Hoogezand
Encyclopedia
Hoogezand-Sappemeer
Hoogezand-Sappemeer is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the second largest municipality in the province of Groningen, after the city of Groningen. It is well known for its ship building industry....
, located in the principality Groningen in northeast Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The name refers to a higher sanded (Hooge Sandt) place in the peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
lands cut through when the Winschoterdiep
Winschoterdiep
The Winschoterdiep is a canal in the province Groningen of the Netherlands. It leads to the Rensel, which is actually part of this canal. Construction was started in 1618 and finished in 1634. The Winschoterdiep's total length is 35.5 kilometres, and it is approximately 100 metres in width. Sixteen...
channel
Channel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
was dug. Near this channel in 1618 the village was founded.
In the beginning the town was a center of peat briquette
Briquette
A briquette is a block of flammable matter used as fuel to start and maintain a fire. Common types of briquettes are charcoal briquettes and biomass briquettes.-Constituents of charcoal briquettes:...
s producing. When the peat ran out opened factories
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
for cardboard and plants for potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
processing . At the moment Hoogezand is most known for the shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
industry. On the shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s the vessels are launched sideways, which is uncommon for slipway
Slipway
A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers and flying boats on their undercarriage. The...
s.
In 1949 Hoogezand en Sappemeer
Sappemeer
Sappemeer is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Hoogezand-Sappemeer. It is located to the east of Hoogezand.Sappemeer was a separate municipality until 1949, when it merged with Hoogezand.-External links:*...
became one city. At the moment Hoogezand-Sappemeer has 34 438 citizens (2005). Around 21 000 of them live in Hoogezand.
Transportation
Railway station: Hoogezand-SappemeerHoogezand-Sappemeer railway station
Hoogezand-Sappemeer is a railway station for Hoogezand and Sappemeer, The Netherlands. The station was opened on 1 May 1868 and is located on the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway between Groningen and Nieuweschans...
In Western Hoogezand, Martenshoek railway station
Martenshoek railway station
Martenshoek is a railway station in Martenshoek, The Netherlands. The station opened on 1 May 1868 and is located on the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway between Groningen and Nieuweschans...
may be better.
In Sappemeer, Sappemeer Oost railway station
Sappemeer Oost railway station
Sappemeer Oost is a railway station in Sappemeer, The Netherlands. The station was opened in 1887 and is located on the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway between Groningen and Nieuweschans...
may be better.