Blankenberge

Blankenberge
Blankenberge
; Flag	; Coat of arms
Location of Blankenberge in West Flanders
	; Blankenberge Location in Belgium
Sovereign state	Belgium
Region	Flemish Region
Community	Flemish Community
Province	West Flanders
Arrondissement	Bruges
Coordinates	51°18′0″N 03°07′0″E / 51.3°N 3.11667°ECoordinates: 51°18′0″N 03°07′0″E / 51.3°N 3.11667°E
Area	17.41 km²
Population; – Males; – Females; - Density	18,175 (1 January 2006); 47.66%; 52.34%; 1044 inhab./km²
Age distribution; 0–19 years; 20–64 years; 65+ years	(01/01/2006); 17.13%; 58.79%; 24.08%
Foreigners	2.58% (01/07/2005)
Unemployment rate	14.71% (1 January 2006)
Mean annual income	€12,643/pers. (2003)
Mayor	Ludo Monset (Open VLD)
Governing parties	Open VLD, CD&V
Postal codes	8370
Area codes	050
Website	www.blankenberge.be

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This article relates to the Belgian coastal town of Blankenberge. The near-homophonous Blankenberg is a town in Germany.

Blankenberge is a town and a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke.

On 1 January 2007 Blankenberge had a total population of 18,329. The total area of the municipality is 17.41 km², giving a population density of 1,053 inhabitants per km².

Like of most other Belgian coastal towns, a main characteristic of this one is that of a national and to a certain extent international seaside resort.

Apart from the sandy beach, there's a structure unique along the Belgian coast: a 350-m long pier, constructed in 1933.

[edit] History

The beach at Blankenberge circa 1895

[edit] Famous events

Carnival Parade
Two Day Marching event, every first weekend of May [1]
Klankenberge
Flower Parade, every last Sunday of August

[edit] Famous inhabitants

Adolf Eugen Fick, the inventor of the contact lens, who died in Blankenberge in 1901
Brian Vandenbussche, Belgian goalkeeper
Frans Masereel, Flemish painter and woodcutter born here in 1889
Rudi Pillen, Belgian Contemporary Painter