Editing Meppel (section)

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
 | name                     = Meppel
 | settlement_type          = [[List of cities in the Netherlands by province|City]] and [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
 | image_skyline            = Meppel, de Meppeler toren in straatzicht foto1 2011-05-21 11.58.JPG
 | image_alt                = 
 | image_caption            = ''Meppeler toren'' (Tower of Meppel)
 | image_flag               = Flag of Meppel.svg
 | flag_size                = 100x67px
 | flag_alt                 = 
 | image_shield             = Coat of arms of Meppel.svg
 | shield_size              = 100x80px
 | shield_alt               = 
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
 | image_map                = Map - NL - Municipality code 0119 (2009).svg
 | map_alt                  = Highlighted position of Meppel in a municipal map of Drenthe
 | map_caption              = Location in Drenthe
 | coordinates              = {{coord|52|42|N|6|11|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
 | coordinates_footnotes    = 
 | subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
 | subdivision_name         = [[Netherlands]]
 | subdivision_type1        = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
 | subdivision_name1        = [[Drenthe]]
 | government_footnotes     = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web
   |url = http://www.meppel.nl/Bestuur_Organisatie/Burgemeester_wethouders/Leden_college/Richard_Korteland
   |title = Richard Korteland
   |language = nl
   |publisher = Gemeente Meppel
   |access-date = 9 October 2013
 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
 | governing_body           = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
 | leader_party             = [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]]
 | leader_title             = [[Burgomaster|Mayor]]
 | leader_name              = Arjen Maathuis
<!-- Geographic information -->
 | unit_pref                = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
 | area_footnotes           = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref>
<!-- square kilometers -->
 | area_total_km2           = {{Dutch municipality total area|Meppel}}
 | area_land_km2            = {{Dutch municipality land area|Meppel}}
 | area_water_km2           = {{Dutch municipality water area|Meppel}}
 | elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool 
 |title=Postcodetool for 7941BJ 
 |language=nl 
 |work=Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland 
 |publisher=Het Waterschapshuis 
 |access-date=9 October 2013 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool 
 |archive-date=21 September 2013 
}}</ref>
 | elevation_m              = 2
 | elevation_max_footnotes  = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
 | elevation_max_m          = 
 | elevation_min_footnotes  = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
 | elevation_min_m          = 
<!-- Population, demographics -->
 | population_footnotes     = <ref>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref>
 | population_total         = {{Dutch municipality population|Meppel}}
 | population_as_of         = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
 | population_density_km2   = {{Dutch municipality population density|Meppel}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
 | population_demonym       = Meppeler
<!-- Other information -->
 | timezone1                = [[Central European Time|CET]]
 | utc_offset1              = +1
 | timezone1_DST            = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
 | utc_offset1_DST          = +2
 | postal_code_type         = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
 | postal_code              = 7940–7949, 7965–7969
 | area_code_type           = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
 | area_code                = 0522
 | website                  = {{URL|1=http://www.meppel.nl}}
 | footnotes                = 
}}

'''Meppel''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈmɛpəl|-|Nl-Meppel.oga}}; [[Drèents dialects|Drents]]: ''Möppelt'') is a [[List of cities in the Netherlands by province|city]] and [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] in the Northeastern [[Netherlands]]. It constitutes the southwestern part of the [[Provinces of the Netherlands|province]] of [[Drenthe]]. Meppel is the smallest municipality in Drenthe, with a total area of about {{convert|57|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. As of 1 July 2021, it had a population of 34,506 with over 30,000 inhabitants within city limits.

People born in Meppel are occasionally referred to as ''Meppeler Muggen'' in Dutch;<ref>{{cite web|title=CBOEK363 - EENIGE SCHELDNAMEN VAN DE EENE PLAATS OP DE ANDERE.|url=http://www.verhalenbank.nl/items/show/39385|website=Nederlandse Volksverhalenbank|access-date=28 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428162804/http://www.verhalenbank.nl/items/show/39385|archive-date=28 April 2017}}</ref> this translates as 'mosquitoes from Meppel'. The nickname comes from a traditional folk tale. The people of Meppel thought the church tower was on fire, but after closer inspection, they realised it was only a swarm of mosquitoes.<ref>{{cite web|title=De toren|url=http://www.grotekerkmeppel.nl/toren|website=Vrienden van de Grote of Mariakerk|access-date=28 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230231218/http://www.grotekerkmeppel.nl/toren|archive-date=30 December 2016}}</ref>