Opsterland

Opsterland Opsterlân
—  Municipality  —
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 53°3′N 6°5′E / 53.05°N 6.083°E / 53.05; 6.083Coordinates: 53°3′N 6°5′E / 53.05°N 6.083°E / 53.05; 6.083
Country	Netherlands
Province	Friesland
Area(2006)
- Total	227.68 km2 (87.9 sq mi)
- Land	225.07 km2 (86.9 sq mi)
- Water	2.61 km2 (1 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2007)
- Total	29,585
- Density	131/km2 (339.3/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Opsterland ( pronunciation (help·info)) (West Frisian: Opsterlân) is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands.

Population centres

Bakkeveen, Beetsterzwaag, Frieschepalen, Gorredijk, Hemrik, Jonkerslân, Langezwaag, Lippenhuizen, Luxwoude, Nij Beets, Olterterp, Siegerswoude, Terwispel, Tijnje, Ureterp, Wijnjewoude.

Magistrates court in Beetsterzwaag

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Netherlands

Twin towns — sister cities

Opsterland is twinned with:

• Ra'anana, Israel (since 1963)^[1][2]
• Beit Sahur, Palestinian Authority
• The choice of twinning with both an Israeli city and a Palestinian one is Opsterland's modest contribution to trying to solve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. As well as bilateral contacts with both of their partners, the Dutch officials try to encourage trilateral meetings and induce greater contact between Ra'anana and Beit Sahur, which are located at a short geographical distance from each other but are separated by conflict, occupation and mutual mistrust. Recently Francisca Ravestein, Nahum Hofree, Hani Al-Hayik - the mayors, respectively, of Opsterland, Ra'anana and Beit Sahur - jointly inaugurated a photo exhibition at the municipal building in Opsterland^[3].

References

Notes

1. ^ "Stedenband Opsterland-Ra'anana [City Connection Opsterland-Ra'anana]". Stedenbanden.nl. http://www.stedenbanden.nl/detail_city.phtml?know_id=383. "Vanaf 1960 onderhoudt de gemeente Opsterland contacten met de gemeente Ra'anana. Deze contacten zijn in 1963 officieel vastgelegd in een 'vriendschapsverdrag'. In maart 2000 is een delegatie naar Ra'anana gereisd om te praten over een meer themagerichte invulling van het verdrag." 
2. ^ "Ra'anana: Twin towns & Sister cities - Friends around the World". raanana.muni.il. http://www.raanana.muni.il/English/Topics/My+City/Sister+Cities/. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
3. ^ *Ra'anana Municipality website

External links

• Official Website
• Bakkeveen online (in Dutch)
• Local Politics Opsterlands Belang (in Dutch)
• Reference on Ra'anana Municipality website

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