Grootegast

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Grootegast

---

mapsize = 280px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Netherlands
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Groningen
area_footnotes = (2006)
area_total_km2 = 87.78
area_land_km2 = 86.88
area_water_km2 = 0.90
population_as_of = 1 January, 2007
population_note = Source: CBS, [http://statline.cbs.nl/ Statline] .
settlement_type = Municipality
population_total = 12151
population_density_km2 = 140
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2

Grootegast (Pronunciation|007 Grootegast.ogg) is a municipality and a village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the sister city of Kingston, Tasmania.

Population centres

Doezum, Enumatil, Faan, Grootegast, Kornhorn, Lutjegast, Niekerk, Oldekerk, Opende, Sebaldeburen.In some of these villages they still speak the West Frisian language.

The village of Grootegast

Grootegast is the main village of the municipality. The name of the village refers to a 'gast' or 'gaast', a higher, sandy ridge in an otherwise swampy area. "Groot" is Dutch for 'large'.

Grootegast is the birth place of the theologian Cornelius Van Til.

Lutjegast

Lutjegast is a village in the municipality of Grootegast. In the Groningen dialect of Low German 'Lutje' means small or little.

Lutjegast was the birth place of the explorer Abel Tasman. Although the house of his birth no longer exists, he is memorialised with a monument, plaque and street name.

Until 1829 a mansion named Rikkerdaborg stood in Lutjegast.

External links

* [http://www.grootegast.nl Official Website]