ROOSENDAAL

in full Roosendaal En Nispen, gemeente (commune), Noord-Brabant provincie, southwestern Netherlands, near the Belgian border. Roosendaal (meaning valley of roses) developed after the inhabitants of surrounding hamlets, including Nispen, were granted permission to build a church there in 1268. Peat digging was an early economic activity. Today Roosendaal is a rail junction on the Rotterdam-Antwerp line, with railway repair shops, and an industrial centre with varied manufactures, including fluorescent-lighting components, machinery for paper and graphic industries, hose fittings and assemblies, and furniture. Pop. (1993 est.) 62,115.