User:Dinsdagskind/Notepad
Drenthe is a province in the northeast of the Netherlands. The capital city is Assen. South of it is Overijssel, west of it is Friesland and north of it is Groningen. East of it is Lower Saxony, that is a part of Germany.
History change
Thousands of years ago, there were already people in Drenthe. Around 3500 BC people made dolmens (hunebedden), piles of big stones. 53 of the 54 dolmens in the Netherlands are in Drenthe. Most of them are in the northeast of the province.
The oldest paper with the name Drenthe on it is from 820. It was called Pago Treanth (district Drenthe). Papers from 1024 and 1025 show that is was a county back then. ,
From 1046 until 1528, the bishops of Utrecht ruled over Drenthe. From 1581 until 1795 it was part of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, but Drenthe itself was not a province.
During the Second World War, the German occupiers built a concentration camp near the town of Westerbork, where Dutch Jews were imprisoned before transportation to other camps in Germany and Poland. The famous Jewish girl, Anne Frank was deported on the last train from Westerbork by the Germans.
Politics change
The provincial council (Provinciale Staten) has 51 seats, and is headed by the Queen's Commissioner, currently Relus ter Beek. While the provincial council is elected by the inhabitants, the Commissioner is appointed by the Queen and the cabinet of the Netherlands. With 19 seats, the socialist PvdA is the largest party in the council.
The daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the Gedeputeerde Staten, which are also headed by the Commissioner; its members (gedeputeerden) can be compared with ministers.
Municipalities change
Due to reorganisations in the 1990s, the number of municipalities in Drenthe has been reduced to twelve. Most municipalities therefore now consist of several towns and villages.
Geography change
Besides the capital Assen, Emmen, Meppel and Hoogeveen are the major urban centres of the province. Drenthe, consisting mostly of heathland, has no significant rivers or lakes.
Economy change
Agriculture is an important employer, although industrial areas are found near the cities. The quietness of the province is also attracting a growing number of tourists.
Drents change
Drenthe has its own dialect named after the province, but each town or village has its own version.
| Drents in Emmen: | We moet'n nie zo haas'n'n. (Dutch: We moeten niet zo haasten. English: We don't have to hurry). |
| Drents in Ruinen: | een, tweej, drai, vier, vaif, zees, zeeve, aach, neuge, tein. (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10). |
| Drents in Noordenveld: | ain, twai, drai, vaier, vief zes, zeum, aacht, neegn, tien. (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10). |
| Drents in Ruinerwold (about 10 km from Ruinen): | iene, tweie, dreie, veere, vieve, zesse, zeum, achte, neegn, tiene. (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10). |
External links change
- Official website
- Map (pdf)
- province map showing subdivision in municipalities, link for each municipality to basic data page
- The Drentse Fietsvierdaagse, the most famous of all fietsvierdaagses of the Netherlands.
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