For the place with the same name in Commewijne District of Suriname, see: Alkmaar (Suriname). Commewijne is a district of Suriname, located on the right bank of the Suriname River. Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by

Alkmaar
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 52°38′N 4°45′E / 52.63, 4.75
Country	Netherlands
Province	North Holland
Area (2006)
- Total	31. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands North Holland ( Dutch: Noord-Holland,, West Frisian: Noôrd-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 22 km² (12. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 1 sq mi)
- Land	29. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 51 km² (11. 4 sq mi)
- Water	1. 71 km² (0. 7 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2007)
- Total	94,216
- Density	3,193/km² (8,269. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 8/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline. Statistics Netherlands, founded in 1899, is a Dutch governmental institution that gathers statistical information about the Netherlands.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Website: www.alkmaar.nl

Alkmaar pronunciation (help·info) is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands North Holland ( Dutch: Noord-Holland,, West Frisian: Noôrd-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the Alkmaar is well-known for its traditional cheese market. It is one of the main cultural centers of the Netherlands.

Contents 1 Etytmology 2 History 3 Population centres 4 Local government 5 Transport 6 Tourism 6.1 Museums 7 Sports 8 Born in Alkmaar 9 References 10 Notes 11 External links

Etytmology

Alkemaar on 1846 French map/napkin/mappakim/mappa/chart/cart[1], Alemere on medieval Latin map[2], See also Almere, nl:Almere (meer), Aalsmeer. Almere is a city and Municipality in Flevoland, the Netherlands bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. Aalsmeer ( is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.

History

The earliest mention of the name Alkmaar is in a 10th-century document. As the village grew into a town, it was granted city rights in 1254. City rights are a medieval phenomenon in the history of the Low Countries. The oldest part of Alkmaar lies on an ancient sand bank that afforded some protection from the sea during medieval times. Even so, it is only a couple of metres above the surrounding region, which consists of some of the oldest polders in existence. A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity meaning it has no connection with

In 1573 the city successfully withstood a siege by Spanish forces under the leadership of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel 3rd Duke of Alba (Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel tercer duque de Alba ( October 29, Alkmaar was the first city in the Netherlands to be freed from the Spanish occupation. It was a turning point in the Eighty Years War and gave rise to the expression Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie ("Victory begins in Alkmaar"). The Dutch Revolt, Eighty Years' War or the Revolt of the Netherlands (1568—1648 was the revolt of the Seventeen Provinces in the Low Countries The event is still celebrated every year in Alkmaar on October 8, the day the siege ended. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses

Battle of Alkmaar 1573.

In 1799, during the French revolutionary wars, an Anglo-Russian expeditionary force captured the city but was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Castricum. Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts from 1792 until 1802 fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states The Battle of Castricum ( October 6, 1799) saw a Franco-Dutch force defeat an Anglo-Russian force near Castricum, Netherlands The French victory was commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as "Alcmaer". The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris, France that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle also known as the Place de l'Étoile. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

The North Holland Canal, opened in 1824, was dug through Alkmaar. The Groot Noordhollandsch Kanaal (Great North-Holland Canal now known simply as Noordhollandsch Kanaal, is a Canal in the Dutch province of North-Holland In 1865 and 1867 the railways between Alkmaar and Den Helder and between Alkmaar and Haarlem were built respectively.

In the second half of the 20th century, Alkmaar expanded quickly with development of new neighbourhoods. On October 1, 1972, the town of Oudorp and the southern portions of Koedijk and Sint Pancras were added to the municipality of Alkmaar^[1].

Population centres

The municipality of Alkmaar consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Alkmaar, Koedijk (partly), Oudorp and Omval. Koedijk ( West Frisian: Kodìk) is a village in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Oudorp is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is located in the municipality of Alkmaar, about 2 km east of the city centre

These once separate villages are now all linked together by the suburban sprawl of buildings that arose between the late 1970s and early 1990s. During this time, the population of Alkmaar almost doubled.

Local government

The municipal council of Alkmaar consists of 37 seats, which are divided as follows:

• PvdA - 11 seats
• OPA - 5 seats
• SP - 5 seats
• CDA - 4 seats
• VVD - 3 seats
• GroenLinks - 3 seats
• Leefbaar Alkmaar - 2 seats
• ChristenUnie - 1 seat
• D66 - 1 seat
• OMA - 1 seat
• Liberale Kracht - 1 seat

Transport

Highway A9 runs from Amsterdam to Alkmaar, then continues on to Den Helder as the N9. The Socialist Party ( SP, Dutch: Socialistische Partij) is a Dutch socialist Political party. The Christian Democratic Appeal ( CDA) (Christen Democratisch Appèl is a Dutch Christian-democratic Political party. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( VVD) (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie is a Dutch liberal Political party. GroenLinks ( GL, English: GreenLeft) is a Dutch Green Political party. This article is about the Dutch political party See Christian Union (students (with space between the two words for the university religious organization and Christian Democrats 66 ( D66, Democraten 66 official name Politieke Partij Democraten 66) is a Dutch progressive, social-liberal and The A9 motorway is a Motorway in The Netherlands. The motorway starts off by going from the A1 at Diemen to the A2 at junction Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west

Trains run from Station Alkmaar to Nijmegen, Maastricht, Schagen, The Hague, Rotterdam, Hoorn and Den Helder. Nijmegen (ˈnɛɪmeɣən) (obsolete spellings Nijmwegen Nymegen Nieumeghen &mdash Nimwegen in local dialect and in German, Nimègue in French Maastricht ( Dutch; Limburgish and city dialect Mestreech; French: Maestricht or Maëstricht; Spanish: Schagen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of Hoorn ( West Frisian: Hoorn) is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. The city also has a second station, Station Alkmaar Noord.

The Noordhollandsch Kanaal canal, which opened in 1824, runs right through Alkmaar. The Groot Noordhollandsch Kanaal (Great North-Holland Canal now known simply as Noordhollandsch Kanaal, is a Canal in the Dutch province of North-Holland Year 1824 ( MDCCCXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

Tourism

Alkmaar's cheese market at the Waagplein, is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. The cheese market traditionally takes place on the first Friday in April and the last market of the season is the first Friday in September. Every Friday morning (10. 00-12. 00 a. m. ) the Waagplein is the backdrop for this traditional cheesemarket. After the old fashion way of the hand clap, traders and carriers will weigh the cheeses. It is one of only four traditional Dutch cheese markets still in existence. There are five cheese markets operating in the Netherlands. Woerden is a fully functional modern commercial cheese market The traditional fare of this cheese market are those cheeses made in the local area, as opposed to the well-known brands of Dutch cheeses, i. e. Edam cheese and Gouda cheese. Edam ( Dutch Edammer) is a Dutch Cheese that is traditionally sold as Gouda (ˈgaʊdə or; from Dutch IPA:, or Goudse kaas kaːs "Cheese from Gouda " is a yellow Cheese made from It is not actually possible to buy cheese at the market itself, which is really only a demonstration of how this merchants' market operated in times gone by. However, the demonstration, which takes place in front of the medieval weighing house, is surrounded by many specialized stalls where it is possible to buy all kinds of cheese (and non-cheese) related products.

The Waag is home to the local tourist office and a cheese museum. A weigh house or weighing house is a building at or within which goods and the like are weighed Alkmaar also has two large theatres and a big cinema which was originally two cinemas.

A red light district is situated at the Achterdam, and Alkmaar has a nightlife scene as well which takes place in the pubs that are in front of the cheesemarket. A red-light district is a neighborhood where Prostitution and other businesses in the Sex industry flourish The Achterdam is a Red light district in the Dutch city of Alkmaar, 30 km North of Amsterdam

Museums

• Beatles Museum - dedicated to The Beatles, as John Lennon's first guitar was made in Alkmaar
• Holland Cheese Museum - located in the historic weigh house
• National Beer Museum "De Boom"
• Dutch Stove Museum
• City Museum Alkmaar - for history of the city

Sports

Alkmaar is home to the professional football team AZ (Alkmaar Zaanstreek). The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born A weigh house or weighing house is a building at or within which goods and the like are weighed Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered AZ, an initialism for Alkmaar Zaanstreek, is a football club from Alkmaar, the Netherlands. In 2006, the club moved to a new 17,000 capacity stadium, the DSB Stadion. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. DSB Stadion is a multi-use Stadium in Alkmaar, Netherlands. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of

The city also has a velodrome where the Dutch national track cycling championships are held every year. A velodrome is an arena for Track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights Track cycling is a Bicycle racing Sport usually held on specially-built banked tracks or Velodromes (but many events are held at older velodromes where the

Born in Alkmaar

• Willem Blaeu (1571), cartographer (his birthplace may also have been Uitgeest)
• Cornelis Drebbel (1572), inventor of the first navigable submarine
• Caesar van Everdingen (ca. not to be confused with Willem Janszoon (1570 - 1630 contemporary Dutch navigator and colonial governor Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571 Uitgeest is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Cornelius Jacobszoon Drebbel ( Alkmaar, Holland, 1572 - London, November 7 1633) was the Dutch Inventor Caesar van Everdingen (1616/17 Alkmaar - buried Oct 13 1678, Alkmaar older brother of Allart van Everdingen, was a Dutchman mainly known 1617), painter
• Reinier Jansen (17th century), operated the first Quaker press in the United States. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[2]
• Willem de Fesch (1687), composer
• Alfred Peet (1920), founder of American coffee retailer Peet's Coffee & Tea
• Rudi Carrell (1934), entertainer
• Sybilla Dekker (1942), cabinet minister
• Harm Ottenbros (1943), cyclist, 1969 world champion
• Jos Punt (1946), bishop
• Patrick Cammaert (1950), army general, UN peacekeeping mission commander
• Gerard Joling (1960), singer
• Marco Borsato (1966), singer
• Jakko Jan Leeuwangh (1972), speed skater

References

• Statistics are taken from the SDU Staatscourant

Notes

External links

• Alkmaar's official Web site
• Dutch Cheese Museum
• National Beer Museum (Biermuseum "De Boom")
• Nederlands Kachel Museum
• Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar
• The Beatles Museum
• VVV / Tourist Office (VVV Alkmaar)
• Alkmaar travel guide from Wikitravel
• Photos of Alkmaar

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic