Delfzijl

Delfzijl
—  Municipality  —
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 53°20′N 6°55′E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Groningen
Area(2006)
• Total	227.48 km2 (87.83 sq mi)
• Land	132.47 km2 (51.15 sq mi)
• Water	95.02 km2 (36.69 sq mi)
Population (1 January, 2007)
• Total	27,674
• Density	209/km2 (540/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Delfzijl ( pronunciation , Gronings: Delfsiel) is a municipality and city in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is situated on the left bank of the river Ems estuary, which forms the border with Germany.

Population centres

Bierum, Biessum, Borgsweer, Delfzijl, Farmsum, Godlinze, Holwierde, Krewerd, Losdorp, Meedhuizen, Spijk, Termunten, Termunterzijl, Uitwierde, Wagenborgen, Weiwerd, Woldendorp.

Transportation

• Delfzijl railway station
• Delfzijl West railway station

Industry

Satellite image of the Ems estuary showing the location of Delfzijl (left bank, center)

Delfzijl is the fifth biggest seaport in the Netherlands and the home of an aluminium plant run by the company Aluminium Delfzijl (part of Corus Group). In 2004 the smelter produced a record 112,400 tonnes of liquid aluminium. The foundry produced 157,700 tonnes of raw product.

Delfzijl is also known for its chemical industry. On the edge of the town lies an industrial site with an area of 3 square kilometers which is one of the biggest employers in the area. This site is responsible for the second largest quantity of exported chemicals in the Netherlands (after Rotterdam), and is known for its major exports of chlorine and related products.

Events

Every five years the city organises Delfsail, the largest sailing event of The Netherlands.

Annually the "Pinksterfeesten" (Whitsunfestivities) are organised in the city. Delfzijl is seeing a strong resurge in the Dutch economy as the physical centerpoint of Energy Valley. This is the result of a strategic collaboration with the German town of Emden, on the other side of the Eems Estuary.

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in The Netherlands

Twin towns — sister cities

Delfzijl is twinned with:

• Aubenas (France)
• Cesenatico (Italy)
• Schwarzenbek (Germany)
• Sierre (Switzerland)
• Zelzate (Belgium)
• Shūnan (Japan)

See also

• Jules Maigret

External links

• Official Delfzijl website
• Aluminium Delfzijl
• Wikitravel on Delfzijl