Gouda

:For other uses, see Gouda (disambiguation).

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(population 71,797 in 2004) is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.

Related Topics:
Netherlands - South Holland

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Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes and its 15th century town hall.

Related Topics:
City rights - 1272 - Gouda cheese - Smoking pipe - 15th century

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The town takes its name from the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family took its name. The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbor.

Related Topics:
Castle - Marshland - 1225

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