title: Pekela
text: # Pekela
  
  Pekela (Dutch pronunciation: (listen)) is a municipality in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. It was created in 1990 when Oude Pekela and Nieuwe Pekela were merged.
  
  ## History
  
  The municipality of Pekela was created when the municipalities of Oude Pekela and Nieuwe Pekela were merged in 1990.
  
  ## Geography
  
  Pekela is located at 53°6′N 7°0′E﻿ / ﻿53.100°N 7.000°E﻿ / 53.100; 7.000 in the southeast of the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is bordered by the municipalities of:
  
  * Oldambt (in the north)
  * Bellingwedde (east)
  * Stadskanaal (south)
  * Veendam (west)
  * Menterwolde (northwest).
  
  The river Pekel Aa crosses the municipality from north to south. The main population centres in the municipality are the villages of Boven Pekela [nl] (Upper Pekela), Nieuwe Pekela (New Pekela), and Oude Pekela (Old Pekela). Part of the village of Alteveer and the hamlets of Bronsveen and Hoetmansmeer [nl] are also in the municipality.
  
  The municipality has a total area of 50.20 $km^2$ (19.38 sq mi), of which 49.04 $km^2$ (18.93 sq mi) is land and 1.16 $km^2$ (0.45 sq mi) is water.
  
  ## Governance
  
  Mayor (burgemeester) of Pekela is Jaap Kuin of the Labour Party. The municipal council of Pekela consists of 15 seats, which are divided as follows:
  
  Municipality seats :
  
  | Party | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010 | 2014 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | PvdA | 6 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
  | GroenLinks | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
  | CDA | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
  | VVD | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
  | SP | - | - | 3 | 3 | 4 |
  | ChristenUnie | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
  | Samen Voor Pekela | - | - | - | 4 | 3 |
  | VCP | - | - | - | - | 1 |
  | Total | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
  
  ## Demographics
  
  In 2021, the municipality had a total population of 12,176 and a population density of $248/km^2$ (640/sq mi).
  
  ## Notable people
  
  * Jan de Boer (1859 in Nieuwe Pekela – 1941) a Dutch gymnast who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics
  * Fré Meis (1921–1992), communist politician
  * Janneke Snijder-Hazelhoff (born 1952 in Nieuwe Pekela) a Dutch farmer and politician
  * Gerard Wiekens (born 1973 in Oude Pekela) a Dutch former footballer with 518 club caps who played for SC Veendam and Manchester City F.C.
  
  ## Gallery
  
  * Villa Elsa, Clockstraat, Oude Pekela
  * Art project "Geveltjes viadukt" in Nieuwe Pekela
  * Het Dokhuis, a retirement home in Oude Pekela
  * Pekelder Windmill "De Onrust" in Oude Pekela
  