Bible Belt (Netherlands)
The Bible Belt (De Bijbelgordel in Dutch) is the name given (patterned after the Bible Belt of the United States) to a strip of land in the Netherlands, which is inhabited chiefly by conservative Protestants. The Bijbelgordel stretches from Zeeland, through the West-Betuwe and Veluwe, to the northern parts of the province Overijssel. However, some communities with strong conservative Protestant leanings are situated outside the belt. For example, Urk, considered by many as one of the most traditional communities in the country, and some municipalities of Friesland have characteristics typical of the Bijbelgordel. Other places in this area are Yerseke, Tholen, Ouddorp, Opheusden, Kesteren, Barneveld, Nunspeet, Elspeet and Staphorst. The three biggest cities regarded to be part of the Bible Belt are Ede, Veenendaal and Kampen. Currently, the traditional Dutch churches have around 650,000 members in about 360 churches.
Read more about Bible Belt (Netherlands): History, Life and Tradition
Famous quotes containing the word belt:
“Names on a list, whose faces I do not recall
But they are gone to early death, who late in school
Distinguished the belt feed lever from the belt holding pawl.”
—Richard Eberhart (b. 1904)