# Almere

> municipality in the Netherlands

**Wikidata**: [Q83178](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83178)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almere)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/almere

## Summary
Almere is a municipality and large human settlement located in the province of Flevoland, Netherlands. Established in 1976 and situated on land reclaimed from the water (Southern Flevoland), it serves as a major urban center with a population that exceeded 214,000 residents as of 2021. The city is notable for its modern infrastructure, elevation below sea level, and extensive network of international twin towns.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: Municipality of the Netherlands, city, and cadastral populated place.
- **Location**: Flevoland (Province), Netherlands; coordinates 52.3758°N, 5.2255°E.
- **Inception**: Founded in 1976; became a municipality on January 1, 1984.
- **Area**: 248.77 square kilometres.
- **Elevation**: -3 metres (below sea level).
- **Population**: 214,715 (as of January 1, 2021, per Statistics Netherlands).
- **Government**: Executive body is the *college van burgemeester en wethouders*; Mayor (head of government) is Franc Weerwind (since September 9, 2015).
- **Time Zone**: UTC+01:00.
- **Postal Code Range**: 1300–1379.
- **Local Dialing Code**: 036.
- **UN/LOCODE**: NLAER.
- **Demonym**: Almeerder.

## FAQs
**What is the geographical location and physical context of Almere?**
Almere is situated in the province of Flevoland, specifically on the physical feature known as Southern Flevoland. It is located at an elevation of -3 metres and shares borders with ten other municipalities, including Amsterdam, Lelystad, and Zeewolde, while bordering bodies of water such as the Markermeer, IJmeer, and Gooimeer.

**How has the population of Almere changed over recent decades?**
The city has experienced consistent growth, increasing from 78,100 residents in 1990 to over 214,000 by 2021. Statistics show a steady rise from 150,398 in 2000 to 190,655 in 2010, reaching 207,904 by 2019.

**What are the administrative and digital identifiers for Almere?**
The municipality holds the CBS code 0034 and the Amsterdam code 10018. Its website is accessible in both Dutch and English at almere.nl, and it maintains social media presences on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube under handles like @almere and Gemeente Almere.

**Which international cities is Almere twinned with?**
Almere maintains twinning relationships with several global cities, including Kumasi (Ghana), Aalborg (Denmark), Milton Keynes (UK), Växjö (Sweden), Dmitrov (Russia), Lancaster (USA), Rendsburg (Germany), Tainan (Taiwan), and Haapsalu (Estonia).

## Why It Matters
Almere represents a significant feat of modern urban planning and water management in the Netherlands. As a "big city" created entirely on reclaimed land (Southern Flevoland) starting in 1976, it demonstrates the capacity for large-scale demographic expansion, growing from zero to over 200,000 residents in just five decades. Its governance and administrative structure serve as a model for contemporary Dutch municipalities, functioning as the capital of its region (since 1986) and hosting a comprehensive digital and physical infrastructure, including its own city archives (Stadsarchief Almere). The city's existence below sea level (-3m) underscores the importance of Dutch hydraulic engineering.

## Notable For
- **Rapid Growth**: Evolving from a new settlement in 1976 to a city with over 214,000 inhabitants and more than 81,000 households.
- **Geography**: Being a major city located entirely below sea level (-3m) on reclaimed land.
- **Connectivity**: Sharing a direct border with Amsterdam and maintaining a vast network of 10 neighboring municipalities.
- **Media Presence**: Hosting a Wikipedia presence in over 100 languages, indicating global recognition.
- **Governance**: Being one of the few municipalities explicitly categorized as a "big city" in the source data.

## Body

### Geography and Borders
Almere is located in the Netherlands within the province of Flevoland. It covers a total area of 248.77 square kilometres and sits at a specific elevation of -3 metres. The geographical coordinates are 52.375833333333 latitude and 5.2255555555556 longitude.

The municipality is situated on the physical feature Southern Flevoland. It shares borders with a significant number of water bodies and municipalities:
- **Bodies of Water**: Markermeer, IJmeer, and Gooimeer.
- **Neighboring Municipalities**: It shares land borders with Amsterdam, Blaricum, Edam-Volendam, Gooise Meren, Hoorn, Huizen, Lelystad, Muiden, Waterland, and Zeewolde.

### Demographics and Households
Almere has demonstrated substantial population growth over the last three decades. Data indicates the following population progression:
- **1990**: 78,100
- **2000**: 150,398
- **2010**: 190,655
- **2016**: 198,315
- **2017**: 200,914
- **2018**: 203,990
- **2019**: 207,904
- **2020**: 211,893
- **2021**: 214,715 (preferred statistic)

The number of households also grew steadily between 2010 and 2015, reaching 81,745 households in 2015.

### Governance and Administration
The administrative foundation of Almere dates back to 1976, with its status as a municipality of the Netherlands formally starting on January 1, 1984. It became the capital of the entity Q111692010 on January 1, 1986.
- **Executive Body**: The *college van burgemeester en wethouders* of Almere.
- **Head of Government**: The current mayor is Franc Weerwind, who assumed office on September 9, 2015.
- **Archives**: The city's historical records are maintained at the Stadsarchief Almere.
- **Legal Identifiers**: The municipality uses the CBS municipality code 0034 and the Amsterdam code 10018. It is also registered under the UN/LOCODE NLAER.

### International Relations
Almere is actively engaged in international town twinning. Its partnerships include:
- **Aalborg** and **Aalborg Municipality** (since 1984)
- **Milton Keynes**
- **Växjö Municipality** (since 1999)
- **Rendsburg** (since 2014)
- **Kumasi**
- **Dmitrov**
- **Lancaster**
- **Tainan**
- **Haapsalu**

### Infrastructure and Communication
The municipality is well-connected through various physical and digital channels.
- **Physical Infrastructure**: The local dialing code is 036 (international +31036), and the postal code range spans from 1300 to 1379.
- **Digital Presence**: The official website (almere.nl) offers content in Dutch and English. The municipality maintains active social media profiles, including Twitter (@almere), Facebook (gemeentealmere), Instagram (gemeente.almere), and a YouTube channel (UChIy3Zb4WKm5C8glumw1FKA) which started in May 2012.
- **Contact**: General inquiries can be directed to info@almere.nl or via the contact page at almere.nl/contact.

### Cultural and Visual Identity
Almere utilizes distinct visual identifiers. The official flag is the "flag of Almere," depicted in the image file `Almere_vlag.svg`. The coat of arms is available as `Almere_wapen.svg`. The municipality also uses an official logo (`Almere-gemeente-logo.svg`) and a page banner (`Almere_Wikivoyage_Banner.png`) for visual representation. The native label "Almere" has a pronunciation guide available via an audio file.

### Academic and Database Identifiers
Almere is indexed in numerous global databases and academic registries:
- **Library Codes**: Library of Congress Authority ID (n82045089), National Library of Israel ID (987007562289305171).
- **Geographic IDs**: GeoNames ID (6544259), Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names ID (7007140).
- **Research IDs**: ISNI (0000 0004 0401 5592), VIAF (146599927), GND (4330594-5), Ringgold ID (156867).
- **Digital Archives**: Freebase ID (/m/0vh7g), WorldCat Entities ID (E39PBJptYbK6fKjxTfkbWrY773), and an exact match entry at `gemeentegeschiedenis.nl`.

The entity is also categorized as a "big city" and a "cadastral populated place in the Netherlands."

## References

1. [Source](https://dans.knaw.nl/nl/over/organisatie-beleid/publicaties/DANSrepertoriumnederlandsegemeenten2011.pdf)
2. [Source](https://gemeentegeschiedenis.nl)
3. Open ISNI for Organizations
4. [Source](https://kiacommunity.nl/groups/135-archievenkaart-nederland/welcome)
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. register of public bodies
7. [Source](https://almanak.overheid.nl/export/Gemeenten.csv)
8. [Woonplaatsen in Nederland 2021](https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/cijfers/detail/84992NED)
9. MusicBrainz
10. Statistics Netherlands
11. [Source](https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/70072NED/table?dl=2096B)
12. [Source](https://easy.dans.knaw.nl/ui/datasets/id/easy-dataset:76773/tab/2)
13. StatLine
14. [Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021. Statistics Netherlands. 2021](https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/maatwerk/2021/31/kerncijfers-wijken-en-buurten-2021)
15. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
16. Source
17. waar staat je gemeente.nl
18. GeoNames
19. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/nl.htm)
20. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
21. [Source](https://www.govdirectory.org/netherlands/)
22. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
23. [Source](https://www.bungalowparkoverzicht.nl/plaats/almere/)
24. YouTube API