Schouwen-Duiveland
Schouwen-Duiveland () is a municipality and an island in the southwestern Netherlands province of Zeeland. The municipality has 33,737 inhabitants (1 January 2016) and covers an area of (of which is water). The northside of the island has two fixed connections to Goeree-Overflakkee, the Brouwersdam and the Grevelingen. The southside has two fixed connections to cross the Oosterschelde to North Beveland, the Stormvloed Kering or Oosterscheldedam, part of the Delta Works and the Zeeland Bridge. The island is mostly flat and is, besides a small area, below the sea level. On the western tip is a dune  whose highest point is about 42 meters above sea level. The island is, in the summer, very popular with (German) tourists. The Renesse area is a popular holiday destination for young people. The Brouwersdam is a dam, part of the Delta Works, from Schouwen-Duiveland to Goedereede, the west part of the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in South Holland. History. The island of Schouwen-Duiveland originally consisted of four islands: Schouwen, Duiveland, Dreischor, and Bommenede. Over the centuries it has grown by nature and man together. The dam between Schouwen and Duiveland dates from 1610. On 30 April 1900 the  Rotterdam Tramway Company opened a steam tram line on the island running as public transport until 1 February 1953. After the floods of 1953, the service has not been restored and has been replaced by a bus line. During the Second World War, Schouwen-Duiveland was the only island that remained under German occupation until May 1945. In December 1944, the Germans had declared their intent to deport all local men aged between 17 and 40. The local resistance fighters made plans to sabotage this by stealing all the registers on the island with the help of nearby Allies, who  were preparing to liberate the island. Events unfolded that led to the capture of ten local men who were subsequently executed. After the completion of the Brouwersdam in 1972 the island became a center of water sports. Surfing, sailing and diving are common activities on the North Sea beaches and the Grevelingenmeer. Geography. Topography. "Dutch Topographic map of the island of Schouwen-Duiveland, as per Sept. 2014." Demography. The main population centres are listed in the tables below (as of 2021). There are two places in Schouwen-Duiveland, Zierikzee and Brouwershaven, which in the past had gained city rights. Then  there are the hamlets Looperskapelle, Moriaanshoofd, Nieuwerkerk, Nieuwerkerke, Schuddebeurs, Westenschouwen, Zierikzee, Beldert , Brijdorpe , Burghsluis, Capelle , Elkerzee and New Haamstede. The town hall is in Zierikzee. There is no village called Schouwen-Duiveland; the municipality takes its name from the island, which received its name when the former islands Schouwen and Duiveland (and Dreischor) were poldered together. Nature in Schouwen-Duiveland. A large number of nature reserves can be found on Schouwen-Duiveland. They are usually managed by Staatsbosbeheer. Most nature reserves are accessible to visitors. The areas are particularly suitable for bird watchers and cyclists. In the nature of Schouwen  Duiveland, European special species such as avocet, curlew and plover can be found. Boswachterij Westerschouwen is the largest forest in the province of Zeeland. In addition to the nature in and around the Grevelingenmeer, the following nature reserves can be found on Schouwen-Duiveland: Governance. The municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland on 1 January 1997 came about after six municipalities were merged. These municipalities were Brouwershaven , Bruinisse , Duiveland , Middenschouwen , Westerschouwen and Zierikzee . These six municipalities were created on 1 January 1961 from a previous reclassification. City Council. The council of Schouwen-Duiveland consists of 23 seats. Below is the composition of  the council since 1997: On 13 November 1996 ¹ reclassification elections were held. The first council was launched on 1 January 1997. Explanations for the bracketed number of councillors for some parties between the 2018 and 2022 elections are below: Culture. There are a number of national monuments in the municipality, including the war memorial at Oude Moolweg in Renesse and the Jewish Memorial on Caustraat in Zierikzee. The war memorial commemorates in particular the ten local resistance fighters executed by the Germans on 10 December 1944. It also commemorates all local citizens who died during the Second World War  or the 'police actions' in the Dutch East Indies. The Westenschouwen mermaid was the main character in a saga that is localized in Zeeland relating to the destruction of the village Westenschouwen on the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. The mermaid saga explains the decline of this once prosperous village. The saga predicts the demise of the village, with only the tower remaining. After the tower was demolished in 1845, the Plompe Tower was seen as the remaining tower of Westenschouwen. Plompe Tower is open to tourists and when you open the door of the tower the story of the mermaid  will be played automatically and displayed via a carousel stories. The mermaid is celebrated in the local coat of arms.