Editing Urk (section)

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->| name               = Urk
| native_name        = {{native name|wep|Urrek}}
| native_name_lang   = wep
| settlement_type    = [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|Municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->| image_skyline      = Urk.jpg
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = Current town and former island of Urk
| image_flag         = Urker vlag met schelvis 25-12-2016.svg
| flag_size          = 100x67px
| flag_alt           = 
| image_shield       = Coat of arms of Urk.svg
| shield_size        = 100x80px
| shield_alt         = Map - NL - Municipality code 0184 (2009).svg
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->| image_map          = Map_-_NL_-_Municipality_code_0184_(2009).svg
| map_alt            = Highlighted position of Urk in a municipal map of Flevoland
| map_caption        = Location in Flevoland
| pushpin_map        = Netherlands Flevoland (plain)#Netherlands
| coordinates        = {{coord|52|40|N|5|36|E|region:NL_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Flevoland]]
| government_footnotes = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web
 |url = http://www.urk.nl/index.php?fontsize=0&pagid=385&mediumid=1&simaction=content&rubriekid=&stukid=&lijsttypeid=1
 |title = Samenstelling college B&W
 |trans-title=Members of the board of mayor and aldermen
 |language = nl
 |publisher = Gemeente Urk
 |access-date = 1 September 2013}}</ref>
| governing_body     = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party       = [[Christian Union (Netherlands)|CU]]
| leader_title       = [[Burgemeester|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Bart Jaspers Faijer
<!-- 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|Urk}}
| area_land_km2      = {{Dutch municipality land area|Urk}}
| area_water_km2     = {{Dutch municipality water area|Urk}}
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web
 |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |title = Postcodetool for 8321GT
 |language = nl
 |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
 |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
 |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis
 |access-date = 3 September 2013}}</ref>
| elevation_m        = 0
| 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|Urk}}
| population_as_of   = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2 = {{Dutch municipality population density|Urk}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym = Urker
<!-- 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        = 8320–8324
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code          = 0527
| website            = {{URL|1=http://www.urk.nl}}
| footnotes          = 
}}
[[File:Gem-Urk-OpenTopo.jpg|270px|thumb|''Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Urk, June 2015'']]

'''Urk''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈʏr(ə)k|lang|258 Urk.ogg}}; {{langx|wep|label=[[Urkers dialect|Urkers]]|Urrek}}; {{langx|nds-nl|Ürrek}}) is a [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] and a [[town]] in the [[Flevoland]] province in the central [[Netherlands]].

Urk is first mentioned in historical records dating to the 10th century, when it was still an island in the [[Almere (lake)|Almere]], an inland sea that would become part of the [[Zuiderzee]] in the 13th century after a series of incursions by the [[North Sea]]. In 1939, a [[Dike (construction)|dike]] from the mainland to Urk ended the town's island status, just as the [[Afsluitdijk]] project was changing the salt water Zuiderzee surrounding Urk to the less saline [[IJsselmeer]]. Later in the 20th century, seabed areas surrounding Urk were [[Land reclamation|reclaimed]] from the sea to become the [[Noordoostpolder]].

The mainstay of the town's formal economy has always been [[fishing]], and the products of the sea coming in through Urk harbor continue to be exported widely, although today Urk's fishing boats must travel greater distances to gather them than was required in most historical periods.
Religious life has traditionally been very important to Urk's inhabitants, with active, conservative congregations of the Dutch [[Reformed churches|Reformed]] denominations playing key roles in the life of the community.