Zwartewaterland

Geography

This mainly rural municipality lies south of Steenwijkerland on the Zwarte Water (Black Water). This is a short tributary of the river IJssel from Zwolle to the Zwarte Meer (Black Lake). Before 1931 this lake was a part of the Zuiderzee. The Vecht also flows into the Zwarte Water.

Hasselt lies about 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Zwolle.

Genemuiden and Zwartsluis lie 5 km further north, almost opposite one another, near the Zwarte Water. Aquatic sport tourism is important to the local economy.

Population centres

The most important places are printed in bold type.

Cellemuiden

De Velde

Genemuiden (population on 1 January 2007: 9,985)

Hasselt, Overijssel, Netherlands (pop. 6,963)

Kamperzeedijk-Oost

Kamperzeedijk-West

Kievitsnest

Mastenbroek

Zwartewatersklooster

Zwartsluis (pop. 4,810).

Hasselt and Zwartsluis have small ports with some industry. Genemuiden is the biggest of the three towns, and is home to the majority of Zwartewaterland's population and industry.

Sights

A small part of the wetland area and National Park "De Wieden" (see Steenwijkerland) is immediately north of Zwartsluis

The town hall was built between 1550 and 1615.

Saint Stephen's Church a Gothic church built in 1466.

Every year on the feast of Corpus Christi a Roman Catholic pilgrimage to Hasselt is held, with a procession. For that purpose a special church was built in 1933.

Notable people

Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1586 in Hasselt – ca.1643) diamond and pearl merchant, co-founder of the Dutch West India Company

Jan de Koning (1926 in Zwartsluis – 1994) politician

Jaap Drupsteen (born 1942 in Hasselt) graphic designer

Eelco Gelling (born 1946 in Zwartsluis) blues guitarist

Afke Schaart (born 1973 in Zwartsluis) former politician

Sport

Gerard Nijboer (born 1955 in Hasselt) former long-distance runner, competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics

Willeke Knol (born 1991 in Hasselt) racing cyclist

Pascal Eenkhoorn (born 1997 in Genemuiden) cyclist