Steenvoorde

Steenvoorde (French pronunciation: [stɛ̃vɔʁd]) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.^[3] Once part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Low Countries, Steenvoorde was the site of the beginning of the Beeldenstorm, or "Iconoclastic Fury." Today the city is known for its Géants du Nord, sculptures of giants that can be admired in summer festivals.^[4]

Steenvoorde, church: église Saint Pierre

Steenvoorde
Commune
Town hall
Coat of arms
Location of Steenvoorde
Steenvoorde Show map of France Steenvoorde Show map of Hauts-de-France
Coordinates: 50°48′40″N 2°34′53″E
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Dunkerque
Canton	Wormhout
Intercommunality	CA Cœur de Flandre
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Jean-Pierre Bataille[1]
Area 1	29.82 km2 (11.51 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	4,308
• Density	140/km2 (370/sq mi)
Demonym	Steenvoordois
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	59580 /59114
Elevation	8–67 m (26–220 ft) (avg. 25 m or 82 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Climate

Steenvoorde has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Steenvoorde is 11.2 °C (52.2 °F). The average annual rainfall is 727.8 mm (28.65 in) with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 18.5 °C (65.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.5 °C (40.1 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Steenvoorde was 40.8 °C (105.4 °F) on 25 July 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −13.4 °C (7.9 °F) on 4 February 2012.

Climate data for Steenvoorde (1991−2020 normals, extremes 2004−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	15.3 (59.5)	18.3 (64.9)	24.1 (75.4)	26.3 (79.3)	31.8 (89.2)	33.5 (92.3)	40.8 (105.4)	34.9 (94.8)	33.3 (91.9)	28.8 (83.8)	19.9 (67.8)	14.8 (58.6)	40.8 (105.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	6.8 (44.2)	7.3 (45.1)	10.5 (50.9)	15.0 (59.0)	17.8 (64.0)	20.8 (69.4)	23.5 (74.3)	22.9 (73.2)	20.4 (68.7)	15.7 (60.3)	10.6 (51.1)	7.5 (45.5)	14.9 (58.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	4.5 (40.1)	4.7 (40.5)	7.0 (44.6)	10.4 (50.7)	13.3 (55.9)	16.2 (61.2)	18.5 (65.3)	18.2 (64.8)	16.0 (60.8)	12.5 (54.5)	8.1 (46.6)	5.2 (41.4)	11.2 (52.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	2.2 (36.0)	2.0 (35.6)	3.5 (38.3)	5.7 (42.3)	8.8 (47.8)	11.6 (52.9)	13.5 (56.3)	13.5 (56.3)	11.6 (52.9)	9.2 (48.6)	5.5 (41.9)	2.9 (37.2)	7.5 (45.5)
Record low °C (°F)	−10.9 (12.4)	−13.4 (7.9)	−6.8 (19.8)	−2.6 (27.3)	1.0 (33.8)	4.9 (40.8)	7.4 (45.3)	7.8 (46.0)	3.2 (37.8)	−0.1 (31.8)	−4.4 (24.1)	−9.6 (14.7)	−13.4 (7.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	51.0 (2.01)	54.0 (2.13)	49.0 (1.93)	32.6 (1.28)	51.0 (2.01)	52.5 (2.07)	67.8 (2.67)	81.6 (3.21)	55.0 (2.17)	70.0 (2.76)	86.5 (3.41)	76.8 (3.02)	727.8 (28.65)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	11.1	10.5	9.5	7.2	9.3	7.7	9.4	10.7	8.0	10.9	13.6	13.1	120.9
Source: Météo-France[5]

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	3,761	—
1975	3,879	+0.44%
1982	4,021	+0.51%
1990	4,010	−0.03%
1999	4,024	+0.04%
2007	3,987	−0.12%
2012	4,030	+0.21%
2017	4,368	+1.62%
Source: INSEE[6]

Heraldry

Arms of Steenvoorde

The arms of Steenvoorde are blazoned : Barry Or and azure, in chief in fess 3 annulets impaled with Quarterly 2&4: Or, 3 ?pallets couped? sable within a bordure engrailed azure; 2&3: Barry argent and azure, a lion sable.

See also

• Communes of the Nord department