Editing Grootegast

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
| name                    = Grootegast
| settlement_type         = Village, former municipality
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = 5656 Sebaldeburen.JPG
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Wind mill in Sebaldeburen
| image_flag              = Flag of Grootegast.svg
| flag_size               = 100x67px
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Grootegast wapen.svg
| shield_size             = 100x80px
| shield_alt              = 
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map               = Map - NL - Municipality code 0015 (2009).svg
| map_alt                 = Highlighted position of Grootegast in a municipal map of Groningen
| map_caption             = Location in Groningen
| coordinates             = {{coord|53|13|N|6|17|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Netherlands}}
| subdivision_type1       = Province
| subdivision_name1       = {{flag|Groningen}}
| subdivision_type2       = Municipality
| subdivision_name2       = [[File:Westerkwartier vlag.svg|23px]] [[Westerkwartier (municipality)|Westerkwartier]]
<!-- Geographic information -->
| unit_pref               = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="stat"/>
| area_total_km2          = 31.27
| area_land_km2           = 
| area_water_km2          = 
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool 
 |title=Postcodetool for 9861AC 
 |language=Dutch 
 |work=Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland 
 |publisher=Het Waterschapshuis 
 |accessdate=21 January 2014 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool 
 |archivedate=21 September 2013 
}}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 2
| elevation_max_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_max_m         =
| elevation_min_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_min_m         =
<!-- Population, demographics -->
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="stat">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.nl/-/media/_excel/2021/48/kwb-2021.xls |title=Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021 |website=Central Bureau of Statistics |access-date=7 March 2022}}</ref>
| population_total        = 3,350
| population_as_of        = 2021
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
<!-- Other information -->
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code             = 9820–9823, 9860–9869
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code               = 0594
| website                 =
| footnotes               =
}}

'''Grootegast''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈɣroːtəˌɣɑst|-|Nl-Grootegast.oga}}; {{langx|gos|Grodegast}}; {{langx|fy|Gruttegast}}) is a village and former [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] in the northeastern [[Netherlands]]. It is the sister city of [[Kingston, Tasmania]]. The municipality was merged into the municipality of [[Westerkwartier (municipality)|Westerkwartier]] on 1 January 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/onze-diensten/methoden/classificaties/overig/gemeentelijke-indelingen-per-jaar/indeling%20per%20jaar/gemeentelijke-indeling-op-1-januari-2019 |title=Gemeentelijke indeling op 1 januari 2019 |language=Dutch |work=[[Statistics Netherlands|CBS]] |accessdate=30 November 2019}}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Gem-Grootegast-OpenTopo.jpg|thumb|Municipality of Grootegast, June 2015]]

The former municipality contained the population centres: [[Doezum]], [[Enumatil]], [[Faan]], Grootegast, [[Kornhorn]], [[Lutjegast]], [[Niekerk, Westerkwartier|Niekerk]], [[Oldekerk]], [[Opende]], [[Sebaldeburen]]. In some of these villages, they still speak the [[West Frisian language]].

==History==
The village originated around the year 1000 (as ''Majorgast'') and was profiled from 1400 onwards as the counterpart of [[Lutjegast]]. The village contains a 17th-century church, the so-called {{lang|nl|Witte Kerkje}} ('Little White Church'). This church was restored in 1829.<ref>{{cite book |title=De Ommelander Borgen en Steenhuizen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pzl2zzeZTx0C&dq=borg+Feringa&pg=PA147 |last1=Formsma |first1=W.J. |last2=Luitjens-Dijkveld |first2=R.A. |last3=Pathuis |first3=A. |year=1987 |publisher=Round the World Publishing |isbn=9023223144}}</ref>

Grootegast was the main village of the former municipality. The name of the village refers to a {{lang|nl|gast}} or {{lang|nl|gaast}}, a higher, sandy ridge in an otherwise swampy area. {{lang|nl|Groot}} is [[Dutch language|Dutch]] for 'large'.

==Dialect==
The ''Grootegasters'' dialect, or ''[[:nl:Westerkwartiers|Westerkwartiers]]'', is clearly a borderline case. [[Linguistics|Linguistically]], the influences of three provinces are noticeable: the dialect is a variant of [[Gronings dialect|Gronings]], but in terms of intelligibility it is more like [[Drèents dialects|Drents]]; however, the accent and grammar sound rather [[Western Frisian|Frisian]], which can be explained by the fact that almost all of Lutjegast still spoke Frisian 100 years ago. Being a border village of Lutjegast, Frisian influence is still noticeable today in the number of villagers of Frisian origin and the many business and social contacts with [[Friesland]].

==Notable people==
* [[Cornelius Van Til]] (1895–1987), theologian
* [[Ron Groenewoud]] (1937), football player

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Grootegast}}

<!--Please note that not all directions need to be filled-->
<!--Please note that preferably only neighboring municipalities or bodies of water should be used-->
{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Grootegast
|North     = 
|Northeast = [[Zuidhorn]]
|East      = 
|Southeast = [[Leek, Netherlands|Leek]]
|South     = [[Marum]]
|Southwest = [[Smallingerland]]&nbsp;([[Friesland|FR]])
|West      = [[Achtkarspelen]]&nbsp;([[Friesland|FR]])
|Northwest = 
}}
{{Dutch municipality Grootegast}}
{{Dutch municipality Westerkwartier}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Westerkwartier (municipality)]]
[[Category:Former municipalities of Groningen (province)]]
[[Category:Populated places in Groningen (province)]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2019]]


{{Groningen-geo-stub}}