| Schoten | |
| Map: | Schoten Antwerp Belgium Map.svg |
| Map-Legend: | Location of Schoten in Antwerp Province |
| Arms: | Blason ville be Schoten.svg |
| Flag: | Schoten_Belgium.svg |
| Arrondissement: | Antwerp |
| Nis: | 11040 |
| Foreigners: | 0 |
| Mayor: | Maarten De Veuster (N-VA) |
| Majority: | N-VA, Open VLD |
| Postal-Codes: | 2900 |
| Telephone-Area: | 03 |
| Web: | www.schoten.be |
| Coordinates: | 51.25°N 34°W |
Schoten (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈsxoːtə(n)/) is a municipality located in Antwerp Province, Belgium. The municipality only comprises the town of Schoten proper. As of 1 January 2020 Schoten has a total population of 34,311. The total area is 29.55km² which gives a population density of . Schoten borders the Antwerp districts Merksem to the west and Deurne to the south west. Neighboring municipalities include Brasschaat to the north, Brecht to the north east, Schilde to the east, and Wijnegem to the south.
The history and usage of the name Schoten may have come from the name given to the wooden dividing walls (schot in Dutch) that were driven in the ground to separate private property. The Christianization of the area dates from the end of the 7th century, under the influence of Abbot Ursmarus, of Lobbes Abbey, which owned property here.
In the 12th century, the territory was under the political authority of the lords of Breda, then of the lords of Bergen-op-Zoom. Religiously, it was administered by the Villers Abbey.
Already by the beginning of the 16th century, well-off burghers and merchants from neighboring Antwerp built castles in Schoten as secondary residences. The local community succeeded, however, in maintaining its rural Campine character until well into the 19th century. Industry first developed on the border with Merksem, later along the Albert Canal. Much of the rest of the town's territory was kept green and was again used by neighboring Antwerp residents for building extensive villas such as Koningshof and Schotenhof. Today about 30% of Schoten's territory still consists of forested areas, a great achievement given its location only 10km (10miles) away from the center of Antwerp.
The municipal council, per the outcome of the 2018 local elections, is a coalition of NV-A (16 seats) and Open-VLD (1 seat), a total of 17 out of 31 seats.[1]
Since 2018, the Council of Mayor and Aldermen, the municipal executive board, consists of:[2]
| Council of Mayor and Aldermen (2018-now) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Maarten De Veuster (N-VA) | |
| Alderman | ||
170 metres tall lattice tower at 51°17'33"N 4°32'24"E, which is an important site for FM- and TV-broadcasting for the Antwerp area.
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Belgium.
Schoten is twinned with:
Tarnów, Poland[3]
Voorschoten, Netherlands