Merelbeke is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Bottelare, Lemberge, Melsen, Merelbeke proper, Munte and Schelderode. On January 1st, 2000 Merelbeke had a total population of 21,786 (10,640 males and 11,146 females). The total area is 37.63 km² which gives a population density of 578.95 inhabitants per km².
