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Nieuwpoort
Nieuwpoort
; Flag	; Coat of arms
Location of Nieuwpoort in West Flanders
	; Nieuwpoort, Belgium Location in Belgium
Sovereign state	Belgium
Region	Flemish Region
Community	Flemish Community
Province	West Flanders
Arrondissement	Veurne
Coordinates	51°07′0″N 02°45′0″E / 51.116667°N 2.75°ECoordinates: 51°07′0″N 02°45′0″E / 51.116667°N 2.75°E
Area	31.00 km²
Population; – Males; – Females; – Density	10,855 (2006-01-01); 49.10%; 50.90%; 350 inhab./km²
Unemployment rate	9.79% (1 January 2006)
Mean annual income	€11,763/pers. (2003)
Mayor	Roland Crabbe (CD&V)
Governing parties	CD&V
Postal codes	8620
Area codes	058
Website	www.nieuwpoort.be

Nieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Nieuwpoort proper and the towns of Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2008 Nieuwpoort had a total population of 11,062. The total area is 31.00 km² which gives a population density of 350 inhabitants per km².

In Nieuwpoort, the Yser flows into the North Sea.

A view of the beach and the pier at Nieuwpoort.

[edit] History

Nieuwpoort on the Ferraris map (around 1775)

Nieuwpoort taken from the air

It obtained city rights in 1163 from Count Philip of Flanders. The Battle of Nieuwpoort, between the Dutch and the Spanish, happened here in 1600.

The city was occupied by French forces for six years between 1757 and 1763, as part of the conditions of the Second Treaty of Versailles between France and Austria.

During the Battle of the Yser, part of the First Battle of Ypres in World War I, Karel Cogge opened the sluice gates on the mouth of the river Yser twice to flood the lower lying land, thus halting the German advance.

[edit] Towns

The old city centre of Nieuwpoort is located about three kilometers from the current coastline. Close to the sea, a new tourist centre has developed. Both parts form one contiguous built up area, connected by buildings along the Albert I Laan street and the fishing port. Besides Nieuwpoort proper, two small villages in the Flemish Polders are part of the municipality, Sint-Joris and Ramskapelle, Nieuwpoort.

#	Name	Area	Population 1999
I	Nieuwpoort	10,18	9.437
II	Sint-Joris	5,54	259
III	Ramskapelle	15,28	555

Nieuwpoort is located by the sea, between the municipalities Koksijde and Middelkerke (or its towns Oostduinkerke and Lombardsijde to be precise). Because the territory of the town of Ramskapelle expands far inland, Nieuwpoort borders a large number of villages::