Hamont-Achel

Hamont-Achel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦaːmɔnt ˈɑxəl]; Limburgish: Haëmet-Achel) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. It was founded in 1977 by a fusion of the city Hamont and the village Achel. On January 1, 2006, Hamont-Achel had a total population of 13,770. The total area is 43.66 km² which gives a population density of 315 inhabitants per km². The municipality houses the Trappist Abbey of Achel, part of which is Brouwerij de Achelse Kluis, one of the 11 Trappist breweries.

Hamont-Achel
Municipality
Flag
Coat of arms
Hamont-Achel
Location in Belgium
Location of Hamont-Achel in Limburg
Coordinates: 51°15′N 05°33′E
CountryBelgium
CommunityFlemish Community
RegionFlemish Region
ProvinceLimburg
ArrondissementMaaseik
Government
 • MayorRik Rijcken (PRO Hamont-Achel)
 • Governing party/iesPRO Hamont-Achel, N-VA
Area
 • Total43.66 km2 (16.86 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total14,427
 • Density330/km2 (860/sq mi)
Postal codes
3930
Area codes011
Websitewww.hamont-achel.be

The professional tennis player Elise Mertens (WTA 35 - 2017) lives in Hamont-Achel.

Demographics

Languages
  • Dutch in Hamont-Achel is often spoken with a distinctive Limburgish accent, which should not be confused with the Limburgish language.
  • Limburgish (or Limburgian) is the overlapping term of the tonal dialects spoken in the Belgian and Dutch provinces of Limburg. The Hamont dialect is only one of many variants of Limburgish, and is spoken only in Hamont,[2] not Achel, where another Limburgish dialect called Achels is spoken.

Deadly explosion

On 18 November 1918, the municipality was the site of one of the worst train explosions in history, when two German munitions trains caught fire and exploded. Not only were the trains destroyed, but three German ambulance trains were also wiped out, along with most of the town. More than 1,000 individuals were killed.

Tumulus on Haarterheide
Tumulus (2000-1000 BC)

References
  1. "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. Verhoeven (2007), p. 219.

Bibliography
  • Verhoeven, Jo (2007), "The Belgian Limburg dialect of Hamont", Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 37 (2): 219–225, doi:10.1017/S0025100307002940


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