Ostend Oostende (Dutch) Geography Country Belgium Region Flemish Region Community Flemish Community Province  West Flanders Arrondissement Ostend Coordinates 51°14′N 02°55′E / 51.233, 2.917Coordinates: 51°14′N 02°55′E / 51.233, 2.917 Area 37. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. The term Flemish Community has two distinct though related meanings Culturally and sociologically it refers to Flemish organizations media social and cultural Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium. The federalized country Belgium geographically consists of 3 regions of which only Flemish Region and Walloon Region are subdivided into 5 provinces The Arrondissement of Ostend (Arrondissement Oostende Arrondissement d'Ostende is one of the eight administrative arrondissements in the Province of West A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 72 km² Population (Source: NIS) Population – Males – Females - Density 68,931 (January 1, 2006) 48. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Statistics Belgium is the main official statistical institution in Belgium offering a large choice of figures In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 07% 51. 93% 1827 inhab. /km² Age distribution 0–19 years 20–64 years 65+ years (01/01/2006) 17. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of A population pyramid, also called age-sex pyramid and age structure diagram, is a graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a 83% 56. 88% 25. 29% Foreigners 3. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term 95% (01/07/2005) Economy Unemployment rate 13. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 23% (January 1, 2006) Mean annual income 12,863 €/pers. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. (2003) Government Mayor Jean Vandecasteele (SP.A) Governing parties SP.A, CD&V, VLD Other information Postal codes 8400 Area codes 059 Web address www.oostende.be

St Petrus and St Paulus Church

Beach, seafront and Europacenter building

Ostend (Dutch: Oostende, French and German: Ostende) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Socialist Party – Different (Socialistische Partij – Anders ( SP A coalition is an alliance among individuals during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own Self-interest. Socialist Party – Different (Socialistische Partij – Anders ( SP Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V (Christian Democratic and Flemish is a Flemish Community of Belgium Political party, formerly called Christian The Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten or OpenVLD ( Flemish Liberals and Democrats) is a Flemish liberal party, created in 1992 Belgian postal codes are numeric and consist of 4 numbers although the last one is often zero A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Belgium comprises 589 municipalities ( Dutch: gemeenten, French: communes, German: Gemeinde) grouped into five The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest at the Belgian coast. Mariakerke is a village in the Belgian province of East-Flanders.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Origin to Middle Ages 1.2 15th to 18th century 1.3 Modern era 2 Music Scene 3 Sights 4 Notable citizens of Ostend 5 Sport clubs 6 See also 7 External links 8 References

History

Origin to Middle Ages

In earlier times, Ostend was nothing more than a small village built on the east-end (Dutch: oost-einde) of an island (originally called Testerep) between the North Sea and a beach lake. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Testerep (or Ter Streep was an Island along the Belgian coast Although small, the village rose to the status of "city" around 1265 when the inhabitants were allowed to hold a market and to build a market hall.

The major source of income for the inhabitants was fishing. The North Sea coastline has always been rather unstable and in 1395 the inhabitants decided to build a new Ostend behind large dikes and further away from the always threatening sea. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf.

15th to 18th century

The strategic position on the North Sea coast had major advantages for Ostend as a harbor but also proved to be a source of trouble. The city was frequently taken, destroyed and rampaged by conquering armies. The most important of these events was the three-year Siege of Ostend between 1601 and 1604, with on both sides combined more than 80,000 dead or wounded. The Siege of Ostend was a three-year Siege that resulted in a Spanish victory In their fight against the Spanish Empire during the Eighty Years' War, the Dutch rebels, the Geuzen, had occupied the city. The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries 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 Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Geuzen ( French: Les Gueux, English: the Beggars) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles and other malcontents who in

After this era Ostend turned into a harbour of some importance. In 1722 the Dutch again closed off the entrance to the harbour of Antwerp, the Westerschelde. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Western Scheldt (Dutch Westerschelde) in the province Zeeland in the southwestern Netherlands, is the Estuary of the Scheldt river Therefore, Ostend rose in importance because the city provided an alternative exit to the sea. The Southern Netherlands (largely the territory of present Belgium) had become part of the Austrian Empire. The Southern Netherlands (Zuidelijke Nederlanden Países Bajos del Sur Pays-Bas du sud were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain ( Spanish For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. The Austrian Emperor Charles VI granted the city the trade monopoly with Africa and the Far-East. Charles VI (German Karl VI) ( October 1, 1685 &ndash October 20, 1740) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia The Oostendse Compagnie (the "Ostend trade company") was allowed to found colonies overseas. The Ostend Company (Oostendse Compagnie was a private company established in 1717 to trade with the Indies. However, in 1727 the Oostendse Compagnie was forced to stop its activities because of Dutch and British pressure. The Netherlands and Britain would not allow competitors on the international trade level. Both nations regarded international trade as their privilege.

Modern era

In later times the harbour of Ostend continued to expand because the harbor dock, as well as the traffic connections with the hinterland, were improved. In 1838 a railway connection with Brussels was constructed. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Ostend became a transit harbour to England in 1846 when the first ferry sailed to Dover. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. It no longer serves in that role today, except for freight, as an alternative channel crossing point to Calais, France. Calais (kaˈlɛ in English often kæˈleɪ traditional English pronunciation /ˈkælɨs/ Kales is a town in northern France. Very important for the image of the city was the attention it started to receive from the Belgian kings Leopold I and Leopold II. Leopold I ( Leopold George Christian Frederick (in German Leopold Georg Christian Friedrich) Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, later Leopold II (Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor Leopold Lodewijk Filips Maria Victor (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909 was King of the Belgians. Both liked to spend their vacations in Ostend. Important monuments and villas were built to please the Royal Family. The rest of aristocratic Belgium followed and soon Ostend became known as "The Queen of the Belgian sea-side resorts". The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Nowadays tourists and locals have discovered the joys of windsurfing and kite surfing. With wind never in short supply on the Belgian coast these new to Belgium sports have taken a foothold in Oostende and are practised almost year round (wetsuit mandatory).

Music Scene

Since the late eighties and up until today Oostende has had an artistic revolution. Oostende was on the forefront in bringing underground electronic music to the masses. A plethora of young enraged artists started organizing raves and introduced freedom of the mind and the body to the creaking establishment. Since Oostende had very little to offer to the disenfranchised youth (with unemployment at an all time high) underground pioneers like A-Bat, Crazy Ray DJ Herbal J decided to take matters in their own hands and started the legendary Raving Zone parties. The impact on the town was overwhelming and gave it a new sense of identity.

Now Oostende is a place for cutting-edge electronic music and arts. Interest in music is pervasive amongst youngsters and liberated adults and is not limited to electronic music. Therefore bands are constantly formed and reformed and this mixed with the cafe and drug culture creates some very interesting genres and bands.

Sights

• Interesting locations are the Casino and Fort Napoleon.
• Ostend is also famous for its sea-side esplanade, pier, and fine-sand beaches.
• The James Ensor museum can be visited in the house where the artist lived from 1917 until 1949. James Sidney Edouard Baron Ensor ( April 13, 1860 - November 19 1949) was a Belgian painter and Printmaker
• The Mercator, an educational tall ship of the Belgian merchant fleet, has been converted into a maritime museum.
• Hippodrome Wellington, horse racing venue
• St Petrus and St Paulus Church, Ostend (Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk), built in Neo Gothic style. The Hippodrome Wellington is a Horse racing track in Ostend in the Flemish Region of Belgium built This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics. Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk (Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul) the main church of Ostend, Belgium is a Neo-Gothic church Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk (Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul) the main church of Ostend, Belgium is a Neo-Gothic church The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began
• In the PMMK (Provinciaal Museum voor de Moderne Kunst-Aan-Zee, the museum of modern art) you can view works of the Revolutionary post-war Belgian COBRA movement amongst others.
• Beach(es): Ostend is visited by many 'day' tourists, especially during July and August. Tourists from the Belgian inland and foreigners mostly arrive by train (day trips) and head for the closest beach area from the station (kleinstrand). The locals and other residents in Belgium usually occupy the larger beach (grootstrand). Ostend is widely visited by British, Germans, French and Dutch. Buses from Brussels tend to pass through giving the opportunity to North American and Asian tourists to view Ostend.
• Views from the pier promenade or beach of departing and arriving passenger ferry ships from Ramsgate (UK).
• During summer evenings (or just any kind of weather) you can walk through the little streets around Het Vissersplein. At certain times there are local markets in the neighbourhood streets and in the Summer the Vissersplein has music festivals. The Vissersplein (Bonenstraat/Kadzandstraat) is a car free zone with many brasseries where you can sit outside and have a drink. Look towards the port side and find many little fish outlets, and beyond that, again, you can view close the ferries docking.
• Train station
• Film locations: more and more directors are filming in Ostend.
  The movies Place Vendôme with Catherine Deneuve; Daughters of Darkness ^[1] with Delphine Seyrig as Countess Bathory; Armaguedon ^[2] with Alain Delon and Camping Cosmos with Lolo Ferrari were partially shot in Ostend. Place Vendôme is a 1998 film directed by Nicole Garcia and starring Catherine Deneuve. Catherine Deneuve (French katʁin dəˈnœv born October 22 1943 is a two-time Cesar Award -winning BAFTA Award -nominated and Academy Award -nominated Delphine Seyrig ( April 10, 1932 - October 15, 1990) was a stage and Film actress and a Film director. Alain Delon (born 8 November 1935) is a César Award -winning French Actor. Camping Cosmos is the second comedy in the film Trilogy The Sexual Life of the Belgians (of which La vie sexuelle des Lolo Ferrari ( – March 5, 2000) was the Stage name of a French Dancer, Porn star, Actress, and Singer
• The comic Le Bal du rat mort ^[3] about a dreadful invasion of rats, is set in Ostend.

Flower Clock	Municipal park.	In front of the railway station: The waiting fisherman's wives, bronze (1998) by August Michiels (1922-2003).	The Peperbusse - local name for an old church tower from a burned down church.
Spanish Inn 1729 (Kapucijnenstraat).	The esplanade with the Thermae Palace, the former Royal Residence and the casino	Ostend and the museumship, the barquentine Mercator.	Traditional fishers' dress - early 20th century.

Notable citizens of Ostend

• Lilian Baels, princess
• Auguste Marie Francois Beernaert, Prime Minister of Belgium and Nobel Peace Prize recipient
• Alfred Belpaire, locomotive engineer
• Gerard Brackx, tourism
• Cesar De Paepe, syndicalist
• James Ensor, painter
• Etienne Elias, painter [1]
• Arno Hintjens, lead-singer of TC Matic
• Karel Jonckheere, writer
• Mimi Lamote (b. Princess Lilian of Belgium ( born Mary Lilian Baels) ( November 28, 1916 &ndash June 7, 2002) was best known as Auguste Marie François Beernaert ( July 26, 1829 &ndash October 6, 1912) was the Prime Minister of Belgium from October The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Jules Belpaire ( 26 September 1820 &mdash 27 January 1893) was a Belgian locomotive engineer who invented the square-topped Gerardus (Gerard Brackx (b 1931 Ostend) is a Belgian businessman pioneer of the Belgian travel business and founder of Jetair. Cesar De Paepe ( 12 July 1842 in Ostend, Belgium - 1890 in Cannes, France) was a medical doctor and a prominent Syndicalist James Sidney Edouard Baron Ensor ( April 13, 1860 - November 19 1949) was a Belgian painter and Printmaker Arno Hintjens (usually referred to as Arno) ( Ostend, May 21, 1949) is a Belgian artist from Ostend. TC Matic was a Belgian rock band originating in 1980 from the duo Tjens Couter ( Arno Hintjens, vocals and Paul Decoutere, guitar Karel Jonckheere ( Ostend, 9 April 1906 – Rijmenam, 13 December 1993) was a Flemish writer Mimi Lamote (b Ostend, 27 April 1964) is a Belgian businesswoman Ostend, 27 April 1964), businesswoman
• Stefaan Maene, backstroke swimmer
• Marie-José of Belgium, princess, then last queen of Italy
• August Michiels, sculpturer, painter, engraver [2]
• Constant Permeke, expressionist painter
• Raoul Servais, filmmaker
• Gustaaf Sorel, painter
• Leon Spilliaert, painter
• Henri Storck, author, film-maker, and maker of documentaries
• Robert Triffin, economist
• Johan Vande Lanotte, politician
• Robert Van De Walle, judoka
• Bart van den Bossche, singer, actor, and radio/TV presenter
• Peter Van Heirseele, aka Herr Seele, cartoonist (Cowboy Henk), painter and performer [3]
• Rudolf Vanmoerkerke
• Luc Zeebroek, aka Kamagurka, cartoonist, singer and performer [4]

Sport clubs

• K.V. Oostende (football)
• Telindus Oostende (basketball)
• Wellington Golf Oostende (Golf)

See also

• Greenbridge science park

External links

• Official website - Information available in Dutch and limited information available in French, English and German. Stefaan Maene (born May 13, 1972 in Oostende) is a former Backstroke and medley Swimmer from Belgium, who Princess Marie José of Belgium ( Marie José Charlotte Sophie Louisa Amélie Henriette Olga Gabrielle) ( 4 August 1906 &ndash 27 January Constant Permeke ( July 31, 1886 &ndash January 4, 1952) was a Belgian painter and sculptor who is considered the leading figure Raoul Servais (b Ostend, 1 May, 1928) is a Belgian filmmaker Filmography 1963 The False Note 1965 Gustaaf Sorel ( 17 January, 1905 – 14 May, 1981) was a Belgian painter known for his representations of gloomy people Henri Storck (1907 Ostend &ndash September 17, 1999) was a Belgian author film-maker and documentarist Robert Triffin ( October 5, 1911, Flobecq, Belgium &ndash February 23, 1993, Ostend, Belgium) was Johan Cyrille Corneel Vande Lanotte (b 6 July 1955, Poperinge) is a Belgian politician Robert Van de Walle (born May 20, 1954) is a Belgian Judoka He was born in Oostende. Bart Van den Bossche is a Flemish singer actor and radio/tv preseter Rudolf Vanmoerkerke is a Belgian businessman and a pioneer of the Belgian Travel industry. KV Oostende is a Belgian football club from the municipality of Ostend, West Flanders. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The Greenbridge science park is a Business incubator and Science park of Ghent University and is located on the Plassendale site in Ostend ( Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages.
• Oostendse verhalen- Site about the Ostend dialect and culture with Ostend grammatical rules. (mainly in Dutch (nl) and Ostend dialect).
• Toerisme Oostende - English edition - extensive.
• Free photos of Ostend
• Ostend Airport - Official website of the international airport of Ostend.
• Koninginnehof - Website of one of the local parks.

References

1. ^ Daughters of Darkness at IMDB
2. ^ Armaguedon at IMDB
3. ^ Le Bal du rat mort

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