Gouda, South Holland
City and municipality in South Holland, Netherlands / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gouda (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣʌudaː] ⓘ) is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands, between Rotterdam and Utrecht, in the province of South Holland. Gouda has a population of 75,000 and is famous for its Gouda cheese, stroopwafels, many grachten, smoking pipes, and its 15th-century city hall. Its array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day-trip destination.
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Gouda | |
---|---|
City and municipality | |
Coordinates: 52°0′40″N 4°42′40″E | |
Country | Netherlands |
Province | South Holland |
Government | |
• Body | Municipal council |
• Mayor | Pieter Verhoeve (SGP) |
Area | |
• Total | 18.11 km2 (6.99 sq mi) |
• Land | 16.50 km2 (6.37 sq mi) |
• Water | 1.61 km2 (0.62 sq mi) |
Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Population (January 2021)[3] | |
• Total | 73,681 |
• Density | 4,466/km2 (11,570/sq mi) |
Demonym | Gouwenaar |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postcode | 2800–2809 |
Area code | 0182 |
Website | gouda.nl |
In the Middle Ages the Van der Goude [nl] family founded a settlement at the location of the current city and built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took their names. Locals long called the settlement Ter Goude, or Tergou or Tergouw [nl] for short.[4] The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries.[timeframe?] By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary became a harbour. in 1272 Floris V, Count of Holland granted the town city rights.