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North Holland

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

North Holland is a province in the northwest of the Netherlands.

North Holland, Friesland and Flevoland by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30 (small version)
North Holland, Friesland and Flevoland by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30 (small version)

It sits on the North Sea. To its east is Flevoland. To its northeast is Friesland. To its southeast is Utrecht. To its southwest is South Holland.

Amsterdam with North Sea Canal by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30
Amsterdam with North Sea Canal by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30

Most of the land is a broad peninsula. It sits between the North Sea and the Wadden Sea. It also sits near the IJsselmeer and the Markermeer. More than half of the land is polder land. Polder land is land that people made by draining water. This land sits below sea level. The islands of Texel and Noorderhaaks are also part of the province.

Nature is a big part of life here. You can find many nature reserves in the province.

DeHors-Texel-SjoerdMartens
DeHors-Texel-SjoerdMartens

One famous place is the Dunes of Texel National Park. Another is the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. You might even see a Highland cow there.

Schotse-Hooglander-NPZK-01
Schotse-Hooglander-NPZK-01

There are many different regions with their own identities. Some areas are called Waterland or West-Friesland. Other areas include the Zaanstreek or the Gooi. Some of these places are official, while others are not. These regions help people feel connected to their specific home.

The history of this land has seen many changes. From the 9th to the 16th century, it was part of the County of Holland. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was called the Noorderkwartier.

Binnenstad Hoorn, 1621 Hoorn, Netherlands - panoramio (71)
Binnenstad Hoorn, 1621 Hoorn, Netherlands - panoramio (71)

Things changed a lot during French rule from 1795 to 1813. The old borders were moved many times. In 1840, the province of Holland was finally split into two. These two new provinces were North Holland and South Holland. In 1855, people drained the Haarlemmermeer to make more land. This new land became part of the province.

Many people live in North Holland. About one in six Dutch people live here.

Broek in waterland 077
Broek in waterland 077

As of January 2023, the population was about 2,952,000. Amsterdam is the largest city in the whole country. It is also the Dutch capital.

Amsterdam, Netherlands (Unsplash 2Hs8zbwOLDA)
Amsterdam, Netherlands (Unsplash 2Hs8zbwOLDA)

Haarlem is the capital of the province. It has a population of about 161,265. There are 45 municipalities in the province. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is also here. It is the busiest airport in the Netherlands. It is even the third busiest airport in Europe.

North Holland is a busy place for work and travel. Many big companies have their offices here.

Paviljoen Welgelegen
Paviljoen Welgelegen

For example, the head office for Greenpeace is in Amsterdam. Other famous companies like Heineken and ING are also located here. Many international groups like Amnesty International have offices in the province too. The province is part of the Randstad area. This is a large, busy urban area in the Netherlands. This connection makes North Holland a very important part of the country.

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🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:DeHors-Texel-SjoerdMartens.jpg
DeHors-Texel-SjoerdMartens.jpg
File:Amsterdam, Netherlands (Unsplash 2Hs8zbwOLDA).jpg
Amsterdam, Netherlands (Unsplash 2Hs8zbwOLDA).jpg
File:Hartekamp-2011.jpg
Hartekamp-2011.jpg
File:Binnenstad Hoorn, 1621 Hoorn, Netherlands - panoramio (71).jpg
Binnenstad Hoorn, 1621 Hoorn, Netherlands...
File:Boulevard zandvoort.JPG
Boulevard zandvoort.JPG
Paviljoen Welgelegen.tif
File:Broek in waterland 077.JPG
Broek in waterland 077.JPG
File:North Holland, Friesland and Flevoland by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30 (small version).jpg
North Holland, Friesland and Flevoland by...
File:Amsterdam with North Sea Canal by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30.jpg
Amsterdam with North Sea Canal by...
File:Schotse-Hooglander-NPZK-01.JPG
Schotse-Hooglander-NPZK-01.JPG
File:Waterland weg sloot.jpg
Waterland weg sloot.jpg
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