Gouda, Sooth Holland

Gouda
Municipality
The mercat square wi the gothic ceety haw
Banner Coat airms
Coordinates: 52.02°N 4.70°E / 52.02; 4.70
Kintra	Netherlands
Province	Sooth Holland
Area (2006)
• Total	18.10 km2 (6.99 sq mi)
• Laund	16.92 km2 (6.53 sq mi)
• Water	1.19 km2 (0.46 sq mi)
Population  (1 Januar 2007)
• Total	71,873
• Density	4189/km2 (10,850/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code(s)	+31-182
Website	www.gouda.nl

Gouda (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣʌu̯daˑ] ( listen); population 70,828 Archived 2010-03-23 at the Wayback Machine in 2009) is a ceety an municipality in the wastren Netherlands, in the province o Sooth Holland. Gouda, which was granted ceety richts in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smokin pipes, and 15th-century ceety hall.

In the Middle Ages, a dounset wis foondit at the location o the current ceety bi the Van der Goude family, who biggit a fortifeed castle alangside the banks o the Gouwe River, frae which the family an the ceety teuk its name. The aurie, oreeginally mairshland, developit ower the course o twa centuries. Bi 1225, a canal wis linkit tae the Gouwe an its estuary wis transformit intae a harbour. Gouda's array o historic kirks an ither biggins maks it a vera popular day trip destination.

Internaitional relations

Main airticle: Leet o twin touns an sister ceeties in The Netherlands

Twin touns — Sister ceeties

Gouda is twinned wi:

• Gloucester, Ingland, syne 1972
• Kongsberg, Norawa, syne 1956
• Solingen, Germany, syne 1957