- Leusden
Infobox Settlement
official_name = Leusden
mapsize = 280px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =Netherlands
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Utrecht
leader_name = C.J.G.M. de Vet
leader_party = CDA
area_footnotes = (2006)
area_total_km2 = 58.94
area_land_km2 = 58.68
area_water_km2 = 0.26
population_as_of =1 January ,2007
population_note = Source: CBS, [http://statline.cbs.nl/ Statline] .
settlement_type = Municipality
population_total = 28611
population_density_km2 = 488
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd = 52.12
latNS = N
longd = 5.40
longEW = E
website = [http://www.leusden.nl www.leusden.nl].
The western part of the municipality is partially covered by forest, partially by heathlands. The other parts are used for livestock farming.
Population centres
The municipality of Leusden contains four villages:
* Leusden, formerly first named "Hamersveld" and later "Leusden-Centrum";
*Leusden-Zuid , formerly "Leusbroek"
*Achterveld
*Stoutenburg There are also a number of hamlets in the municipality [ANWB, "Topografische atlas Nederland 1:50000",2005. Cartography by the Topografische Dienst, Emmen.] :
Asschat ,Den Treek ,De Ruif ,Jannendorp ,Musschendorp ,Oud-Leusden (formerly named "Leusden", andSnorrenhoef .The town of Leusden
The place that is now called Leusden was first mentioned as "Villa Lisiduna" in a charter in
777 . The location of that settlement, which is considered to have been a rather extensive farm complex with defenses, is unknown to us. It is possible that the old village of Oud-Leusden once was the location of Villa Lisiduna but excavations in the 1980s have not shown any evidence. However, the church tower of Oud-Leusden is one of the oldest towers in the Netherlands, dating back to the 11th century A.D.In the 1970s, the agricultural towns of Leusbroek and Hamersveld grew into to a larger, mainly residential town. What once was Hamersveld is now called Leusden-Centrum and Leusbroek was to become Leusden-Zuid. However, Leusden is the common name these days. In the original plans, Leusden would grow into a town of around 46,000 inhabitants, but after the initial expansion phases there was growing resistance from the population. So some of the later phases of the expansion have been abandoned.
References
* Statistics are taken from the [http://www.sdu.nl/staatscourant/gemeentes/gem279u.htm SDU Staatscourant]
External links
* [http://www.leusden.nl/ Official website]
* [http://www.plattegronden.nl/leusden/index.html A map of Leusden]
* [http://www.plattegronden.nl/gemeentedeleusden/index.html A map of the municipality]
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