View source for Slochteren

{{use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
| name                    = Slochteren
| settlement_type         = [[Village]] and former municipality
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = Fraeylemaborg - Slochteren 15.JPG
| image_alt               = 
| image_flag              = Slochteren vlag.svg
| image_shield            = Slochteren wapen.svg
| image_caption           = [[Fraeylemaborg]] in Slochteren
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map               = Map - NL - Municipality code 0040 (2009).svg
| map_alt                 = Highlighted position of Slochteren in a municipal map of Groningen
| map_caption             = Location in Groningen
| coordinates             = {{coord|53|13|N|6|48|E|region:NL-GR|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1       = Province
| subdivision_name1       = [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]]
| subdivision_type2       = Municipality
| subdivision_name2       = [[Midden-Groningen]]
<!-- Geographic information -->
| unit_pref               = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="stat"/>
<!-- square kilometers -->
| area_total_km2          = 16.86
| area_land_km2           = 
| area_water_km2          = 
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web 
 |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |title = Postcodetool for 9621AL
 |trans-title=|language = Dutch
 |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> 
 |date = 
 |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
 |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis
 |accessdate = 3 February 2014}}</ref>
| elevation_m             = &minus;1
| elevation_max_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_max_m         =
| elevation_min_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_min_m         =
<!-- Population, demographics -->
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="stat">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.nl/-/media/_excel/2021/48/kwb-2021.xls |title=Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021 |website=Central Bureau of Statistics |access-date=9 April 2022 |quote=two entries}}</ref>
| population_total        = 2,140
| population_as_of        = 2021
| population_density_km2  = auto <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym      = Slochtenaar
<!-- Other information -->
| timezone               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset             = +1
| timezone_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code             = 9621<ref name="stat"/>
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code               = 0598
| footnotes               =
}}
'''Slochteren''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈslɔxtərə(n)|-|Nl-Slochteren.oga}}) is a [[village]] and former municipality with a population of 15,546 in the province of [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] in the northeast of the [[Netherlands]]. On 1 January 2018, Slochteren merged with [[Hoogezand-Sappemeer]] and [[Menterwolde]], forming the municipality [[Midden-Groningen]].

The former municipality can be characterized as a chain of small villages dividing a mostly agricultural polder landscape, and a connected string of mostly artficial wetlands and lakes called the 'Roegwold'. An area reclaimed from farmland not too long ago in an effort to bring back a piece of local landscape mimicing a time prior to human intervention, and in doing so also providing a resting place and breeding ground for bird populations. Having an agricultural background for at least a thousand years, besides farmers and farm workers, the community houses for the most part commuters to nearby towns like [[Hoogezand]], [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]] and [[Delfzijl]]. The [[mansion]], or 'borg', the [[Fraeylemaborg]] (A stronghold of the local land holding Groninger nobility) is also located in Slochteren, the oldest parts of which date back to the middle ages, and so does it's distinctly long and narrow, once privately owned, forest, 'Slochterbos', housing some of the provinces oldest trees, after most had been cut down by anchient settlers.

== Geography ==
The population centres in the former municipality are:
{{Div col|colwidth=10em}}
* [[Denemarken]]
* [[Froombosch]]
* [[Harkstede]]
* [[Hellum]]
* [[Kolham]]
* [[Lageland]]
* [[Luddeweer]]
* [[Overschild]]
* [[Schaaphok]]
* [[Scharmer]]
* [[Schildwolde]]
* [[Siddeburen]]
* Slochteren
* [[Steendam]]
* [[Tjuchem]]
* [[Woudbloem]]
{{Div col end}}

[[File:Gem-Slochteren-OpenTopo.jpg|490px]]

''Topographic map of the municipality of Slochteren, June 2015''

== Natural gas field ==
Slochteren is in the center of the [[giant oil and gas fields|giant]] [[Groningen gas field]], discovered in 1959, ensuring the position of the Netherlands as a major energy exporting country. The estimated gas reserves in 2009 were {{convert|2700|km3|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=nam-en&FC2=/nam-en/html/iwgen/algemeen/zzz_lhn.html&FC3=/nam-en/html/iwgen/algemeen/aardgas_nederland.html NAM/Shell gas/oil website]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Protestantske tsjerke, Slochteren.jpg|Protestant Church
File:SlochterenRM.jpg|Former courthouse of Slochteren
File:SlochterenGemeentehuis.jpg|Town hall
File:Old postoffice Slochteren.JPG|Former post office
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{commonscat-inline|Slochteren}}

<!--Please note that not all directions need to be filled-->
<!--Please note that preferably only neighboring municipalities or bodies of water should be used-->
{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Slochteren
|North     = [[Ten Boer]], [[Loppersum]]
|Northeast = [[Appingedam]]
|East      = [[Delfzijl]]
|Southeast = [[Oldambt (municipality)|Oldambt]]
|South     = [[Hoogezand-Sappemeer]], [[Menterwolde]]
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Groningen]]
|Northwest = 
}}
{{Dutch municipality Midden-Groningen}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Midden-Groningen]]
[[Category:Natural gas industry in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Former municipalities of Groningen (province)]]
[[Category:Populated places in Groningen (province)]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2018]]


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