Veendam
# Veendam

Veendam (Dutch pronunciation: (listen)) is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck.

Holland America Line has named four ships Veendam after the town.

The municipality includes Westerdiepsterdallen, the smallest town in the Netherlands.

## Geography

The population centres in the municipality are:

* Bareveld
* Borgercompagnie
* Kibbelgaarn
* Korte Akkers
* Numero Dertien
* Ommelanderwijk
* Tripscompagnie
* Veendam
* Wildervank
* Wildervanksterdallen
* Zuidwending

## International relations

Veendam has two sister cities:

* Gniezno, Poland
* Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

## Sports

### Cycling

Veendam was the start place of stage 4b at the 2012 Energiewacht Tour and the finish place of stage 2 at the 2013 Energiewacht Tour.

### Sport clubs

* SC Veendam, former soccer club
* Flash Veendam, volleyball club
* NNZC Veendam, gliding club

## Notable residents

* Hendrik de Cock (1801–1842) a Dutch minister responsible for the 1834 Dutch Reformed Church split
* Anthony Winkler Prins (1817 in Voorst – 1908) a Dutch writer, chief editor of the Winkler Prins encyclopedia.
* Herman Mees (1880–1964) was a Dutch artist, portrait painter, watercolorist and academic
* Herman Johannes Lam (1892–1977) a Dutch botanist
* Addeke Hendrik Boerma (1912–1992) the first Executive Director of the World Food Programme 1962-1967
* Gerda Geertens (born 1955 in Wildervank) a Dutch composer

### Sport

* Bert Romp (1958–2018) a Dutch equestrian, gold medallist at the 1992 Summer Olympics
* Janette Bouman (born 1964) a Dutch-born Kazakhstani dressage rider
* Rick Slor (born 1971) a retired professional footballer with 509 club caps
* Anneke Venema (born 1971) a retired rower, silver medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics
* Linda Moes (born 1971) a former breaststroke swimmer, competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics
* Peter Windt (born 1973) a Dutch former field hockey player
* Renate Groenewold (born 1976) a Dutch former long track speed skater, silver medallist at both the 2002 and the 2006 Winter Olympics
* Henk Grol (born 1985 in Winschoten) a Dutch judoka, bronze medallist at both the 2008 and the 2012 Summer Olympics
* Jeroen Zoet (born 1991) a Dutch professional football goalkeeper with over 250 club caps
