Schoten
Schoten () is a municipality located in Antwerp Province, Belgium. The municipality only comprises the town of Schoten proper. As of 1 January 2018 Schoten has a total population of 34,462. The total area is which gives a population density of . Schoten borders the Antwerp districts Merksem to the west and Deurne to the south west. Neighboring municipalities include Brasschaat to the north, Brecht to the north east, Schilde to the east, and Wijnegem to the south. History. Early Middle Ages. The history and usage of the name Schoten may have come from the name given to the wooden dividing  walls ("schot" in Dutch) that were driven in the ground to separate private property. The Christianization of the area dates from the end of the 7th century, under the influence of Abbot Ursmarus, of Lobbes Abbey, which owned property here. In the 12th century, the territory was under the political authority of the lords of Breda, then of the lords of Bergen-op-Zoom. Religiously, it was administered by the Villers Abbey. 16th century until today. Already by the beginning of the 16th century, well-off burghers and merchants from neighboring Antwerp built castles in Schoten as secondary residences. The  local community succeeded, however, in maintaining its rural Campine character until well into the 19th century. Industry first developed on the border with Merksem, later along the Albert Canal. Much of the rest of the town's territory was kept green and was again used by neighboring Antwerp residents for building extensive villas such as "Koningshof" and "Schotenhof". Today about 30% of Schoten's territory still consists of forested areas, a great achievement given its location only away from the center of Antwerp. Politics. Municipal council. The municipal council, per the outcome of the 2018 local elections, is a coalition  of NV-A (16 seats) and Open-VLD (1 seat), a total of 17 out of 31 seats. Council of Mayor and Aldermen. Since 2018, the Council of Mayor and Aldermen, the municipal executive board, consists of: International relations. Twin towns – sister cities. Schoten is twinned with: