Zaanstad (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈzaːnstɑt] ⓘ) is a Dutch municipality in the province of North Holland, situated northwest of Amsterdam. Its main city is Zaandam. It is part of the conurbation and metropolitan area of Amsterdam. It had a population of 156,901 in 2021.
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The municipality of Zaanstad is a conurbation consisting of the cities, towns and villages of: Assendelft, Koog aan de Zaan, Krommenie, Westzaan, Wormerveer, Zaandam and Zaandijk. However, being surrounded by countryside and due to its relatively protracted shape that follows the river Zaan, a rural atmosphere is always nearby.
The municipal council of Zaanstad consists of 39 seats, which at the 2022 local elections divided as follows:[5]
- Partij voor Ouderen en Veiligheid - 6,
- PvdA - 5,
- VVD - 5,
- ROSA - 4,
- Democratisch Zaanstad - 4,
- GroenLinks - 3,
- D66 - 2,
- Party for Freedom - 2,
- CDA - 2,
- DENK - 2,
- PvdD - 2,
- CU - 1,
- SP - 1.
The arts
- Pieter Jansz. Saenredam (1597–c. 1665), a painter of the Dutch Golden Age
- Anton Mauve (1838–1888), realist painter, leading member of the Hague School[6]
- Jan Verkade (1868-1946), post-Impressionist and Christian Symbolist painter
- Piet Zwart (1885–1977), graphic designer, industrial designer and typographer
- Dick Laan (1894–1973), children's writer and film pioneer[7]
- Aafje Heynis (1924–2015), contralto
- Piet Kee (1927–2018), organist and composer
- Han Bennink (born 1942), jazz drummer and percussionist
- Kathinka Pasveer (born 1959), flautist
Public thinking & public service
Science & business
- Pieter Bleeker (1819–1878), medical doctor, ichthyologist, and herpetologist
- Christiaan Eijkman (1858–1930), physician and professor of physiology, joint winner the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1929 for the discovery of vitamins
- Cornelis Zwikker (1900–1985), scientist, mostly in physics, chemistry and acoustics
- E. G. van de Stadt (1910–1999), yacht designer
- Simon de Wit (1912–1976), rower and CEO of the supermarket chain Simon de Wit
- Gerrit Jan Heijn (1931–1987), businessman with Ahold, kidnapped and murdered
- Floris Takens (1940–2010), mathematician
Sport
- Jaap Boot (1903-1986), athlete, bronze medallist in the 1924 Summer Olympics
- Jaap Kraaier (1913–2004), flatwater canoeist, bronze medallist at the 1936 Summer Olympics
- Nicolaas Tates (1915–1990), canoeist, bronze medallist at the 1936 Summer Olympics
- Mieke Jaapies (born 1943), sprint canoer, silver medallist in the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Cees Stam (born 1945), a former track cyclist and four-time world champion stayer
- Toos Beumer (born 1947), swimmer, team bronze medallist at the 1964 Summer Olympics
- Johnny Rep (born 1951), former footballer
- Annemarie Sanders (born 1958), an equestrian, silver medallist in the Team Dressage 1992 Summer Olympics
- Luc Nijholt (born 1961), football manager and a former player
- Erwin Koeman (born 1961), retired footballer
- Ronald Koeman (born 1963), retired footballer and ex-manager of the Barcelona since 2020.
- Wietse van Alten (born 1978), an archer, bronze medallist 2000 Summer Olympics
- Bilal Başaçıkoğlu (born 1995), footballer
Twin towns – sister cities
Zaanstad is twinned with:
Zaanstad windmill at the beginning of the 20th century
River Zaan
Windmill Museum, Zaanstad
Zaandam, sluice
Assendelft, church: the Sint-Odulphuskerk
Westknollendam, ditch: de Tapsloot
The fort near Krommeniedijk