SafekipediaSouth Holland
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
South Holland is a province in the Netherlands. Many people live there, and it is very crowded. It is next to the North Sea and has a lot of water.
South Holland touches several places: North Holland is to the north, Utrecht and Gelderland are to the east, and North Brabant and Zeeland are to the south. The main city is Rotterdam, which has a very busy port. The capital of the Netherlands, The Hague, is also in South Holland.
Big rivers flow through South Holland and empty into the North Sea. This area is important for trade and travel because of its port and good location.
History
Early history
Archaeological discoveries in Hardinxveld-Giessendam show that people have lived in South Holland for about 7,500 years. They were likely hunters who moved around. Later, people began farming and building permanent homes, as found near Vlaardingen. During ancient times, South Holland was part of the land ruled by the Romans, called Germania Inferior. The Romans built forts along the border, such as near modern-day Valkenburg, Leiden, and Alphen aan den Rijn.
After the Romans left, the area became part of the Frisian Kingdom. Later, it was taken over by the Frankish king Dagobert I. In 690, a monk named Willibrord arrived and began spreading the Christian faith. Over time, the whole area became Christian. In 843, a treaty split up the land, and South Holland became part of East Francia. Lands were given to a man named Gerolf, who started what became the County of Holland. His successor, Dirk I, continued to rule the area.
The first city in South Holland to become officially recognized was Dordrecht in 1220. For many years, it was very important, but floods in the late 1300s caused problems. Also around that time, there were wars over who should be the leader of Holland. These conflicts ended in 1490 when one claimant won.
For a long time, South Holland was mostly rural. But around the year 1500, it began to grow with many towns and cities. During a big war called the Eighty Years' War, important events happened in South Holland, including battles.
When the United Netherlands declared independence in 1581, Holland became very important. Cities like Leiden, Delft, Gouda, and Dordrecht became busy with trade. Leiden got the country’s first university in 1575. The Hague became the political center. The 1600s were a time when many great scientists, thinkers, and artists lived and worked in South Holland.
As a province
The modern shape of South Holland began during the time when France ruled the area from 1795 to 1813. The government changed many times. In 1795, the land was divided into new groups, and South Holland was split three ways. But in 1801, things went back to how they were before. Then in 1807, it was split again, this time into two parts. The southern part was called Maasland. In 1810, when France took over, it was renamed Bouches-de-la-Meuse.
After the French were defeated in 1813, the old setup returned. In 1814, Holland was made one province again, but it was still thought of in two parts. In 1840, Holland was finally split into North and South Holland because it was too big and powerful. In recent years, a few towns moved from South Holland to another area called Utrecht.
The building of a waterway in 1863 helped the Port of Rotterdam grow. During World War II in 1940, the center of Rotterdam was damaged by bombing. After the war, in 1953, a big storm caused flooding that affected many people in South Holland. This led to the building of strong barriers along the coast, finished in 1997 with the Maeslantkering.
Geography
South Holland is a place that covers 3,308 km2 (1,277 sq mi), with 609 km2 (235 sq mi) of that being water. It touches the North Sea to the west. It also borders North Holland to the north, Utrecht and Gelderland to the east, and North Brabant and Zeeland to the south. The land is mostly flat and has areas called polders.
The middle and western coast of South Holland are busy places, part of a big city area called the Randstad. The eastern part is more quiet and country-like, known as the Groene Hart, which means “Green Heart.” The southern part has many islands in the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta.
The Duin- en Bollenstreek in the northwest is well-known for its coastal dunes and fields full of flowers. Near Leiden and The Hague, the land changes from sandy fields to more city areas. Far to the east is De Biesbosch, a large park and one of Europe’s last fresh water tide areas. Other parks include Delftse Hout, Ackerdijkse Plassen, and the Kagerplassen lakes, which are popular for fun outdoor activities.
The southern islands, like Goeree-Overflakkee, Tiengemeten, Hoeksche Waard, and Voorne-Putten, are mostly quiet countryside. Northern islands such as Dordrecht, IJsselmonde, and Rozenburg are more city-like and part of the Rijnmond area around Rotterdam. Together with Haaglanden around The Hague and Drechtsteden, they make up the southern part of the Randstad.
Other areas in South Holland include Alblasserwaard, Gouwestreek, Krimpenerwaard, Rijnland, Rijnstreek, Vijfheerenlanden, and Westland.
Climate
South Holland has a mild oceanic climate, affected by the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. This means summers are cooler and winters are milder. Rain is common in fall and winter, and wind storms can happen in winter. Rain happens all year, but the first half of the year is usually drier. Winter temperatures are between 2 °C and 6 °C and summer temperatures are between 17 °C and 20 °C.
Nature
The group Zuid-Hollands Landschap started in 1934 to help protect nature in the area. As of 2023, about 12.7% of South Holland has natural spaces.
Subdivisions and municipalities
Main article: List of municipalities in South Holland
South Holland is divided into 50 municipalities.
Northern South Holland
The northern areas are the same as the broadcast area of Omroep West.
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Hollands Midden
Southern South Holland
The southern areas are the same as the broadcast area of RTV Rijnmond.
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Rijnmond
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Southeastern South Holland
Economy
The Gross domestic product of South Holland was 163.8 billion € in 2018. This was a big part of the Netherlands' economy.
South Holland has many important jobs and industries. One big area is growing plants, especially in places like Westland, where many big greenhouses cover lots of land. Other important areas include Port of Rotterdam, where many goods are moved, and the city of The Hague, which has many jobs with the government and big companies. People also enjoy visiting places like Delft for tourism, and there are jobs in fishing and taking care of animals, especially cows for milk.
Religion
In 2015, people in South Holland had many different beliefs. About 18% were part of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, and around 15% were Catholic. Some followed Islam or Hinduism. A little more than half, about 52%, did not follow any particular religion.
Notable residents
South Holland has been home to many famous people. Some well-known scientists from this area are Christiaan Huygens, who made discoveries in math and science, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, called the father of microbiology and who made the first microscope, and Desiderius Erasmus, a respected philosopher.
The province has also had many famous painters, such as Rembrandt from Leiden, Jan Steen from Leiden, and Johannes Vermeer from Delft.
Images
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on South Holland, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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