| Koewacht | |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Native Name Lang: | nl |
| Pushpin Map: | Netherlands Zeeland#Netherlands#Belgium |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Netherlands Belgium |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Zeeland East Flanders |
| Subdivision Type2: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name2: | Terneuzen Moerbeke Stekene |
| Elevation Footnotes: | [1] |
| Elevation M: | 2.5 |
| Area Total Km2: | 21.80 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] [3] |
| Population Total: | 2,938 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 4576 |
| Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
| Area Code: | 0114 |
| Coordinates: | 51.2267°N 3.9731°W |
Koewacht is a village on the border between the Netherlands and Belgium.
The village consists of two parts; a Dutch and a (smaller) Belgian part.
The Dutch part is located in Zeelandic Flanders, a part of the province of Zeeland and part of the municipality of Terneuzen. It was a separate municipality until 1970, when it was merged with Axel.[4] In 2003, the Dutch part became part of the municipality of Terneuzen.[5]
Koewacht is a border village. During the Dutch Revolt, it formed the border between the Dutch and Spanish held territories and over twenty forts were built in the area of which seven still have visible remains.[5] Koewacht is a linear settlement on a ridge. In the 18th century, it became a centre for flax production. The church was built between 1713 and 1714, but became located in Belgium in 1839. During World War I, the border was sealed off and the Wire of Death, a lethal electric fence, ran through the village.[5] Between 1921 and 1922, a church was built on the Dutch side.[6] [5]
The Belgian part lies in the province of East Flanders, in the municipalities of Moerbeke and Stekene.[5]