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Westwoud (The Netherlands)

Drechterland municipality, Noord-Holland province

by Jarig Bakker, 16 Sep 2003
adopted 11 Dec 1975; design: Stichting Banistiek en Heraldiek.

See also:

Westwoud former municipality

Westwoud is a former municipality in West-Friesland, the NE quarter of Noord-Holland province. Its is now part of the municipality of Drechterland. In 1968 it had 1600 inhabitants in the settlements Westwoud (seat), Binnenwijzend, De Hout, Oudijk, and Zwaagdijk. This was in the region called "De Streek", where fine gardening took (takes) place. 65 % of the population was Roman Catholic; 35 % Protestant.
Nickname: "Woudapen" (forestapes), "Greppelschijters" (trench-sh***ters); Westwoud was formerly in a woody environment; when they had to go to the bathroom, they sometimes did it in the stable.
On 11 Dec 1975 adopted a flag, designed by the Stichting Banistiek en Heraldiek, described as: seven horizontal stripes of white and black, proportioned 5:1:1:1:1:1:5, with towards the hoist over the three central stripes a green city-crown.
The main colors are derived from the municipal arms, and the green color has been chosen to make the flag a bit more cheerful. The three black stripes represent the three villages Oudijk, Binnenwijzend, and Westwoud, which are symbolized on the municipal arms as three black birds.. In the 15th century the "stede" (city) Westwoud was mentioned, which is