Editing Flevoland

{{Short description|Province of the Netherlands}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2010}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Province of Flevoland
| native_name             = {{native name|nl|Provincie Flevoland}}
| native_name_lang        = nl
| image_shield            = Flevoland wapen.svg
| image_flag              = Flag of Flevoland.svg
| settlement_type         = [[Province of the Netherlands]]
| image_map               = Flevoland in the Netherlands.svg
| map_caption             = Location of Flevoland in the Netherlands
| image_map1              = Prov-Flevoland-OpenTopo.jpg
| map_caption1            = Topography map of Flevoland
| coordinates             = {{coord|52|32|N|5|40|E|type:adm1st_region:NL-FL|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[Netherlands]]
| established_title       = Inclusion
| established_date        = 1986
| seat_type               = Capital
| seat                    = [[Lelystad]]
| seat1_type              = Largest city
| seat1                   = [[Almere]]
| leader_title            = [[King's Commissioner]]
| leader_party            = [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]]
| leader_name             = [[Arjen Gerritsen]]
| leader_title1           = Council
| leader_name1            = [[States of Flevoland]]
| anthem                  = "[[Waar wij steden doen verrijzen...]]"<br /><small>"Where we make cities arise..."</small>
| unit_pref               = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes          = &nbsp;(2023)<ref name="AC">[https://allecijfers.nl/provincie/flevoland/#100-onderwerpen Statistieken provincie Flevoland - Gegevens over meer dan 100 onderwerpen!], AlleCijfers.nl</ref>
| area_total_km2          = 2412
| area_land_km2           = 1410
| area_water_km2          = 1002
| area_rank               = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|10th]]
| population_footnotes    = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/37230ned/table|title=CBS StatLine|website=opendata.cbs.nl}}</ref>
| population_total        = 444701
| population_as_of        = 1 January 2023
| population_density_km2  = 315
| population_density_rank = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|8th]]
| population_rank         = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|11th]]
| demographics_type1      = GDP
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en | title=EU regions by GDP, Eurostat|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1    = Total
| demographics1_info1     = €15.476 billion
| demographics1_title2    = Per capita
| demographics1_info2     = €36,600
| blank_name_sec2         = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2021)
| blank_info_sec2         = 0.923<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref><br/>{{color|green|very high}} · [[List of provinces of the Netherlands by Human Development Index|9th]]
| iso_code                = NL-FL
| official_name           = 
| website                 = {{URL|www.flevoland.nl}}
| image_blank_emblem      = Flevoland.svg
| blank_emblem_type       = [[Brandmark]]
| blank_emblem_size       = 120px
}}

'''Flevoland''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈfleːvoːlɑnt|-|253 Flevoland.ogg}}) is the twelfth and newest [[province of the Netherlands]], established in 1986, when the southern and eastern [[Flevopolder]]s, together with the [[Noordoostpolder]], were merged into one provincial entity. It is in the centre of the country in the former [[Zuiderzee]], which was turned into the freshwater [[IJsselmeer]] by the closure of the [[Afsluitdijk]] in 1932. Almost all of the land belonging to Flevoland was [[Land reclamation in the Netherlands|reclaimed]] in the 1950s and 1960s<ref>{{cite book | title = How it works : science and technology | url =https://archive.org/details/howitworks09mars| url-access =registration| publisher = Marshall Cavendish | location = New York | year = 2003 | page = [https://archive.org/details/howitworks09mars/page/1208 1208] | isbn = 0761473238 }}</ref> while splitting the [[Markermeer]] and [[Bordering lakes]] from the IJsselmeer. As to dry land, it is the smallest province of the Netherlands at {{cvt|1410|km2|mi2}}, but not gross land as that includes much of the waters of the fresh water lakes (meres) mentioned.<ref name="CBS_key_figs">{{cite web |url=https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/70072ned/table?dl=3B9E6 |title=Regionale kerncijfers Nederland |trans-title=Regional key figures Netherlands |language=nl |date=17 June 2020 |work=CBS Statline |publisher=[[Statistics Netherlands|CBS]] |access-date=21 June 2020}}</ref>

The province had a population of about 445,000<ref name="CBS_key_figs" /> as of January 2023 and consists of six [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|municipalities]]. Its capital is [[Lelystad]] and its most populous city is [[Almere]], which forms part of the [[Randstad]] and has grown to become the seventh largest city of the country. Flevoland is bordered in the extreme north by [[Friesland]], in the northeast by [[Overijssel]], and in the northwest by the lakes Markermeer and IJsselmeer. In the southeast, the province borders on [[Gelderland]]; in the southwest on [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]] and [[North Holland]]. Outside urban areas, the land in Flevoland is predominantly used for [[agriculture]].

==Etymology==
Flevoland was named after [[Lacus Flevo]], a name recorded in [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] sources for a large inland lake at the southern end of the later-formed Zuiderzee;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Everett-Heath |first1=John |title=Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names |date=22 October 2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-190563-6 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636-e-2293 |access-date=25 January 2025 |language=en |chapter=Flevoland}}</ref> it was mentioned by the Roman geographer [[Pomponius Mela]] in his ''De Chorographia'' in 44 AD. Due to the slowly rising sea level, a number of lakes gradually developed in the Zuiderzee region, which eventually became contiguous. Pomponius wrote about this: "The northern branch of the Rhine extends to Lake Flevo, which encloses an island of the same name and then flows to the sea like a normal river." Other sources speak of Flevum, which means 'flow'. The process continued and gradually the Zuiderzee arose from this lake. The names "Flevoland" and "Vlieland" have the same origin.

==History==
Between 790 and 1250, Lake Flevo became connected with the North Sea. As a result, a number of villages were swallowed by the sea. The newly created inland sea was called Almere.

After a [[Flood of 1916|flood in 1916]], the decision was made to enclose and reclaim the Zuiderzee, an inland sea within the Netherlands, and thus the [[Zuiderzee Works]] started. Other sources<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.flevoland.nl/english/from-past-to-present/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803111622/http://www.flevoland.nl/english/from-past-to-present/|title=Pagina niet gevonden|date=21 February 2019|archive-date=3 August 2013|website=Provincie Flevoland}}</ref> indicate other times and reasons, but also agree that in 1932, the [[Afsluitdijk]] was completed, which closed off the sea completely. The Zuiderzee was later divided into [[IJsselmeer]] ([[mere (lake)|mere]] at the end of the river [[IJssel]]) and [[Markermeer]], planned to be mostly drained to make the [[Markerwaard]]. The Markerwaard was never built due to post-War [[fiscal conservatism|fiscal austerity]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}

The first land reclaimed was the northeast [[polder]] (''[[Noordoostpolder]]'') in 1942. This took in the former small islands [[Urk]] and [[Schokland]]. It was at first added to the Province of [[Overijssel]].

In the southwest the [[Flevopolder]] &ndash; larger than the above &ndash; was then reclaimed; its northeastern half in 1957 and its southwestern half in 1968.

A key feature of the latter is a narrow body of water kept at three metres below sea level along the former coastline, to stabilize the water table and prevent coastal towns from losing their waterfront and access to the sea. Thus, the [[Flevopolder]] became an artificial island joined to the mainland by bridges. The municipalities on the three parts voted to become a province, shortly before this was effected in 1986.

Since that time, Flevoland is the youngest of the 12 [[provinces of the Netherlands]], having been granted this status in 1986. Its current sources of revenue are the cultivation of flowers, farming and tourism. In recent times, it has built many [[wind turbine]]s as a source of [[renewable energy]].

== Geography ==
=== Zuiderzee Works ===
{{main|Zuiderzee Works}}

Eastern Flevoland (''Oostelijk Flevoland'' or ''Oost-Flevoland'') and Southern Flevoland (''Zuidelijk Flevoland'' or ''Zuid-Flevoland''), unlike the [[Noordoostpolder]], have broad channel between them and the mainland: the [[Veluwemeer]] and [[Gooimeer]], respectively, making them, together, the world's largest [[artificial island]].

They are two polders with a joint hydrological infrastructure, with a dividing dike in the middle, the ''Knardijk'', that will keep one polder safe if the other is flooded. The two main drainage canals that traverse the dike can be closed by [[floodgates]] in such an event. The pumping stations are the ''Wortman'' ([[Diesel engine|diesel]] powered) at Lelystad-Haven, the ''Lovink'' near [[Harderwijk]] on the eastern dike and the ''Colijn'' (both [[electric]]ally powered) along the northern dike beside the [[Ketelmeer]].

A new element in the design of Eastern Flevoland is the larger city [[Lelystad]] (1966), named after [[Cornelis Lely]], the man who had played a crucial role in designing and realising the Zuiderzee Works. Other more conventional settlements already existed by then; [[Dronten]], the major local town, was founded in 1962, followed by two smaller satellite villages, [[Swifterbant]] and [[Biddinghuizen]], in 1963. These three were incorporated in the new municipality of [[Dronten]] on 1 January 1972.

Southern Flevoland has only one pumping station, the diesel-powered ''De Blocq van Kuffeler''. Because of the hydrological union of the two Flevolands, it simply joins the other three in maintaining the water level of both polders. Almere relieves the housing shortage and increasing overcrowding on the old land. Its name is derived from the early medieval name for [[Almere (lake)|Lake Almere]]. Almere was to be divided into three major settlements initially; the first, ''Almere-Haven'' (1976) situated along the coast of the Gooimeer (one of the peripheral lakes), the second and largest was to fulfill the role of city centre as ''Almere-Stad'' (1980), and the third was ''Almere-Buiten'' (1984) to the northwest towards Lelystad. In 2003, the [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] made a new ''Structuurplan'' which started development of three new settlements: ''Overgooi'' in the southeast, ''Almere-Hout'' in the east, and ''Almere-Poort'' in the West. In time, ''Almere-Pampus'' could be developed in the northwest, with possibly a new bridge over the [[IJmeer]] towards [[Amsterdam]].

The [[Oostvaardersplassen]] is a landscape of shallow pools, islets, and swamps. Originally, this low part of the new polder was destined to become an industrial area. Spontaneous settlement of interesting flora and fauna turned the area into a nature park, of such importance that the new railway line was diverted. The recent decline in agricultural land use will in time make expanding ''natural'' land use possible, and connect the Oostvaardersplassen to the [[Veluwe]].

The centre of the polder most closely resembles the prewar polders in that it is almost exclusively agricultural. In contrast, the southeastern part is dominated by extensive forests. Here is also found the only other settlement of the polder, [[Zeewolde]] (1984), again a more conventional town acting as the local centre. Zeewolde became a municipality at the same time as Almere, on 1 January 1984, which in the case of Zeewolde meant that the municipality existed before the town itself, with only farms in the surrounding land to be governed until the town started to grow.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="165px">
File:Noordoostpolder by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30.jpg|alt=|Northeastern Flevoland: [[Noordoostpolder]]
File:Flevopolder by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30.jpg|alt=|Eastern and Southern Flevoland: [[Flevopolder]]
</gallery>

=== Municipalities ===
{|
|
# [[Almere]] – far west of southern island
# [[Dronten]] – far east of southern island
# [[Lelystad]] – middle of northern edge of southern island
# [[Noordoostpolder]] – most of north-eastern polder
# [[Urk]] – small area on west of north-eastern polder
# [[Zeewolde]] – southern part of southern island
|<imagemap>
File:GemeentenFlevolandNrs.png|right|Gemeenten in Flevoland

circle 67 36 4 [[Urk]]
poly 70 32 63 28 62 19 68 3 79 -1 90 10 100 15 108 29 105 34 111 39 92 47 69 47 69 39 [[Noordoostpolder]]
poly 66 48 72 53 90 57 95 67 88 88 64 101 67 94 61 93 62 86 58 80 63 76 60 72 63 65 59 55 [[Dronten]]
poly 18 85 40 72 42 62 51 60 56 53 60 70 63 76 59 79 59 86 61 93 54 97 41 87 27 94 [[Lelystad]]
poly 23 97 41 87 55 100 61 94 65 94 66 103 57 103 53 108 55 114 52 122 38 124 26 116 35 114 [[Zeewolde]]
poly -1 99 15 87 30 93 24 97 33 113 27 117 13 108 2 110 0 102 [[Almere]]

desc bottom-right
</imagemap>
|}

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations
|title       = Historical population
|type        = none
|align       = right
|source      =  Population dynamics; birth, death and migration per region], CBS StatLine, 4 August 2023<ref>{{cite web | url=https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/en/dataset/37259ENG/table | title=CBS Statline }}</ref>
|1986 |177,000
|1990 |211,507
|2000 |317,206
|2010 |387,881
|2020 |423,021
}}

On 1 January 2023, Flevoland had a total population of 444,701 and a population density of {{convert|315|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="AC"/> It is the [[Provinces of the Netherlands|2nd least populous province of the Netherlands]], with only [[Zeeland]] having fewer people. The city of [[Almere]] is the most populous municipality in the province.

==Religion==
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Flevoland (2015)<ref name="religieus">[https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2016/51/helft-nederlanders-is-kerkelijk-of-religieus Helft Nederlanders is kerkelijk of religieus], CBS, 22 december 2016</ref>
|label1 = Not religious
|value1 = 55.2
|color1 = Gray
|label2 = [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands]]
|value2 = 15.5
|color2 = DodgerBlue
|label3 = [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]]
|value3 = 12.2
|color3 = DarkOrchid
|label4 = Other
|value4 = 9.9
|color4 = Turquoise
|label5 = Islam
|value5 = 7.2
|color5 = Green
}}

In 2015, 15.5% of the population belonged to the [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands]] while 12.3% was [[Roman Catholic]], 7.2% was [[Islam|Muslim]] and 9.9% belonged to other churches or faiths. Over half (55.2%) of the population identified as non-religious.

== Politics ==
[[File:Arjen Gerritsen.jpg|thumbnail|left|upright|{{ill|Arjen Gerritsen|nl}}, the [[King's commissioner|King's Commissioner]] of Flevoland]]

Since 2023, the [[King's commissioner|King's Commissioner]] of [[List of King's and Queen's commissioners of Flevoland|Flevoland]] is {{ill|Arjen Gerritsen|nl}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flevoland.nl/english/flevoland-a-european-prov/summer-school/speakers/leen-verbeek/ |title=Leen Verbeek |access-date=2015-03-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402150404/http://www.flevoland.nl/english/flevoland-a-european-prov/summer-school/speakers/leen-verbeek/ |archive-date=2 April 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> who is a member of the [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] (VVD).

The [[Provincial Council of Flevoland]] has 41 seats. At the [[2023 Dutch provincial elections|provincial elections in March 2023]], the [[Farmer–Citizen Movement]] (BBB) became the largest party with 10 seats. The [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] (VVD) is second largest with 4 seats, after which the [[Party for Freedom]] (PVV), [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (PvdA) and [[GroenLinks|Green Left]] ({{langx|nl|GroenLinks}}, GL) won 3 seats each. [[Christian Democratic Appeal]] (CDA), [[Democrats 66]] (D66), [[Party for the Animals]] (PvdD), [[Socialist Party (Netherlands)|Socialist Party]] (SP), [[Christian Union (Netherlands)|Christian Union]] (CU), [[Reformed Political Party]] (SGP), [[JA21]] and [[Forum for Democracy (Netherlands)|Forum for Democracy]] (FVD) all won 2 seats each. [[50PLUS]] and [[Strong Local Flevoland]] (SLP), a regional party, both won 1 seat each.

== Economy ==
The [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) of the province was €14 billion in 2018, accounting for 1.8% of the Netherlands' economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €29,500 or 98% of the EU27 average in the same year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018|website=Eurostat}}</ref>

== Transport ==
=== Rail ===
{{Further|List of railway stations in Flevoland}}

The Flevopolder is served by the [[Weesp–Lelystad railway|Flevolijn]], running from Weesp to Lelystad, and the [[Lelystad–Zwolle railway|Hanzelijn]], continuing from Lelystad towards Zwolle. The two railways stations of the province with intercity services are [[Almere Centrum railway station|Almere Centrum]] and [[Lelystad Centrum railway station|Lelystad Centrum]].

{| class="wikitable" |
! Trajectory !! Railway stations in Flevoland
|-
| [[Weesp–Lelystad railway|Weesp–Lelystad]]
| ''North Holland'' – [[Almere Poort railway station|Almere Poort]] – [[Almere Muziekwijk railway station|Almere Muziekwijk]] – [[Almere Centrum railway station|Almere Centrum]] – [[Almere Parkwijk railway station|Almere Parkwijk]] – [[Almere Buiten railway station|Almere Buiten]] – [[Almere Oostvaarders railway station|Almere Oostvaarders]] – [[Lelystad Centrum railway station|Lelystad Centrum]]
|- 
| [[Lelystad–Zwolle railway|Lelystad–Zwolle]]
| [[Lelystad Centrum railway station|Lelystad Centrum]] – [[Dronten railway station|Dronten]] – ''Overijssel''
|}

Furthermore, [[Lelystad Zuid railway station|Lelystad Zuid]] is a planned railway station between Almere Oostvaarders and Lelystad Centrum. It has been partially constructed preceding the opening of the railway in 1988, but construction has been put on indefinite hold because of slower-than-expected development of the city of Lelystad.

Amongst the cities with direct train connections to Flevoland are [[Amsterdam]], [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]], [[The Hague]], [[Zwolle]], [[Groningen]], [[Leeuwarden]] and [[Schiphol Airport]].

<gallery widths="200px" heights="150px">
File:Station Almere centraal.JPG|[[Almere Centrum railway station]]
File:Station Lelystad C.jpg|[[Lelystad Centrum railway station]]
</gallery>

=== Airport ===
There is one airport in the province: [[Lelystad Airport]]. A second airport, [[Noordoostpolder Airport]] near [[Emmeloord]], was closed in the late 1990s due to town expansion.

==Events==
* [[Lowlands (festival)|A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise]]
* [[Floriade 2022]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Flevoland}}
{{Wikivoyage|Flevoland}}
* [https://www.flevoland.nl/ Official website]
* [[Zuiderzee Museum]]

{{Flevoland Province}}
{{Provinces of the Netherlands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Flevoland| ]]
[[Category:1986 establishments in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:Polders of Flevoland]]
[[Category:Provinces of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1986]]
[[Category:Zuiderzee Works]]