Zwijndrecht

• Name — Zwijndrecht • Settlement Type — Municipality • Shield Size — 100x80px • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Netherlands • Subdivision Type1 — Province • Subdivision Name1 — South Holland • Governing Body — Municipal council • Leader Party — PvdA • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Dominic Schrijer • Unit Pref — Metric • Area Total Km2 — Zwijndrecht • Area Land Km2 — Zwijndrecht • Area Water Km2 — Zwijndrecht • Elevation M — −1 • Population Total — Zwijndrecht • Population As Of — popbasemonth popbaseyear • Population Density Km2 — Zwijndrecht • Population Demonym — Zwijndrechter • Timezone1 — CET • Utc Offset1 — +1 • Timezone1 Dst — CEST • Utc Offset1 Dst — +2 • Postal Code Type — Postcode • Postal Code — 3330–3336 • Area Code Type — Area code • Area Code — 078 • Website — 1=http: www.zwijndrecht.nl • Illustration — Topographic map of Zwijndrecht, September 2014 • Illustration — Watertower from Dordrecht

The town of Zwijndrecht is one of the "Drecht" cities. Part of the suburban zone south of Rotterdam, it has grown from around 6,000 inhabitants in 1960, to about 45,000 today. Since 2003, the municipality of Zwijndrecht also includes the villages of Heerjansdam and Kleine-Lindt. It had a population of in popbaseyear. Zwijndrecht has the highest concentration of Estonians in the Netherlands. The Evangelical Theological Academy is located here.

Zwijndrecht developed in the Middle Ages, presumably close to a shallow area of the Oude Maas allowing people to walk over from Dordrecht. Soon Zwijndrecht was profiting from Dordrecht's economic influence this was the economic heart of the Netherlands in the 1450s. Important to the development of Zwijndrecht was the water around the city, across the Middle Ages most citizens lived from fish caught in the nearby rivers. From the 17th century Zwijndrecht was renowned for their horticulture products, some of which was even being exported to England or Germany. The Zwijndrechtse vegetable auction next to their railroad was one of the largest in the country. Later in the 19th century Zwijndrecht transformed into an industrial town containing glass factories, soap factories and shipyards. Other products like beer, rice and chocolate were also being produced. In 2003 the small village Heerjansdam was included into the municipality of Zwijndrecht upping their population to around 45 thousand.

The town is served by a railway station of the same name (Station Zwijndrecht). By train you go north to Rotterdam and The Hague, and south it takes you to either Breda or Roosendaal. Water bus routes 21 and 24 both stop at (Zwijndrecht Veerplein), connecting it with the following: • Dordrecht Merwekade • Dordrecht Hooikade The road buses are operated by Qbuzz. Routes connect to Dordrecht, Rotterdam and other places in the Drechtsteden. Also Zwijndrecht is an important town for cargo transportation. It connects highways together with highway A16 and it connects rivers together with river De Oude Maas. Even for train cargo they have an important connection. For train cargo there is a classification yard that's called Kijfhoek, It's one of the most important and biggest classification yards in Europe.

Twin cities of Zwijndrecht • City — Country — Since • Norderstedt — Germany Germany — 1981 • Poprad — Slovakia Slovakia — 2000 • Zwijndrecht — Belgium Belgium — 2004

• Peter van Dalen (born 1958) politician and Member of the European Parliament • Mohammed Benzakour (born 1972) a Moroccan-Dutch columnist, essayist, poet, writer and politician • Nicolay (born Matthijs Rook in 1974) electronica, R&B and hip hop record producer • Ralph Barendse (born 1977) a DJ and producer of electronic dance music • Martijn Lakemeier (born 1993) actor

• Michel Valke (born 1959) retired Dutch footballer • Jeroen Sluijter (born 1975) baseball player • Percy Isenia (born 1976) baseball player • Kevin Vermeulen (born 1990) professional footballer • Marten de Roon (born 1991) professional footballer • Nikki de Roest (born 1993) educator and formerly a female association football player • Jordy van Deelen (born 1993) footballer • Rogier Dorsman (born 1999) blind paralympic swimmer

• Illustration — Zwijndrecht vanaf Grote Kerk • Illustration — Church: the Pietermankerk • Illustration — Zwijndrecht kunstwerk drie koningen • Illustration — Watching Zwijndrecht • Illustration — Bethelkerk - Zwijndrecht