Editing South Holland (section)

==Geography==
South Holland covers an area of {{convert|3308|km2|abbr=on}}, of which {{convert|609|km2|abbr=on}} is water. It borders the [[North Sea]] to the west, [[North Holland]] to the north, [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]] and [[Gelderland]] to the east, and [[North Brabant]] and [[Zeeland]] to the south. Beside the dunes along the North Sea coast, the province is almost entirely flat and mostly consists of [[polder]]s. The centre of South Holland and the area along the coast in the west are largely urban, part of the [[Randstad]] conurbation, while the east of the province is more agrarian and belongs to the [[Groene Hart]], literally ''Green Heart''. The south of the province is a collection of islands in the [[Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta]]. For census reasons, South Holland is divided into five regions: [[Rijnmond]], [[Zuid-Holland Zuid|South]], [[Zuid-Holland West|West]], [[Zuid-Holland Oost|East]], and [[Hook of Holland|Southwest]].

The [[Duin- en Bollenstreek]] is a region in the northwest of South Holland, around [[Katwijk]], that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. To the south of the region lie mostly pastures on sand soil, that form the transition to more urban area. This urban area runs along the [[Oude Rijn (Utrecht and South Holland)|Old Rhine]], from Katwijk via [[Rijnsburg]] to [[Leiden]] and [[Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk]]. South of Leiden and north of [[The Hague]] lies an area where a landscape of dunes bordering the North Sea in the west transitions to one of peat more to the east. The easternmost tip of South Holland is part of [[De Biesbosch]], one of the largest national parks of the Netherlands and one of the last freshwater tide areas in Europe. Other parks in South Holland, although no national parks, include [[Delftse Hout]] east of [[Delft]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Delftse_Hout|title=Category:Delftse Hout |publisher=Wikimedia Commons}}</ref> [[Ackerdijkse Plassen]], a [[bird reserve]] north of Rotterdam,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/ackerdijkse-plassen |title=Ackerdijkse plassen web page in Dutch |access-date=4 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019073245/http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/ackerdijkse-plassen |archive-date=19 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Buytenpark]] and [[Westerpark (Zoetermeer)|Westerpark]] near Zoetermeer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.zoetermeer.nl/sport-vrije-tijd/parken_3397/item/westerpark_27739.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212061118/http://www.zoetermeer.nl/sport-vrije-tijd/parken_3397/item/westerpark_27739.html|url-status=dead|title=Page in Dutch about Westerpark on site Zoetermeer municipality|archivedate=12 December 2013}}</ref> The [[Kagerplassen]] are a collection of lakes north-east of Leiden, popular for boating, watersports, fishing, camping and walking.

The southern part of South Holland consists of a number of [[island]]s of the [[Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta]]. Although technically islands in the sense that they are surrounded by rivers, canals or other bodies of water, most of these islands are well connected to the rest of the province via bridges, tunnels and dams. The southern islands, most notably [[Goeree-Overflakkee]] (1 on the map), [[Tiengemeten]] (2), [[Hoeksche Waard]] (6) and [[Voorne-Putten]] (4/5), are largely agrarian, while more to the north, the islands are more urban, such as [[Dordrecht]] (7), [[IJsselmonde (island)|IJsselmonde]] (9) and [[Rozenburg]] (10), while other islands, like [[Rozenburg (island)|Rozenburg]] (10), are mostly used for petrochemical industry. Together, these cities form the [[Rijnmond]] conurbation, centred on the city of [[Rotterdam]]. Together with [[Haaglanden]] (centred on [[The Hague]]) and [[Midden-Delfland|Delfland]] (centred on [[Delft]]) in the north, and the [[Drechtsteden]] to the south-east, this conurbation in turn forms the [[Zuidvleugel|South Wing]] of the [[Randstad]] conurbation, which spans across South Holland, North Holland and Utrecht.

Other regions in South Holland include [[Alblasserwaard]], [[Gouwestreek]] ("The [[Gouwe]] Area"), [[Hoeksche Waard]], [[Krimpenerwaard]], [[Rijnland]] ("Rhineland"), [[Rijnstreek]] ("The [[Rhine]] Area"), [[Vijfheerenlanden]] and [[Westland (region), Netherlands|Westland]] (roughly including [[Hook of Holland]] and the municipalities of [[Westland (region), Netherlands|Westland]] and [[Midden-Delfland]]).

<gallery widths="200px" heights="180px">
RMSDeltaNorth.jpg|A satellite image of the [[Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta]], showing the islands of South Holland
South Holland by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30.jpg|A satellite image of South Holland
2013-Top33-P08-Zuid-Holland.jpg|A topographic map of South Holland as of 2013
</gallery>

===Climate===
Like the rest of the Netherlands, South Holland experiences a temperate [[oceanic climate]], a Cfb-class according to the [[Köppen climate classification]]. The climate is influenced by the North Sea and the [[Atlantic Ocean]], which results in relatively cooler summers and milder winters. Rain showers are common in the fall and winter seasons. Because of the flat surface, wind storms are also not uncommon in the winter. Although rain occurs all year long, the first six months of the year are relatively dry. Eastern winds can result in temporary continental climate conditions with relatively warm and dry summers and cold and stormy winters. The temperature varies between the 2&nbsp;°C and 6&nbsp;°C in the winter and 17&nbsp;°C and 20&nbsp;°C in the summer.
{{Weather box
|location = [[Rotterdam The Hague Airport]]
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 14.1
| Feb record high C = 16.7
| Mar record high C = 21.2
| Apr record high C = 26.7
| May record high C = 30.5
| Jun record high C = 32.8
| Jul record high C = 33.1
| Aug record high C = 34.9
| Sep record high C = 29.0
| Oct record high C = 24.8
| Nov record high C = 18.3
| Dec record high C = 15.1
|year record high C = 34.9
| Jan high C = 6.0
| Feb high C = 6.6
| Mar high C = 9.9
| Apr high C = 13.5
| May high C = 17.5
| Jun high C = 19.9
| Jul high C = 22.2
| Aug high C = 22.1
| Sep high C = 18.9
| Oct high C = 14.7
| Nov high C = 9.9
| Dec high C = 6.6
|year high C = 14.0
| Jan mean C = 3.6
| Feb mean C = 3.7
| Mar mean C = 6.4
| Apr mean C = 9.1
| May mean C = 12.9
| Jun mean C = 15.5
| Jul mean C = 17.8
| Aug mean C = 17.6
| Sep mean C = 14.8
| Oct mean C = 11.2
| Nov mean C = 7.3
| Dec mean C = 4.2
|year mean C = 10.4
| Jan low C = 0.8
| Feb low C = 0.5
| Mar low C = 2.6
| Apr low C = 4.3
| May low C = 7.8
| Jun low C = 10.6
| Jul low C = 13.1
| Aug low C = 12.8
| Sep low C = 10.6
| Oct low C = 7.5
| Nov low C = 4.2
| Dec low C = 1.4
|year low C = 6.4
| Jan record low C = -17.1
| Feb record low C = -13.8
| Mar record low C = -11.4
| Apr record low C = -6.0
| May record low C = -1.4
| Jun record low C = 0.5
| Jul record low C = 3.6
| Aug record low C = 4.6
| Sep record low C = 0.4
| Oct record low C = -5.1
| Nov record low C = -7.5
| Dec record low C = -13.3
|year record low C = -17.1
|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 69.4
| Feb precipitation mm = 57.9
| Mar precipitation mm = 64.9
| Apr precipitation mm = 42.6
| May precipitation mm = 58.3
| Jun precipitation mm = 65.2
| Jul precipitation mm = 74.0
| Aug precipitation mm = 81.0
| Sep precipitation mm = 87.1
| Oct precipitation mm = 90.1
| Nov precipitation mm = 87.1
| Dec precipitation mm = 78.3
|year precipitation mm = 855.6
|unit precipitation days = 1&nbsp;mm
| Jan precipitation days = 12
| Feb precipitation days = 10
| Mar precipitation days = 12
| Apr precipitation days = 9
| May precipitation days = 9
| Jun precipitation days = 10
| Jul precipitation days = 10
| Aug precipitation days = 10
| Sep precipitation days = 12
| Oct precipitation days = 12
| Nov precipitation days = 13
| Dec precipitation days = 13
|year precipitation days = 131
| Jan snow days = 6
| Feb snow days = 5
| Mar snow days = 4
| Apr snow days = 2
| May snow days = 0
| Jun snow days = 0
| Jul snow days = 0
| Aug snow days = 0
| Sep snow days = 0
| Oct snow days = 0
| Nov snow days = 2
| Dec snow days = 4
|year snow days = 22
|Jan humidity = 88
|Feb humidity = 85
|Mar humidity = 83
|Apr humidity = 78
|May humidity = 77
|Jun humidity = 79
|Jul humidity = 79
|Aug humidity = 80
|Sep humidity = 84
|Oct humidity = 86
|Nov humidity = 89
|Dec humidity = 89
| Jan sun = 62.5
| Feb sun = 83.8
| Mar sun = 124.0
| Apr sun = 174.9
| May sun = 213.9
| Jun sun = 203.6
| Jul sun = 213.1
| Aug sun = 196.6
| Sep sun = 137.6
| Oct sun = 106.9
| Nov sun = 60.4
| Dec sun = 46.7
|year sun = 1623.8
|source 1 = [[Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute]] (1981–2010 normals, snowy days normals for 1971–2000)<ref>
{{cite web
  |       url = http://www.klimaatatlas.nl/tabel/stationsdata/klimtab_8110_344.pdf
  |     title = Klimaattabel Rotterdam, langjarige gemiddelden, tijdvak 1981–2010
  | publisher = [[Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute]]
  |  language = nl
  |access-date = 10 September 2013
}}</ref>
|source 2 = Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (1971–2000 extremes)<ref>
{{cite web
 |url        = http://www.knmi.nl/klimatologie/normalen1971-2000/per_station/stn344/5-extremen/344_extremen.pdf
 |title      = Klimaattabel Rotterdam, langjarige extremen, tijdvak 1971–2000
 |publisher  = Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
 |language   = nl
 |access-date = 10 September 2013
}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
}}

===Municipalities===
{{Main article|List of municipalities in South Holland}}

South Holland is divided into 50 [[Municipalities in the Netherlands|municipalities]].

{{colbegin}}
* Leiden & Bollenstreek COROP group
** [[Hillegom]]
** [[Kaag en Braassem]]
** [[Katwijk]]
** [[Leiden]]
** [[Leiderdorp]]
** [[Lisse]]
** [[Noordwijk]]
** [[Oegstgeest]]
** [[Teylingen]]
** [[Voorschoten]]
** [[Zoeterwoude]]
* The Hague COROP group
** [[The Hague]]
** [[Leidschendam-Voorburg]]
** [[Pijnacker-Nootdorp]]
** [[Rijswijk]]
** [[Wassenaar]]
** [[Zoetermeer]]
* Delft & Westland COROP group
** [[Delft]]
** [[Midden-Delfland]]
** [[Westland (municipality), Netherlands|Westland]]
* East South Holland COROP group
** [[Alphen aan den Rijn]]
** [[Bodegraven-Reeuwijk]]
** [[Gouda, South Holland|Gouda]]
** [[Krimpenerwaard]]
** [[Nieuwkoop]]
** [[Waddinxveen]]
* Rijnmond COROP group
** [[Albrandswaard]]
** [[Barendrecht]]
** [[Capelle aan den IJssel]]
** [[Goeree-Overflakkee]]
** [[Hoeksche Waard (municipality)|Hoeksche Waard]]
** [[Krimpen aan den IJssel]]
** [[Lansingerland]]
** [[Maassluis]]
** [[Nissewaard]]
** [[Ridderkerk]]
** [[Rotterdam]]
** [[Schiedam]]
** [[Vlaardingen]]
** [[Voorne aan Zee]]
** [[Zuidplas]]
* South East South Holland COROP group
** [[Alblasserdam]]
** [[Dordrecht]]
** [[Gorinchem]]
** [[Hardinxveld-Giessendam]]
** [[Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht]]
** [[Molenlanden]]
** [[Papendrecht]]
** [[Sliedrecht]]
** [[Zwijndrecht, Netherlands|Zwijndrecht]]
{{colend}}