Nieuwpoort - City of Belgium

Nieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Nieuwpoort proper and the towns of Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2006 Nieuwpoort had a total population of 10,855. The total area is 31.00 km which gives a population density of 350 inhabitants per km.

In Nieuwpoort, the Yser flows into the North Sea.

It obtained city rights in 1163 from Count Philip of Flanders. The Battle of Nieuwpoort, between the Dutch and the Spanish, happened here in 1600.

During the First Battle of Ypres also known as Battle of the Yser, in World War I, Karel Cogge opened the sluice gates on the mouth of the river Yser twice to flood the lower lying land, thus halting the German advance.

The old city centre of Nieuwpoort is located about three kilometers from the current coastline. Close to the sea, a new tourist centre has developed. Both parts form one contiguous built up area, connected by buildings along the Albert I Laan street and the fishing port. Besides Nieuwpoort proper, two small villages in the Flemish Polders are part of the municipality, Sint-Joris and Ramskapelle, Nieuwpoort.

Nieuwpoort is a tiny city in the Netherlands in the municipality of Liesveld. It has the number of inhabitants to be called a village, but because the place was given city rights in 1283, it still is called a city.

In 2001, the town of Nieuwpoort had 619 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.092 km and contained 230 residences. The statistical area "Nieuwpoort", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 1370 (2006).

In the 13th century, the current location of the fortress Nieuwpoort was created by Lord Van Liesveld and Lord Van Langerack. The two lords wanted a settlement and in 1270, they both gave some of their property to make this happen. In 1283, the fortress was given the privilege of a town.

After a turbulent genesis with lots of sieges and devastation, with the 17th century more peaceful times started. The city ramparts saved the city from floods in 1809 and 1820. Due to an economical crisis in the 1930s and World War II, the city decayed. In 1970, the Provinciale Staten of South Holland initiated a reconstruction and restoration of the fortress and the city. This work was finished in 1998.

Nieuwpoort was a separate municipality until 1986, when it became part of Liesveld.

Against Maurice's better judgment, the Estates General had ordered Maurice to take the army, march south along the coast, and take the pirate nest of Dunkirk.

It was thought that the vicious and long-continued mutiny of a great part of the Spanish troops would make it impossible for the Archduke to collect an army for the relief of Nieuwpoort.

After that cheap victory, the Archduke held a conference with his captains. Most urged to entrench the army across the road to Ostend, forcing Maurice to attack along a narrow front where the Dutch cavalry, mostly heavy, would not be effective against the lighter Spanish cavalry, but the mutineers, that had been rallied by the Archduke on the promise of free plunder, were mad for a fight and out-argued the rest. The army therefore advanced in battle order along the coast.

It was midday and the tide was coming in, so that in the end it was forced to abandon the shrinking beach and climb slowly up the slippery sanddunes.

The Dutch first line of infantry was placed in a strong defensive position, on top of a stretch of dunes, with guns covering both flanks with enfilade fire. Maurice had posted his best regiments there, under command of the experienced Francis Vere, who ruled out sending any advance party, awaiting for the Spanish army to arrive.

The strategic lesson was that it was more advantageous to besiege and capture towns than to win battles. This fact would continue to characterize operations in the Eighty Years' War.