Editing Netherlands (section)

=== Administrative divisions ===

[[File:Map provinces Netherlands-en.svg|thumb|upright=0.9|[[Provinces of the Netherlands|Provinces]] and [[Caribbean Netherlands#Administration|territories]] of the Netherlands]]

{{Main|Administrative divisions of the Netherlands|Public body (Netherlands)}}

The Netherlands is divided into twelve provinces, each under a [[King's Commissioner]]. All provinces are divided into [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipalities]] (''gemeenten''), of which there are 342 (2023).<ref name="CBS_code">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/onze-diensten/methoden/classificaties/overig/gemeentelijke-indelingen-per-jaar/indeling-per-jaar/gemeentelijke-indeling-op-1-januari-2023 |title=Gemeentelijke indeling op 1 januari 2023 |trans-title=Municipalities on 1 January 2021 |language=nl |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |work=CBS Classifications |publisher=[[Statistics Netherlands|CBS]] |access-date=16 January 2023}}</ref>

The country is subdivided into 21 water districts, governed by a [[Water board (Netherlands)|water board]] (''waterschap'' or ''hoogheemraadschap''), each having authority in matters concerning water management.<ref name=WATER>{{cite web|url=http://www.uvw.nl/de-waterschappen.html |title=De waterschappen |language=nl |access-date=7 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103064157/http://www.uvw.nl/de-waterschappen.html |archive-date=3 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.waterschappen.nl/mijn-waterschap/ |title=Mijn waterschap |language=nl |access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref> The creation of water boards pre-dates that of the nation itself, the first appearing in 1196. The Dutch water boards are among the oldest democratic entities in the world still in existence. Direct elections of the water boards take place every four years.

Within the Dutch town of [[Baarle-Nassau]], are 22 Belgian [[Enclave and exclave|exclaves]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.exclave.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=10|title=Baarle-Hertog and Baarle Nassau|website=Exclave.eu|access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref> and within those are 8 Dutch [[Enclave and exclave|enclaves]].
<!--As prose text is preferred overly detailed data charts and diagrams such as weather data boxes, population charts and past elections results etc should be reserved for main sub articles on the topic as per WP:DETAIL.--->

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="width:60em" {{right}}
|-
! style=width:8em | Province
! style=width:7em | Capital
! style=width:6em | Largest city
! Total area<br/>(km<sup>2</sup>)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.waarstaatjeprovincie.nl/Paginas/Ruimtelijke%20ordening/Oppervlakte.aspx |title=Oppervlakte |access-date=10 January 2020 |archive-date=4 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504021427/https://www.waarstaatjeprovincie.nl/Paginas/Ruimtelijke%20ordening/Oppervlakte.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref>
! Land area<br/>(km<sup>2</sup>)<ref name="NL data">{{cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/netherlands/cities/ |title=Netherlands : Major Urban Centers |date=15 September 2022 |website=City Population |access-date=28 October 2023}}</ref>
! Population<br/>(2023)<ref name="NL data"/>
! Density<br/>(/km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Drenthe}} || colspan="2" | {{center| [[Assen]]}}
| 2,680 || 2,633 || 502,051 || 191
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Flevoland}} || {{center| [[Lelystad]]}} || {{center| [[Almere]]}}
| 2,412 || 1,410 || 444,701 || 315
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Friesland}} || colspan="2" | {{center| [[Leeuwarden]]}}
| 5,753 || 3,340 || 659,551 || 197
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Gelderland}} || {{center| [[Arnhem]]}} || {{center| [[Nijmegen]]}}
| 5,136 || 4,960 || 2,133,708 || 430
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Groningen}} || colspan="2" | {{center| [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]]}}
| 2,955 || 2,316 || 596,075 || 257
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Limburg (Netherlands)|name=Limburg}} || colspan="2" | {{center| [[Maastricht]]}}
| 2,210 || 2,145 || 1,128,367 || 526
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|North Brabant }} || {{center| [['s-Hertogenbosch]]}} || {{center| [[Eindhoven]]}}
| 5,082 || 4,902 || 2,626,210 || 536
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|North Holland}} || {{center| [[Haarlem]]}} || {{center| [[Amsterdam]]}}
| 4,092 || 2,663 || 2,952,622 || 1,109
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Overijssel}} || {{center| [[Zwolle]]}} || {{center| [[Enschede]]}}
| 3,421 || 3,317 || 1,184,333 || 357
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|South Holland}} || {{center| [[The Hague]]}} || {{center| [[Rotterdam]]}}
| 3,308 || 2,698 || 3,804,906 || 1,410
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Utrecht}} || colspan="2" | {{center| [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]]}}
| 1,560 || 1,484 || 1,387,643 || 935
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Zeeland}} || colspan="2" | {{center| [[Middelburg, Zeeland|Middelburg]]}}
| 2,933 || 1,780 || 391,124 || 220
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan="3"| Mainland
! 41,543 || 33,647 || 17,811,291 || 529
|}

The administrative structure on the three BES islands, collectively known as the [[Caribbean Netherlands]], is outside the twelve provinces. These islands have the status of ''openbare lichamen ([[Public body (Netherlands)|public bodies]])''.<ref name=WOLBES>{{cite web|url=http://www.eerstekamer.nl/wetsvoorstel/31954_wet_openbare_lichamen|title=31.954, Wet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba|language=nl|publisher=Eerste kamer der Staten-Generaal|quote=De openbare lichamen vallen rechtstreeks onder het Rijk omdat zij geen deel uitmaken van een provincie. <br />"Through the establishment of the BES islands as public bodies, rather than communities, the BES islands' rules may deviate from the rules in the European part of the Netherlands. The Dutch legislation will be introduced gradually. The public bodies fall directly under the central government because they are not part of a province."|access-date=15 October 2010}}</ref> In the Netherlands these administrative units are often referred to as ''special municipalities''.

{| class="sortable wikitable" {{right}}
|-
! Island
! Capital
! Area<br/>(km<sup>2</sup>)<ref name="BES">{{cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/caribbeannetherlands/ |title=Caribbean Netherlands |date=23 July 2023 |website=City Population |access-date=28 October 2023}}</ref>
! Population<br/>(2023)<ref name="BES"/>
! Density<br/>(/km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Bonaire}} || {{center| [[Kralendijk]]}}
| 288 || 24,090 || 84
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Saba}} || {{center| [[The Bottom]]}}
| 13 || 2,035 || 157
|-
| {{left}} {{flag|Sint Eustatius}} || {{center| [[Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius|Oranjestad]]}}
| 21 || 3,293 || 157

|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan="2" | Caribbean Netherlands
! 322 || 29,418 || 91
|}