Middelkerke
![Flag of Middelkerke](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Middelkerke_vlag.svg/100px-Middelkerke_vlag.svg.png)
![Coat of arms of Middelkerke](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Middelkerke_wapen.svg/71px-Middelkerke_wapen.svg.png)
![Map](https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,10,a,a,270x200.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=Middelkerke&revid=1209384953&groups=_bf063864af479e2e52fc9d62828c57565ca951a5)
![Middelkerke is located in Belgium](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Belgium_location_map.svg/250px-Belgium_location_map.svg.png)
![Middelkerke](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/6px-Red_pog.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Middelkerke_West-Flanders_Belgium_Map.svg/232px-Middelkerke_West-Flanders_Belgium_Map.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Flag_of_Belgium_%28civil%29.svg/23px-Flag_of_Belgium_%28civil%29.svg.png)
Middelkerke (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɪdəlˌkɛrkə]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, on the North Sea, west of Ostend. The municipality comprises the villages of Leffinge, Lombardsijde, Mannekensvere, Middelkerke proper, Schore, Sint-Pieters-Kapelle, Slijpe, Westende and Wilskerke. On January 1, 2006, Middelkerke had a total population of 17,841. The total area is 75.65 km2 which gives a population density of 236 inhabitants per km2.
The first reference of 'Middelkerca' is found in 1218. Before 1876 it mainly was a farming settlement.
In 1902, Middelkerke became the world's first municipality to have their drinking water disinfected by continuous chlorination.[2]
Sports
The Noordzeecross is a February cyclo-cross race held in Middelkerke, which is part of the Superprestige.
References
External links
Media related to Middelkerke at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in Dutch)