North Holland

North Holland is a province in the northwestern part of the Netherlands. It is near the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland.

From the 9th to the 16th century, this area was part of the County of Holland. In 1840, the old province of Holland was divided into North Holland and South Holland.

The main city in North Holland is Amsterdam, which is also the capital of the whole Netherlands. Amsterdam is a busy place with many visitors. The province also has Haarlem as its capital city and is home to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, one of the busiest airports in Europe.

History

The area we now know as North Holland began to take shape when France ruled the Netherlands, from 1795 to 1813. During this time, the Netherlands changed how its regions were organized. Holland was split into several departments, including Texel and Amstel. These changes did not last long, but they planted the idea of separating Holland into smaller parts.

Later, in 1840, Holland was officially divided into two provinces: North Holland and South Holland. This happened partly because Amsterdam, a major city in North Holland, wanted more control. Since then, North Holland has grown and changed.

Geography

North Holland is in the northwest part of the Netherlands. It is next to the North Sea. Friesland is to the northeast, Flevoland is to the east, Utrecht is to the southeast, and South Holland is to the southwest.

The land in North Holland is mostly a wide area between the North Sea, the Wadden Sea, the IJsselmeer, and the Markermeer. Much of it is flat land made from the ocean, sitting lower than sea level. Two islands, Noorderhaaks and Texel, are also part of North Holland.

Nature

Some well-known natural areas in North Holland include:

• Wadden Sea
• Zuid-Kennemerland National Park
• Dunes of Texel National Park

More details about nature areas in North Holland can be found on pages from groups that protect nature, such as Natuurmonumenten and Staatsbosbeheer, as well as the local group "Landschap Noord-Holland".

Regions in North Holland

North Holland has many different areas that have special names. Some of these areas are not official, while others are used for certain purposes. Here are some of these areas:

• Amstelland
• Beemster
• Bollenstreek
• The Gooi
• Groene Hart
• Haarlemmermeer
• Holland (North Holland and South Holland)
• IJmond ("The Mouth of the IJ")
• Kennemerland
• Purmer
• Kop van Noord-Holland
• Noorderkwartier
• Noordvleugel ("North Wing")
• Randstad
• Schermer
• De Streek
• Texel
• Utrechtse Heuvelrug
• Vechtstreek
• Waterland
• West-Friesland
• Wieringen
• Wieringermeer
• Wijdewormer
• Zaanstreek

Population and municipalities

See also: List of cities, towns and villages in North Holland

Many people in the Netherlands live in North Holland. This makes the area very busy, with lots of people living close together.

As of 24 March 2022, North Holland had 45 areas called municipalities. These help manage local affairs. There are five big municipalities with over 100,000 people. The biggest is Amsterdam, followed by Haarlem, Zaanstad, Haarlemmermeer, and Alkmaar. Seven other municipalities have between 50,000 and 100,000 people.

Municipalities are grouped together for statistical purposes.

Religion

See also: Religion in the Netherlands

Most people in North Holland do not follow a religion. Many people are not religious, while some are Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Muslim. There are also Dutch Jews living in Amsterdam and Amstelveen. Some places, like Edam-Volendam and Opmeer, have many Catholic people. The village of Marken has many Protestant people.

Economy

Many important companies have their main offices in North Holland, especially in Amsterdam. Examples include Greenpeace, Heineken International, ING Group, ABN AMRO, TomTom, Booking.com, and Philips. Other big companies like Randstad NV are based in Diemen, and KPMG and KLM work out of Amstelveen.

North Holland is also home to several groups that care for nature and animals, such as Milieudefensie and the Party for the Animals.