As of 2007, the city has an estimated population of 18,310 and a density of 22.84 persons per km². The total area is 865.07 km². The city was once a prosperous coal mining city, its population exceeding 70,000 at its peak, but its population has fallen since the closing of the coal mines.

History

• 1893 Satō Denjirō (originally from Yamagata prefecture) founds Ashibetsu
• 1897 Nae Village (now Sunagawa City) and part of Takikawa Village (now City) split off to form Utashinai Village
• 1900 Ashibetsu Village split off of Utashinai Village.
• 1906 Ashibetsu becomes a Second Class Municipality
• 1923 First Class Municipality
• 1924 Ashibetsu Mine opened
• 1935 Kamiashibetsu Mine opened
• 1938 Ashibetsu-Takane? Mine opened
• 1941 Ashibetsu Village becomes Ashibetsu Town
• 1943 Mitsui?-Ashibetsu Mine opened
• April 1, 1953 Ashibetsu Town becomes Ashibetsu City
• 1991 Canadian World park opened
• 1999 Canadian World business failure

External links

• Official website