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Olen, Belgium

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 7 min

Olen
Municipality
Flag of Olen
Flag
Coat of arms of Olen
Coat of arms
Location of Olen
Map
Olen is located in Belgium
Olen
Olen
Location in Belgium
Location of Olen in the province of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°09′N 04°51′E / 51.150°N 4.850°E / 51.150; 4.850
Country Belgium
CommunityFlemish Community
RegionFlemish Region
ProvinceAntwerp
ArrondissementTurnhout
Government
 • MayorSeppe Bouquillon (CD&V)
 • Governing party/iesCD&V, sp.a, Groen
Area
 • Total
23.12 km2 (8.93 sq mi)
Population
 (2020-01-01)[1]
 • Total
12,560
 • Density540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Postal codes
2250
NIS code
13029
Area codes014, 04
Websitewww.olen.be

Olen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈoːlə(n)]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises three towns, situated on a south–north axis:

  • South of the motorway E313 and the Albert Canal is Olen proper, also called Olen-Centrum (Saint-Martins parish).
  • Between the Albert Canal and Olen-station (railroad from Antwerp to Neerpelt and Hasselt) is the town of Boekel, also called Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Olen (parish) or Achter-Olen (Behind-Olen).
  • North of the railroad is the town of St.-Jozef-Olen (parish), also called Olen-Fabriek (Olen-Factory, a refinery along the old canal Herentals-Bocholt that was at its origin).

In 2021, Olen had a total population of 12,600.[2] The total area is 23.10 km2.

History of Uranium mining

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In the 1920s and 1930s the Union Minière du Haut Katanga company, operating in the then Belgian colony of Congo, had a virtual monopoly of the world uranium market (holding most of the deposits known at the time). The uranium mined in Congo was mostly transported to the UMHK refinery for uranium ore which was located in Olen.[3][4]

Some 1200 tonnes of uranium stored at the Olen refinery were captured by the Germans during the invasion and occupation of Belgium in 1940, and only recovered by US troops at the end of World War 2.

Notable Person

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2020". Statbel.
  2. ^ "Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 13029". Statistics Belgium. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  3. ^ Heinrich, E. Wm. (1958). Mineralogy and Geology of Radioactive Raw Materials. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. p. 289.
  4. ^ "Storage of historical radioactive waste in Olen well controlled". www.umicore.be. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
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