Editing Nieuwegein

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
| name                    = Nieuwegein
| settlement_type         = [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|Municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = Nieuwegein, Netherlands - panoramio - Ben Bender (25).jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Canal through Nieuwegein
| image_flag              = Flag of Nieuwegein.svg
| flag_size               = 100x67px
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Coat of arms of Nieuwegein.svg
| shield_size             = 100x80px
| shield_alt              = 
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map               = Map - NL - Municipality code 0356 (2009).svg
| map_alt                 = Highlighted position of Nieuwegein in a municipal map of Utrecht
| map_caption             = Location in Utrecht
| coordinates             = {{coord|52|2|N|5|5|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]]
| established_title       = Established
| established_date        = 1 July 1971
| government_footnotes    = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web
 |url = http://www.nieuwegein.nl/2868/burgemeester-frans-backhuijs/
 |title = Burgemeester Frans Backhuijs
 |trans-title = Mayor Frans Backhuijs
 |language = nl
 |publisher = Gemeente Nieuwegein
 |access-date = 8 April 2014
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140408225017/http://www.nieuwegein.nl/2868/burgemeester-frans-backhuijs/
 |archive-date = 8 April 2014
 |url-status = dead
 }}</ref>
| governing_body          = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party            = [[Democrats 66|D66]]
| leader_title            = [[Burgemeester|Mayor]]
| leader_name             = [[Marijke van Beukering]]
<!-- Geographic information -->
| unit_pref               = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref>
<!-- square kilometers -->
| area_total_km2          = {{Dutch municipality total area|Nieuwegein}}
| area_land_km2           = {{Dutch municipality land area|Nieuwegein}}
| area_water_km2          = {{Dutch municipality water area|Nieuwegein}}
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web 
 |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |title = Postcodetool for 3431LZ
 |language = nl
 |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> 
 |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
 |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis
 |access-date = 8 April 2014}}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 1
| 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>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref>
| population_total        = {{Dutch municipality population|Nieuwegein}}
| population_as_of        = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2  = {{Dutch municipality population density|Nieuwegein}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym      = Nieuwegeiner
<!-- Other information -->
| timezone                = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset              = +1
| timezone_DST            = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST          = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code             = 3430–3439
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code               = 030
| website                 = {{URL|1=http://www.nieuwegein.nl}}
| footnotes               =

[[File:Gem-Nieuwegein-OpenTopo.jpg|275px|none]]

''Dutch Topographic map of Nieuwegein, 2017.''
}}

'''Nieuwegein''' ({{IPA|nl|ˌniu.əˈɣɛin|-|Nl-Nieuwegein.ogg}}) is a municipality and city in the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] province of [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]]. It is bordered on the north by the city of [[Utrecht]], the provincial capital. It is separated from [[Vianen]] to the south by the river [[Lek (river)|Lek]] and borders on [[IJsselstein]] in the southwest and [[Houten]] in the east. Nieuwegein has 64,606 inhabitants as of 1 December 2021.

Several national sports federations are housed in Nieuwegein, including the [[Nederlandse Volleybalbond|NeVoBo (volleyball)]], [[Royal Dutch Swimming Federation|KNZB (swimming)]], NBb (basketball) and [[Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond|KNCB (cricket)]].

There are three main [[secondary school]]s in the city, including the [[Anna van Rijn College]], Oosterlicht College and the Cals College.

==History==
Nieuwegein was founded on 1 July 1971 as a [[Planned community|planned city]], following the merger of the former municipalities of [[Jutphaas]] and [[Vreeswijk]]. The new town was built for the expanding population of the city of Utrecht, and grew rapidly during the decades following its foundation. 

In the area between Jutphaas and Vreeswijk there used to be a settlement called Geyne (Gein). This settlement received city rights in 1295 but was destroyed in 1333, in a war between the Bishop of Utrecht and the Count of Holland. Today only Oudegein House remains from that time. After the boards of Vreeswijk and Jutphaas had debated for some time about the name of the new municipality, they decided to name it after this old settlement - Nieuwegein meaning 'New Gein'.

==Population==
===Demographics===
As of 2016, 50.7% of the population consider themselves religious. The largest denomination are [[Catholics]], which are 27.5% of the population, followed by various Protestant denominations (23.8%), and Islam (5.3%). 14.3% of the Nieuwegein population attends religious service regularly.<ref>{{cite web|title=Helft van de Nieuwegeiners (50,7%) is kerkelijk of religieus|date=2022-12-28|url=https://www.pen.nl/artikel/helft-van-de-nieuwegeiners-507-is-kerkelijk-of-religieus}}</ref>

===Social characteristics & issues===
As of 2017, Nieuwegein has a poverty rate of 4.7% compared to the 5.7% national average.<ref>{{cite web|title=Waar wonen de armen in Nederland?|date=2022-12-28|url=https://digitaal.scp.nl/armoedeinkaart2019/waar-wonen-de-armen-in-nederland/}}</ref>

==Transportation==
Nieuwegein is surrounded by three [[List of motorways in the Netherlands|motorways]] (Dutch: ''autosnelweg''), the [[A2 motorway (Netherlands)|A2]] to the west, the [[A12 motorway (Netherlands)|A12]] to the north and the [[A27 motorway (Netherlands)|A27]] to the east.

Nieuwegein is connected to Utrecht and IJsselstein by the ''[[Utrecht sneltram|Sneltram]]'' ([[light rail]]) line. There is a [[Ferry|pedestrian ferry]] across the river Lek to Vianen. Three [[canal]]s flow through Nieuwegein: the [[Amsterdam-Rhine Canal]], the [[Lek River]] and the [[Merwede Canal]]. There are also a few sports clubs in Nieuwegein, such as: KV Koveni, SV Geinoord, VSV Vreeswijk and JSV Nieuwegein.

==Buildings==
In Nieuwegein, there is a [[mandi (Mandaeism)|mandi]] ([[Mandaeism|Mandaean]] temple) called ''Vereniging Mandi van de Mandeeërs Gemeenschap in Nederland''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vereniging Mandi van de Mandeeërs Gemeenschap in Nederland|date=2016-11-12|url=http://mandinl.com/|language=nl|access-date=2022-06-07}}</ref>

==Twin towns==
*{{flagicon|Poland}} [[Puławy]], [[Lublin Voivodeship]], [[Poland]], was a [[Sister city|twin town]] of Nieuwegein from 1994 to 2020. In July 2020, after Puławy installed a [[LGBT-free zone|gay-free zone]], Nieuwegein ended the partnership.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/16/dutch-city-ends-ties-with-polish-twin-declared-gay-free-zone-nieuwegein-pulawy|title=Dutch town ends ties with Polish twin declared 'gay-free zone'|first=Daniel|last=Boffey|work=The Guardian|date=16 July 2020|access-date=17 July 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|Namibia}} [[Rundu]], [[Kavango East Region]], [[Namibia]], is a [[Sister city|twin town]] of Nieuwegein since 1994. Because of the current state of [[LGBT rights in Namibia|gay rights in Namibia]], the city council is debating on continuing the partnership.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2340698-nieuwegein-ontvriendt-poolse-partnerstad-homovrije-zones-zijn-not-done.html|title=Nieuwegein 'ontvriendt' Poolse partnerstad: 'Homovrije zones zijn not done'|work=NOS.nl|date=14 July 2020}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
* [[Piet Schrijvers]] (born 1946 in Jutphaas) a Dutch football manager and former goalkeeper with 563 club caps 
* [[Veronique Renard]] (born 1965 in Jutphaas) a Dutch author and visual artist
* [[Jasper van Dijk]] (born 1971 in Jutphaas) a Dutch politician
* [[Mark Snoeren]] (born 1974) a Dutch politician
* [[Nine Kooiman]] (born 1980) a Dutch politician and former social worker
* Finne Jager (born 1984) stage name ''[[Phynn]],'' a Dutch trance and techno DJ and producer
* Manuel ''"[[Grubby]]"'' Schenkhuizen (born 1986) a Dutch professional eSports player
* [[Sari van Veenendaal]] (born 1990) a Dutch football goalkeeper with [[Atlético Madrid Femenino]], captains the [[Netherlands women's national football team|Dutch national team]]
* [[Robin de Kruijf]] (born 1991) a Dutch volleyball player, competed at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]]

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Nieuwegein, fietspad langs het Sint Antonius-ziekenhuis foto3 2016-10-05 16.52.jpg|Nieuwegein, hospital
Image:2007-06-02 15.23 Nieuwegein, ophaalbrug.JPG|Nieuwegein, drawbridge
Image:Nieuwegein, molen foto2 2010-07-04 17.32.JPG|Nieuwegein, windmill
File:De Liesbosbrug in Nieuwegein.jpg|De Liesbosbrug in Nieuwegein
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.nieuwegein.nl/ Official website]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Nieuwegein
 | North     = [[Utrecht]]
 | East      = [[Houten]]
 | South     = ''[[Lek (river)|Lek]]''<br>[[Vijfheerenlanden]]
 | West      = [[IJsselstein]]
}}
{{Utrecht Province}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Nieuwegein| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Utrecht (province)]]
[[Category:Populated places in Utrecht (province)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1971]]
[[Category:1971 establishments in the Netherlands]]