Editing Valkenswaard

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
| name                    = Valkenswaard
| settlement_type         = [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|Municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = Valkenswaard - Markt 53 St. Nicolaaskerk.JPG
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Church in Valkenswaard
| image_flag              = Flag of Valkenswaard.svg
| flag_size               = 100x67px
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Valkenswaard wapen.svg
| shield_size             = 100x80px
| shield_alt              = 
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map               = Map - NL - Municipality code 0858 (2009).svg
| map_alt                 = Highlighted position of Valkenswaard in a municipal map of North Brabant
| map_caption             = Location in North Brabant
| coordinates             = {{coord|51|21|N|5|28|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       = [[North Brabant]]
| government_footnotes    = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.valkenswaard.nl/internet/samenstelling-college-van-bw_3317/
 |title       = Samenstelling college van B&W
 |trans-title = Members of the board of mayor and aldermen
 |language    = nl
 |publisher   = Gemeente Valkenswaard
 |access-date  = 5 June 2014
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714213922/http://www.valkenswaard.nl/internet/samenstelling-college-van-bw_3317/
 |archive-date = 14 July 2014
}}</ref>
| governing_body          = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party            = [[Christian Democratic Appeal|CDA]]
| leader_title            = [[Burgemeester|Mayor]]
| leader_name             = [[Anton Ederveen]]
<!-- 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|Valkenswaard}}
| area_land_km2           = {{Dutch municipality land area|Valkenswaard}}
| area_water_km2          = {{Dutch municipality water area|Valkenswaard}}
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web 
 |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |title = Postcodetool for 5554DA
 |language = nl
 |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> 
 |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
 |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis
 |access-date = 5 June 2014}}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 25
| 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|Valkenswaard}}
| population_as_of        = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2  = {{Dutch municipality population density|Valkenswaard}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym      = Valkenswaarder / Valkenswaardenaar 
<!-- 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             = 5550–5556
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code               = 040
| website                 = {{URL|1=http://www.valkenswaard.nl}}
| footnotes               =
}}
[[File:Valkenswaard, tijdelijke sculpturen op de Hofnar IMG 7486 2020-09-14 11.37.jpg|Temporar sculptures in front of the townhall|thumb|280px]]
'''Valkenswaard''' ({{IPA|nl|ˌvɑlkə(n)sˈʋaːrt|-|229 Valkenswaard.ogg}}) is a [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] and a town in the southern [[Netherlands]], in the [[Metropoolregio Eindhoven]] of the province of [[North Brabant]]. The municipality had a population of {{formatnum:{{Dutch municipality population|Valkenswaard}}}} in {{YEAR|{{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}}}, with an area of {{convert|{{Dutch municipality total area|Valkenswaard}}|km2|abbr=on}} of which {{convert|{{Dutch municipality water area|Valkenswaard}}|km2|abbr=on}} is water.

The name Valkenswaard stems from its history of [[falconry|falconers]], who caught wild [[falcon]]s there; ''valk'' is [[Dutch language|Dutch]] for "falcon". It lay on a route where falcons migrated south each year. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, Valkenswaardian falconers were active at many European courts, in which falconing was a beloved pastime. Valkenswaard's falcon-catching area has now been built over and falcons are no longer caught there.

In the 19th and 20th century, a number of large [[cigar]] factories were founded in Valkenswaard, the two most renowned of which being [[William II, Prince of Orange|Willem II]] and Hofnar.

A [[Valkenswaard War Cemetery|Second World War cemetery]] containing 220 British soldiers was created near Valkenswaard in October 1944. It is now maintained by the [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]].

The spoken language is [[Campine|Kempenlands]] (an [[East Brabantian]] dialect, which is very similar to colloquial [[Dutch language|Dutch]]).<ref>Jos & Cor Swanenberg: Taal in stad en land: Oost-Brabants, {{ISBN|9012090105}}</ref>

The [[Eurocircuit Valkenswaard]] is a motorsport racetrack that has hosted the [[European Rallycross Championship]] and the [[FIM Motocross World Championship]].

==Population centres==
*[[Borkel en Schaft]]
*[[Dommelen]]
*Valkenswaard

===Topography===
[[File:Gem-Valkenswaard-OpenTopo.jpg|300px]]<br/>''Map of the municipality of Valkenswaard, June 2015''

==Partner municipalities==
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
* {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Salvaterra de Magos]], [[Portugal]]
* {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Tienen]], [[Flanders]], [[Belgium]]
|}

==Notable people born in Valkenswaard==
[[File:Linda Williams 1.jpg|135px|thumb|Linda Williams, 1981]]
* [[Henk van den Breemen]] (1941–2024) a Dutch military officer
* [[Pieter van Geel]] (born 1951) a retired Dutch politician
* [[Linda Williams (singer)|Linda Williams]] (born 1955) a Dutch singer, participated in the [[1981 Eurovision Song Contest]]
* [[Ine Gevers]] (born 1960) a Dutch curator of contemporary art, writer and activist
* [[Jeroen Mettes]] (1978–2006) a Dutch poet, essayist and blogger
* [[Dominique van Hulst]] (born 1981), singer, known by her stage name ''Do''<ref> [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1567196/  IMDb Database] retrieved 20 November 2019 </ref>
=== Sport ===
* [[Jan Tops]] (born 1961) an equestrian, gold medallist at the [[1992 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Jens van Son]] (born 1987) a Dutch professional footballer with over 250 club caps
* [[Lidewij Welten]] (born 1990) a Dutch field hockey player
* [[Daniëlle van de Donk]] (born 1991) a Dutch professional footballer

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode=packed>
File:Notariskantoor Valkenswaard 01.jpg|Notary office, Valkenswaard
File:Pintenwipper standbeeld Martinusplein Dommelen.jpg|Pintenwipper statue, Martinusplein Dommelen
File:Winnaar 2008 - Buurtschap Hazestraat - Flying pirates on music.jpg|Winnaar 2008 - Buurtschap Hazestraat - Flying pirates on music
File:Valkenswaard Zuil van de Eendracht Erich Reischke.jpg|Column of Unity by Erich Reischke, Valkenswaard
</gallery>

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

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

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Valkenswaard
 | North     = [[Waalre]]
 | East      = [[Heeze-Leende]]
 | Southeast = [[Hamont-Achel]] ([[Belgium|BE]]-[[Limburg (Belgium)|VLI]])
 | South     = [[Pelt (municipality)|Pelt]] ([[Belgium|BE]]-[[Limburg (Belgium)|VLI]])
 | West      = [[Bergeijk]]
}}
{{North Brabant Province}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Valkenswaard| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of North Brabant]]
[[Category:Populated places in North Brabant]]

{{NorthBrabant-geo-stub}}