Nieuwkoop
[Image:Gem-Nieuwkoop-OpenTopo.jpg|265px|thumb|Dutch Topographic map of Nieuwkoop, June 2015]
Nieuwkoop is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality was enlarged on 1 January 2007, through the amalgamation of Liemeer and Ter Aar. The municipality now covers an area of of which is water. Its population was in.
On May 3, 2008, the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad published an article which stated that Nieuwkoop is the safest municipality of the Netherlands.
The municipality of Nieuwkoop includes the following communities:
History
The oldest part of Nieuwkoop are the buildings along the Nieuwkoopse Plassen, many of which are completely surrounded by water and accessible over individual bridges to the main road. The Nieuwkoopse Plassen are shallow lakes that were dug for peat harvesting in the 16th century and are now designated as a natural monument. New neighborhoods northwest of the main road are built after World War II.Notable people
- John of Leiden a Dutch leader of the Anabaptism movement in Münster
- Catharina Oostfries a Dutch Golden Age glass painter
- Willem van Eijk a twice convicted Dutch serial killer
- Daan Roosegaarde a Dutch artist who merges technology and art
- Froukje a Dutch singer-songwriter
Sport
- Wil Burgmeijer a retired Dutch speed skater, competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics
- Jos Valentijn a retired speed skater
- Petra de Bruin a Dutch former cyclist
- Ralph Schwarz a Dutch rower, competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Arjan van der Laan a Dutch former footballer with 427 club caps, was manager of the Netherlands women's national football team
- Sander Berk a Dutch triathlete
- Laurien van der Graaff a Swiss cross-country skier, competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics for Switzerland
- Melissa Wijfje a Dutch allround speed skater