Editing Aalter

{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name            = Aalter
|picture         = Stationsstraat - Aalter - België.jpg
|picture-legend  =
|map             = Aalter East-Flanders Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend      = Location of Aalter in East Flanders
|arms            = Blason ville be Aalter.svg
|flag            = Aalter vlag.svg
|region          = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community       = {{BE-NL}}
|province        = {{BE-PROV-OV}}
|arrondissement  = [[Arrondissement of Ghent|Ghent]]
|nis             = 44084
|pyramid-date=
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date=
|mayor           = [[Pieter De Crem]] ([[Christian Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]])
|majority        = [[Christian Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]]/[[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]]
|postal-codes    = 9880, 9881, 9910
|telephone-area  = 09
|web             = [http://www.aalter.be/ www.aalter.be]
|coordinates     = {{coord|51|05|N|03|27|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Aalter''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈaːltər|-|Nl-Aalter.ogg}}) is a [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] located between [[Bruges]] and [[Ghent]] in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] province of [[East Flanders]]. The municipality comprises the towns of Aalter, [[Bellem]], {{ill|Lotenhulle|nl}}, [[Poeke]], [[Knesselare]] and {{ill|Ursel, Belgium|nl|Ursel|lt=Ursel}}. It is bordered on the north by [[Maldegem]], on the east by [[Zomergem]] and [[Nevele]], on the south by [[Deinze]], and on the west by the province of [[West Flanders]]. The mayor is [[Pieter De Crem]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hln.be/aalter/pieter-de-crem-grijpt-alle-macht~a1d045aa/ |title=Pieter De Crem grijpt alle macht |website=Het Laatste Nieuws |access-date=7 May 2022 |language=nl}}</ref>

Effective 1 January 2019, the municipality of [[Knesselare]] was merged into Aalter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.communicatiehuis.be/nl/cases/knesselare-en-aalter-bundelen-hun-krachten-de-nieuwe-fusiegemeente-aalter |title=Knesselare én Aalter bundelen hun krachten in de nieuwe fusiegemeente Aalter. |website=Communicatiehuis |access-date=7 May 2022 |language=nl}}</ref> Aalter was home to 29,242 people in 2021.<ref name="stat">{{cite web|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/sites/default/files/files/opendata/bevolking/sectoren/OPENDATA_SECTOREN_2021.xlsx |title=Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 44084 |website=Statistics Belgium |access-date=7 May 2022 }}</ref>

== History ==
Aalter is located on the border of the [[Meetjesland]] with the forest of Flanders. The area was inhabited since prehistory. Artefacts have been recovered from 3,000 to 2,000 [[Before Christ|BC]]. The village was first mentioned in 974 as "Villa Haleftra". The etymology is unclear. The current name started to emerge around 1700. Aalter was home to several small ''[[heerlijkheid|heerlijkheden]]'' (landed estates), some of which had [[motte-and-bailey castle]]s.<ref name="hist">{{cite web|url=https://mijnplatteland.com/meetjesland/aalter/nl/ |title=Aalter |website=Mijnplatteland |access-date=7 May 2022 |language=nl}}</ref><ref name="invent">{{cite web|url=https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/themas/14191 |title=Aalter |website=Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed |date=July 1981 |access-date=7 May 2022 |language=nl}}</ref>

Between 1613 and 1623, the {{ill|Ghent-Bruges Canal|nl|Kanaal Gent-Brugge}} was dug, and several fortifications were built by Spanish against the Dutch. In 1838, a railway station opened and Aalter started to develop into a town which nowadays has many commuters.<ref name="hist"/><ref name="invent"/>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Poeke Kasteel R02.jpg|[[Poeke Castle]]
File:Duiventoren Bellem (1).JPG|[[Dovecote|Pigeon-tower]] in [[Bellem]]
Kasteel Mariahove, Bellem (DSCF0109).jpg|Mariahove castle in Bellem
File:Aalter Markt Kiosk - 116780 - onroerenderfgoed.jpg|Bandstand in the square
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Pieter De Crem]]
* [[Flor Grammens]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{official website|http://www.aalter.be}} - Only available in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Aalter
|North     = [[Knesselare]]
|Northeast = [[Zomergem]]
|East      = [[Nevele]]
|Southeast = [[Deinze]]
|Southwest = [[Tielt]] ([[West Flanders|VWV]])
|West      = [[Ruiselede]] ([[West Flanders|VWV]])
|Northwest = [[Beernem]] ([[West Flanders|VWV]])
}}
{{Belgian municipality Aalter}}
{{Municipalities in East Flanders}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Aalter| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of East Flanders]]


{{EastFlanders-geo-stub}}