Gelderland

Gelderland, also known as Guelders in English, is a province in the center-east of the Netherlands. It is the largest province in the country by land area, covering 5,136 square kilometers, with 176 square kilometers of water. It borders six other provinces, including Flevoland, Limburg, North Brabant, Overijssel, South Holland, and Utrecht, as well as the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The capital of Gelderland is Arnhem, but two other cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn, have larger populations. Other important towns include Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Harderwijk, Tiel, Wageningen, Zevenaar, and Winterswijk. As of January 2023, about 2 million people lived in Gelderland.

The province is home to the Netherlands's largest forest area, called the Veluwe, and includes important rivers like the Rhine. In the southern part, known as the Betuwe, there are many orchards. These natural features make Gelderland a beautiful and important part of the Netherlands.

History

The province of Gelderland began its history as part of the Holy Roman Empire and was named after the nearby German city of Geldern. Legends tell of the Lords of Pont fighting a dragon in 878 AD and naming a new town “Gelre!” after the dragon’s final sound.

Later, the County of Guelders grew from the Frankish area known as Hamaland near Roermond and Geldern. The rulers of Gelre gained control of regions like the Betuwe and Veluwe, and through marriages, added the County of Zutphen. Their control of important rivers such as the Rhine, Waal, Meuse, and IJssel helped them become important during the Middle Ages.

Over time, Gelderland became a duchy in 1339. It later joined the Netherlands and faced many changes in rule. During the Second World War, there were important battles in the area, especially at the Battle of Arnhem.

Geography

Gelderland, the largest province in the Netherlands, can be split into four main areas. In the north is the Veluwe, the southwest includes Rivierenland and Betuwe, the east is called Achterhoek, and the centre-south has the cities of Arnhem and Nijmegen.

The province has many towns and cities grouped into four areas. Some of the towns in the Veluwe area include Apeldoorn, Ede, and Harderwijk. In South West Gelderland, you can find towns like Tiel and Zaltbommel. The Achterhoek area includes places such as Doetinchem and Winterswijk. The Arnhem & Nijmegen area has big cities like Arnhem and Nijmegen, along with smaller towns such as Beuningen and Westervoort.

Gelderland has over 5,000 kilometers of cycle paths for people to ride their bikes.

Economy

The economy of Gelderland was quite strong in 2018. The total value of goods and services made in the region was €78.3 billion, which was about 10.1% of all the goods and services made in the Netherlands that year. When looking at how much money people could buy with their earnings, the average person in Gelderland had €33,000, which is a bit more than the average in the European Union.

Culture

Gelderland has many interesting places to visit, such as museums like the Netherlands Open Air Museum and Museum Arnhem in Arnhem. You can also find beautiful palaces like Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn and enjoy shows in theatres and concerts in cities like Nijmegen and Arnhem. Some famous spots for music and events include Luxor Live and the GelreDome stadium, both in Arnhem. Many visitors come to see important historical sites related to the Battle of Arnhem, such as the John Frost Bridge and the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery in Oosterbeek.

Religion

In 2015, many people in Gelderland had different beliefs. About 23% were part of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, and around 22% were Roman Catholic. A small group, about 4%, followed Islam, and another 5% had other faiths. Almost half of the people, or 46%, did not follow any particular religion.

Media references

In the 2001 movie A Knight's Tale, the main character, William Thatcher (played by Heath Ledger), pretends to be a knight called "Ulrich von Lichtenstein from Gelderland".