South Holland

province of the Netherlands

South Holland is a province in the west of the Netherlands. It is called Zuid-Holland in Dutch. It is surrounded by the North Sea and the provinces North Holland, Utrecht, Gelderland, North Brabant, and Zeeland. About 3,805,000 people are living in South Holland (2023).

South Holland
Zuid-Holland
Province
Duingebied Berkheide (municipalities of Wassenaar and Katwijk)
Duingebied Berkheide (municipalities of Wassenaar and Katwijk)
Flag of South Holland
Coat of arms of South Holland
Map: Province of South Holland in the NetherlandsSouth HollandNorth HollandFrieslandGroningenDrentheFlevolandOverijsselGelderlandUtrechtLimburgNorth BrabantZeeland (province)
Map: Province of South Holland in the Netherlands
Location
Map
Map
Coordinates: 51°59′N 4°30′E / 51.983°N 4.500°E / 51.983; 4.500
CountryNetherlands
Established1840
SeatThe Hague (Den Haag)
Area
 • Total3,308 km2 (1,277 sq mi)
 • Land2,698 km2 (1,042 sq mi)
 • Water609 km2 (235 sq mi)
Highest elevation
37 m (121 ft)
Lowest elevation
−7 m (−23 ft)
Population
 (2023)
 • Total3,805,000
 • Density1,410/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
Websitewww.zuid-holland.nl

Cities

change

The biggest cities are Rotterdam and The Hague. The Hague is the capital of the province. The Hague is also the administrative capital of the Netherlands. That means that the parliament is there.

Rotterdam has the largest port of Europe. Leiden, Gouda, and Delft have town centers with many old buildings. Zoetermeer is a quite new city. Most of it was built in the 1970s. Another important city is Dordrecht.

Landscapes

change

In South Holland there are some typical Dutch landscapes. Near Leiden there is a region that is known as the Bollenstreek ("bulb district"). In springtime many large fields with flowers can be found here. These fields are called bulb fields. Near Rotterdam there is a small village called Kinderdijk with 19 windmills near each other.

The area south of The Hague is called Westland. Here are many greenhouses.

Islands

change

The south of the province has many islands. The largest of them are Voorne-Putten, Goeree-Overflakkee, IJsselmonde, the Hoeksche Waard and the island of Dordrecht. These big islands are connected by bridges and/or tunnels.

Water resources

change

The most important rivers and other bodies of waters are Nieuwe Maas, Nieuwe Waterweg, Oude Maas, Haringvliet, and Hollands Diep.

Other websites

change
 
Bulb fields in Lisse