Coordinates: 51°19′N 04°57′E / 51.317°N 4.950°ECoordinates: 51°19′N 04°57′E / 51.317°N 4.950°E

Country

Government

• Mayor

Eric Vos (T.I.M.)

• Governing party/ies

CD&V, SP.A, Groen!, T.I.M.

Area

• Total

56.06 km² (21.64 sq mi)

Population (1 January 2016)

• Total

42,965

• Density

770/km² (2,000/sq mi)

Postal codes

2300

Area codes

014

Website

www.turnhout.be

Turnhout (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈtYrnɦʌut]) is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the city of Turnhout proper. On January 1, 2015, Turnhout had a total population of 42,637. The total area is 56.06 km² which gives a population density of 835.5 inhabitants per km². The agglomeration, however, is much larger, accounting up to 81,473 inhabitants. Turnhout is known for its playing card industry, as it houses the head office of the world's largest manufacturer of playing cards, Cartamundi. Turnhout is also the capital of the administrative district with the same name. The Turnhout city council often promotes the city as "the capital of the Kempen area". This however is (technically) incorrect, since the Kempen area is far larger than the Turnhout district and does not form an administrative unit.

Turnhout serves as the economic and cultural center for other communities in the immediate vicinity with more than 40 schools. There is also an important services sector with two hospitals, a two-stage theatre, an eight-screen cinema and one of the largest cultural centres of Belgium.

Turnhout is located at about 51.3 North and 4.9 East, 42 km from the centre of Antwerp, 30 km from Breda and Tilburg, 40 km from Eindhoven. The football club of the city is K.V. Turnhout.

Turnhout originated on the crossroads of two major trade routes and in the protection of the hunting castle of the Dukes of Brabant that seems to have existed since 1110 or earlier. This hunting past is still reflected in the city's coat of arms. The small community that developed obtained its Libertas as a "free city" from Henry I, Duke of Brabant in about 1212. In 1338, the privilege of organizing a market on Saturday was granted, a tradition that still holds today. In 1466, a traveler described the well-built houses and paved roads, and counted five churches.

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Wikipedia