Editing Hamont-Achel

{{Redirect|Hamont|the Norfolk ploughwright burnt at the stake|Matthew Hamont}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox Belgium Municipality
|name             = Hamont-Achel
|type             = city
|picture          = Hamont, kerk foto3 2009-08-31 17.43.JPG
|picture-legend   =
|map              = Hamont-Achel Limburg Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Hamont-Achel in Limburg
|arms             = Blason ville be Hamont-Achel.svg
|flag             = Flag of Hamont-Achel.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-LI}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Maaseik|Maaseik]]
|nis              = 72037
|pyramid-date     =
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date  =
|mayor            = Theo Schuurmans ([[Christian Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]])
|majority         = [[Christian Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]], Balans
|postal-codes     = 3930
|telephone-area   = 011
|web              = [http://www.hamont-achel.be/ www.hamont-achel.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|51|15|N|05|33|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Hamont-Achel''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈɦaːmɔnt ˈɑxəl}}; {{langx|li|Haëmet-Achel}}) is a [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] and [[City status in Belgium|city]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wet tot toekenning van de titel van stad aan de gemeenten Beringen, Bilzen, Blankenberge, Borgloon, Ciney, Couvin, Damme, Geel, Genepiën, Gistel, Halen, Hamont-Achel, Hannuit, Harelbeke, Herk-de-Stad, Lo-Reninge, Mesen, Oudenburg, Peer, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Vilvoorde en Walcourt |url=https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/wet/1985/07/19/1985001298/staatsblad |date=19 July 1985 |lang=nl |website=www.ejustice.just.fgov.be |publisher=[[Belgian Official Gazette]] |access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref> located in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] province of [[Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg]]. It was founded in 1977 by a fusion of the city Hamont and the village Achel. On January 1, 2020, Hamont-Achel had a total population of 14.294. The total area is 43.66&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> which gives a [[population density]] of 315 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>. The municipality houses the [[Trappist]] [[Achel Abbey|Abbey of Achel]], part of which is [[Brouwerij de Achelse Kluis]], one of the 11 [[Trappist breweries]].

The professional tennis player [[Elise Mertens]] lives in Hamont-Achel.

==Demographics==

===Languages===
* [[Dutch language|Dutch]] in Hamont-Achel is often spoken with a distinctive Limburgish [[Accent (dialect)|accent]], which should not be confused with the Limburgish language.
* [[Limburgish]] (or ''Limburgian'') is the overlapping term of the [[tonal languages|tonal]] dialects spoken in the Belgian and Dutch provinces of Limburg. The [[Hamont-Achel dialect]] is only one of many variants of Limburgish.<ref>{{citation|last=Bernaerts|first=J.|year=1991|title=Hamonts-Achels dialectwoordenboek. Etymologische verkenningen in het dialect van Hamont en Achel|place=Hamont-Achel}}</ref>

==Deadly explosion==
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2017}}
{{Main article|fr:Catastrophe d'Hamont}}
On 18 November 1918, the municipality was the site of one of the worst train explosions in history, when two German munitions trains caught fire and exploded. Not only were the trains destroyed, but three German ambulance trains were also wiped out, along with most of the town. More than 1,000 individuals were killed.

==Tumulus on Haarterheide ==
[[File:Hamont - Achel - Haarterheide - grafheuvel.jpg|none|thumb|[[Tumulus]] (2000-1000 BC)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation
|last=Verhoeven
|first=Jo
|year=2007
|title=The Belgian Limburg dialect of Hamont
|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association
|volume=37
|issue=2
|pages=219–225
|doi=10.1017/S0025100307002940
|doi-access=free
}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* [http://www.hamont-achel.be/ Website about Hamont-Achel] {{in lang|nl}}
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/19497403/The-Pessimists-Guide-to-History/ The Pessimist's Guide to History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823005328/http://www.scribd.com/doc/19497403/The-Pessimists-Guide-to-History |date=2011-08-23 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121011212320/http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_sportnieuws/MG_wielrennen/1.1075493?view=shortcutArticle&shortcutView=popupPlayer sporza.be report on Jelle Vanendert's return home after the 2011 Tour de France]

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Hamont-Achel
|N  = [[Heeze-Leende]] ([[Netherlands|NL]]-[[North Brabant|NB]])
|E  = [[Cranendonck]] ([[Netherlands|NL]]-[[North Brabant|NB]])
|SE = [[Bocholt, Belgium|Bocholt]]
|SW = [[Pelt (municipality)|Pelt]]
|NW = [[Valkenswaard]] ([[Netherlands|NL]]-[[North Brabant|NB]])
}}
{{Municipalities in Limburg}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hamont-Achel| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Limburg (Belgium)]]