South Holland

Topography of South Holland

South Holland (Dutch: Zuid -Holland) is a western province of the Netherlands on the North Sea coast. It is the most densely populated and highly industrialized area in the Netherlands.

Geography

Neighbouring provinces are North Holland in the north, Utrecht and Gelderland in the east, North Brabant in the south east and Zeeland in the south. In the west, the province borders on the North Sea.

Important cities The Hague ( seat of government, International Court of Justice) and the port city of Rotterdam. The cities of Leiden, Delft, Dordrecht, Schiedam and Gouda have a historic center.

South-east of Rotterdam are the windmills of Kinderdijk, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rivers and canals include the Nieuwe Maas, the New Waterway, the Oude Maas, the Haring Vliet and the Hollands Diep.

In the south of the province are located in the Rhine delta many islands, which are connected by bridges and dams:

Communities

The province of South Holland consists of the following municipalities (population on 1 January 2013):

The number of communities south of Holland was formerly much higher; see for the list of former municipalities in South Holland.

History

The South Holland province was created in 1840 by dividing the province of North Holland and South Holland in the Netherlands.

Economy

Expressed in comparison with the EU GDP in purchasing power standards the province in 2006 reached an index of 135.0 (EU-27 = 100).

Haringvliet Goeree-Overflakkee IJsselmonde (island) Bodegraven-Reeuwijk Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht Midden-Delfland Oud-Beijerland Zwijndrecht, Netherlands Gross domestic product States-Provincial Gedeputeerde Staten Flags of provinces of the Netherlands Integrated Authority File
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