Editing North Holland

{{short description|Province of the Netherlands}}
{{About|the Dutch province}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Province of North Holland
| native_name        = {{native name|nl|Provincie Noord-Holland}}
| official_name      = 
| settlement_type    = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| image_flag         = Flag of North Holland.svg
| flag_alt           = 
| flag_size          = 115px
| image_seal         = 
| seal_alt           = 
| image_shield       = Noord-Holland wapen.svg
| shield_size        = 55px
| shield_alt         = 
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| anthem             = "Noord-Hollands Volkslied"<ref>{{in lang|nl}} [https://www.noord-holland.nl/Over_de_provincie/Vlag_en_volkslied Noord-Hollands volkslied] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031081320/https://www.noord-holland.nl/Over_de_provincie/Vlag_en_volkslied |date=31 October 2020 }}, Province of North Holland. Retrieved on 19 Januari 2019.</ref><br />(Anthem of North Holland)
| image_map          = Noord-Holland in the Netherlands.svg
| map_alt            = Noord-Holland in the Netherlands
| map_caption        = Location of North Holland in the Netherlands
| image_map1         = Prov-Noord-Holland-OpenTopo.jpg
| map_caption1       = Topography map of North Holland
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_alt    = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| coordinates        = {{coord|52|40|N|4|50|E|region:NL-NH|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint      = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = [[Country]]
| subdivision_name   = Netherlands
| subdivision_type1  = 
| subdivision_name1  = 
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name2  = 
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 1840 ([[Holland|split-up of Holland]])
| founder            = 
| seat_type          = Capital
| seat               = [[Haarlem]]
| seat1_type         = Largest city
| seat1              = [[Amsterdam]]
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party       = [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]]
| leader_title       = [[King's Commissioner]]
| leader_name        = [[Arthur van Dijk]]
| leader_title1      = Council
| leader_name1       = [[States of North Holland]]
| unit_pref          = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->| area_note          = 
| area_water_percent = 
| area_blank2_title  = <!-- square kilometers -->
| area_footnotes     = &nbsp;(2023)<ref name="AC">[https://allecijfers.nl/provincie/noord-holland/#100-onderwerpen Statistieken provincie Noord-Holland - Gegevens over meer dan 100 onderwerpen!], AlleCijfers.nl</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 4092
| area_land_km2      = 2663
| area_water_km2     = 1429
| area_rank          = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|4th]]
| area_blank2_km2    = <!-- hectares -->
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/37230ned/table|title=CBS Statline|website=opendata.cbs.nl}}</ref>
| population_total   = 2,952,622
| population_as_of   = 1 January 2023
| population_density_km2 = 1109
| population_demonym = 
| population_note    = 
| population_density_rank = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|2nd]]
| population_rank    = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|2nd]]
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/figures/detail/84432ENG|title=Regional key figures; National Accounts|website=www.cbs.nl|date=22 December 2023 }}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Total
| demographics2_info1 = €203.766 billion (2022)
| demographics2_title2 = Per capita
| demographics2_info2 = €70,300 (2022)
| blank_name_sec2    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2021)
| blank_info_sec2    = 0.962<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 |access-date=13 September 2018}}</ref><br />{{color|green|very high}} · [[List of provinces of the Netherlands by Human Development Index|2nd of 12]]
| timezone1          = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1        = +1
| timezone1_DST      = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = +2
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code_type     = 
| area_code          = 
| iso_code           = [[ISO 3166-2:NL|NL-NH]]
| website            = {{nowrap|{{URL|www.noord-holland.nl}}}}
| image_blank_emblem = North Holland.svg
| blank_emblem_type  = [[Brandmark]]
| blank_emblem_size  = 120px
}}
'''North Holland''' ({{langx|nl|Noord-Holland}}, {{IPA|nl|ˌnoːrt ˈɦɔlɑnt|pron|374 Noord-Holland.ogg}}) is a [[Provinces of the Netherlands|province]] of the [[Netherlands]] in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the [[North Sea]], north of [[South Holland]] and [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]], and west of [[Friesland]] and [[Flevoland]]. As of January 2023, it had a population of about 2,952,000<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Noord-Holland (Province, Netherlands) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=http://www.citypopulation.de/en/netherlands/admin/NL32__noord_holland/ |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref> and a total area of {{convert|4092|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, of which {{convert|1429|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} is water.

From the 9th to the 16th century, the area was an integral part of the [[County of Holland]]. During this period [[West Friesland (region)|West Friesland]] was incorporated. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the area was part of the province of [[Holland]] and commonly known as the [[Noorderkwartier]] (English: "Northern Quarter"). In 1840, the province of Holland was split into the two provinces of North Holland and South Holland. In 1855, the [[Haarlemmermeer]] was drained and turned into land.

The provincial capital is [[Haarlem]] (pop. 161,265).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/70072ned/table|title=CBS Statline|website=opendata.cbs.nl}}</ref> The province's largest city and also the largest city in the Netherlands is the Dutch capital [[Amsterdam]], with a population of 862,965 as of November 2019. The [[King's Commissioner]] of North Holland is [[Arthur van Dijk]], who has been serving since 2019. There are 45 [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|municipalities]] and three (including parts of) [[Water board (Netherlands)|water boards]] in the province. The busiest airport in the Netherlands and Europe's third-busiest airport, [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol]], is in North Holland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.schiphol.com/71-million-passengers-through-schiphol/|title=71 million passengers through Schiphol|website=71 million passengers through Schiphol}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:DeHors-Texel-SjoerdMartens.jpg|left|[[Duinen van Texel National Park|National Park Duinen van Texel]]|thumb]]
[[File:Amsterdam, Netherlands (Unsplash 2Hs8zbwOLDA).jpg|thumb|left|[[Damrak]], [[Amsterdam]]]]
[[File:Hartekamp-2011.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hartekamp]], [[Heemstede]]]]
[[File:Binnenstad Hoorn, 1621 Hoorn, Netherlands - panoramio (71).jpg|left|thumb|[[Hoorn]]]]
[[File:Boulevard zandvoort.JPG|thumb|left|[[Zandvoort]]]]
[[File:Paviljoen Welgelegen.tif|thumb|250px|Government house of North Holland province, [[Villa Welgelegen]], in [[Haarlem]]]]

===Emergence of a new province (1795 to 1840)===
The province of North Holland as it is today has its origins in the period of French rule from 1795 to 1813. This was a time of bewildering changes to the Dutch system of provinces. In 1795, the old order was swept away and the [[Batavian Republic]] was established. In the Constitution enacted on 23 April 1798, the old borders were radically changed. The republic was reorganised into eight departments (''département'') with roughly equal populations. Holland was split up into five departments named "[[Texel]]", "[[Amstel]]", "[[Delft|Delf]]", "[[Scheldt|Schelde]] en [[Meuse|Maas]]", and "[[Rhine|Rijn]]". The first three of these lay within the borders of the old Holland; the latter two were made up of parts of different provinces. In 1801 the old borders were restored when the department of Holland was created. This reorganisation had been short-lived, but it gave birth to the concept of breaking up Holland and making it a less powerful province.

In 1807, Holland was reorganised. This time the two departments were called "Amstelland" (corresponding to the modern province of North Holland) and "Maasland" (corresponding to the modern province of [[South Holland]]). This also did not last long. In 1810, all the Dutch provinces were integrated into the French Empire. Amstelland and Utrecht were amalgamated as the department of "Zuiderzee" ([[Zuyderzée]] in French) and Maasland was renamed "Monden van de Maas" ([[Bouches-de-la-Meuse]] in French).

After the defeat of the French in 1813, this organisation remained unchanged for a year or so. When the 1814 Constitution was introduced, the country was reorganised as provinces and regions (''landschappen''). Zuiderzee and Monden van de Maas were reunited as the province of "Holland". One of the ministers on the constitutional committee (van Maanen) suggested that the old name "Holland and West Friesland" be reintroduced to respect the feelings of the people of that region. This proposal was rejected.

However, the division was not totally reversed. When the province of Holland was re-established in 1814, it was given two governors, one for the former department of Amstelland (area that is now North Holland) and one for the former department of Maasland (now South Holland). Even though the province had been reunited, the two areas were still being treated differently in some ways and the idea of dividing Holland remained alive. During this reorganisation the islands of [[Vlieland]] and [[Terschelling]] were returned to Holland and parts of "Hollands Brabant" (including "Land of Altena") went to [[North Brabant]]. The borders with Utrecht and [[Gelderland]] were definitively set in 1820.

When the constitutional amendments were introduced in 1840, it was decided to split Holland once again, this time into two provinces called "North Holland" and "South Holland". The need for this was not felt in South Holland or in West Friesland (which feared the dominance of [[Amsterdam]]). The impetus came largely from Amsterdam, which still resented the 1838 relocation of the court of appeal to [[The Hague]] in South Holland.

===Urbanisation and economic growth (1840 to today)===
[[File:Broek in waterland 077.JPG|thumb|left|[[Broek in Waterland]]]]
After the [[Haarlemmermeer]] was drained in 1855 and turned into arable land, it was made part of North Holland. In exchange, South Holland received the greater part of the municipality of [[Leimuiden]] in 1864. In 1942, the islands [[Vlieland]] and [[Terschelling]] went back to the province of [[Friesland]]. In 1950, the former island [[Urk]] was ceded to the province of [[Overijssel]].

In February 2011, North Holland, together with the provinces of [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]] and [[Flevoland]], showed a desire to investigate the feasibility of a merger between the three provinces.<ref>{{in lang|nl}} "[http://nos.nl/artikel/216649-drie-provincies-denken-over-fusie.html Drie provincies denken over fusie]", ''[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]]'', 2011.</ref> This has been positively received by the [[First Rutte cabinet]], for the desire to create one [[Randstad]] province has already been mentioned in the [[coalition agreement]].<ref>{{in lang|nl}} "[http://www.rtl.nl/(/actueel/rtlnieuws/)/components/actueel/rtlnieuws/2011/02_februari/04/binnenland/provincies-willen-fusie.xml Randstadprovincies bekijken fusie]", ''[[RTL Nieuws]]'', 2011.</ref> The province of South Holland, part of the Randstad urban area, visioned to be part of the Randstad province,<ref>{{in lang|nl}} Marije Willems, "[http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/02/04/randstadprovincies-onderzoeken-fusie/ Randstadprovincies onderzoeken fusie]", ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', 2011.</ref> and very much supportive of the idea of a merger into one province.<ref>{{in lang|nl}} [http://www.zuid-holland.nl/contentpagina.htm?id=74163 "Echte Randstadprovincie is robuuste oplossing"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724173855/http://www.zuid-holland.nl/contentpagina.htm?id=74163 |date=24 July 2011}}, [[South Holland|Provincie Zuid-Holland]], 2011.</ref> With or without South Holland, if created, the new province would be the largest in the Netherlands in both [[Ranked list of Dutch provinces|area and population]].

==Geography==
{{moresources|section|date=February 2024}}
[[File:North Holland, Friesland and Flevoland by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30 (small version).jpg|alt=|thumb|Satellite image of the North Holland, [[Friesland]] and [[Flevoland]]]]
[[File:Amsterdam with North Sea Canal by Sentinel-2, 2018-06-30.jpg|alt=|thumb|Satellite image of the south of North Holland]]
North Holland is situated at {{coord|52|40|N|4|50|E|display=inline}} in the northwest of the [[Netherlands]] with to the northeast the province of [[Friesland]], to the east the province of [[Flevoland]], to the southeast the province of [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]], to the southwest the province of [[South Holland]], and to the west the [[North Sea]].

North Holland is a broad peninsula for the most part, located between the [[North Sea]], the [[Wadden Sea]], the [[IJsselmeer]], and the [[Markermeer]]. More than half of the province consists of reclaimed [[polder]] land situated below sea level. The [[West Frisian Islands|West Frisian islands]] of [[Noorderhaaks]] and [[Texel]] are also part of the province. North Holland makes up a single region of the [[International Organization for Standardization]] world region code system, having the code [[ISO 3166-2:NL]]-NH.

===Municipalities===
{{See also|List of cities, towns and villages in North Holland}}
[[File:Waterland weg sloot.jpg|thumb|[[Waterland]]]]
As of 24 March 2022, North Holland is divided into 44 [[Municipalities in the Netherlands|municipalities]] ([[local government]]). After the [[dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles]], three islands in the [[Caribbean]]: [[Bonaire]], [[Saba (island)|Saba]], and [[Sint Eustatius]], were offered to join the province. However, the offer has been neither accepted nor rejected. 

North Holland has five municipalities with 100,000 or more inhabitants. They are, in order of size, [[Amsterdam]] (in terms of population this is also the largest municipality in the Netherlands), [[Haarlem]], [[Zaanstad]], [[Haarlemmermeer]] and [[Alkmaar]]. Another seven municipalities have a population between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants ([[Hilversum]], [[Amstelveen]], [[Purmerend]], [[Hoorn]], [[Velsen]], [[Den Helder]] and [[Dijk en Waard]]).

Municipalities are grouped for statistical purposes.
{{Col-begin|width=50%}}
{{Col-2}}
* Kop van North Holland [[COROP]] group
** [[Den Helder]]
** [[Drechterland]]
** [[Enkhuizen]]
** [[Hollands Kroon]]
** [[Hoorn]]
** [[Koggenland]]
** [[Medemblik]]
** [[Opmeer]]
** [[Schagen]]
** [[Stede Broec]]
** [[Texel]]
* Alkmaar agglomeration COROP group
** [[Alkmaar]]
** [[Bergen, North Holland|Bergen]]
** [[Dijk en Waard]]
** [[Heiloo]]
* IJmond COROP group
** [[Beverwijk]]
** [[Castricum]]
** [[Heemskerk]]
** [[Uitgeest]]
** [[Velsen]]
* Haarlem agglomeration COROP group
** [[Bloemendaal]]
** [[Haarlem]]
** [[Heemstede]]
** [[Zandvoort]]
{{Col-2}}
* Zaanstreek COROP group
** [[Wormerland]]
** [[Zaanstad]]
* Greater Amsterdam COROP group
** [[Aalsmeer]]
** [[Amstelveen]]
** [[Amsterdam]]
** [[Diemen]]
** [[Edam-Volendam]]
** [[Haarlemmermeer]]
** [[Landsmeer]]
** [[Oostzaan]]
** [[Ouder-Amstel]]
** [[Purmerend]]
** [[Uithoorn]]
** [[Waterland]]
* Het Gooi and Vechtstreek COROP group
** [[Blaricum]]
** [[Gooise Meren]]
** [[Hilversum]]
** [[Huizen]]
** [[Laren, North Holland|Laren]]
** [[Wijdemeren]]
{{Col-end}}

===Regions in North Holland===
North Holland has various regions that, for historical or other reasons, have their own identities. Some of these regions are unofficial, ill-defined and sometimes overlapping. Others are official and are part of regional groupings artificially created for various administrative purposes. These regions are not the same as the municipalities.

List of some of these unofficial and official regions in North Holland:

* [[Amstelland]] (the area around the [[Amstel]])
* [[Beemster]]
* [[Bollenstreek]] (the flower areas found in both North Holland and South Holland)
* The [[Gooi]] (in Dutch usually "{{lang|nl|Het Gooi}}" or "{{lang|nl|'t Gooi}}")
* [[Groene Hart]] (North Holland, South Holland and Utrecht)
* [[Haarlemmermeer]]
* [[Holland]] (North Holland and South Holland)
* [[IJmond]] ("The Mouth of the [[IJ (Amsterdam)|IJ]]")<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://feelingkeep.com/article/the-ports-of-ijmuiden|title=The ports of IJmuiden; History; Fishing port; The fish auction; Cup port; Seaport Marina|website=feelingkeep.com|language=en|access-date=18 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118182214/http://feelingkeep.com/article/the-ports-of-ijmuiden|archive-date=18 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Citation needed| date=October 2012}}
* [[Kennemerland]]
* [[Purmer]]
* [[Kop van Noord-Holland]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/experience-wadden-sea/touristic-regions/noord-holland|title=Visiting the Kop van Noord-Holland|last=World Heritage|website=Wadden Sea World Heritage|access-date=11 October 2017}}</ref>
* [[Noorderkwartier]] ("North Quarter")<ref>{{Cite book|title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: The Netherlands|publisher=Penguin|year=2011|isbn=9780756684761|pages=169}}</ref>
* [[Noordvleugel]] ("North Wing")<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bertolini|first=Luca|date=10 January 2013|title=Transitions of Mobility Systems in Urban Regions: A Heuristic Framework|journal=Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning|volume=15|issue=2|pages=141–160|doi=10.1080/1523908X.2012.746182|bibcode=2013JEPP...15..141S |s2cid=154878226|url=https://dare.uva.nl/personal/pure/en/publications/transitions-of-mobility-systems-in-urban-regions-a-heuristic-framework(bdc93dc7-65e2-4fc0-9586-6a1d7fb069d3).html}}</ref>
* [[Randstad]] (North Holland, South Holland, Utrecht and Flevoland)
* [[Schermer]]
* [[De Streek]]
* [[Texel]]
* [[Utrecht Hill Ridge|Utrechtse Heuvelrug]] (Utrecht and North Holland)
* [[Vechtstreek]] ("The [[Vecht (Utrecht)|Vecht]] Area") (Utrecht and North Holland)
* [[Waterland]] (now effectively the municipality of Waterland, North Holland)
* [[West Friesland (region)|West-Friesland]]
* [[Wieringen]]
* [[Wieringermeer]]
* [[Wijdewormer]] (De Wormer, North Holland)
* [[Zaanstreek]] ("The [[Zaan]] Area")

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1950|1842604|1960|2054509|1970|2244456|1980|2307646|1990|2376015|2000|2518354|2010|2669084|2020|2879527|align=right|source=[https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/en/dataset/37259ENG/table Population dynamics; birth, death and migration per region], CBS StatLine}}About one in six Dutch people live in North Holland, which resulted in a [[population density]] over eight times the European average as of 2004.<ref>{{Cite news |title=NOORD-HOLLAND - Population |url=https://circabc.europa.eu/webdav/CircaBC/ESTAT/regportraits/Information/nl32_pop.htm |work=[[European Union]]}}</ref>

==Nature==
[[File:Schotse-Hooglander-NPZK-01.JPG|thumb|A [[Highland cattle|Highland]] in Zuid-Kennemerland National Park]]
Some of the best known nature reserves in this province are:
* [[Wadden Sea]]
* [[Zuid-Kennemerland National Park]]
* [[Dunes of Texel National Park]]

More information about nature reserves in North Holland is available (in Dutch) on the relevant site pages of national nature conservation organisations [[Natuurmonumenten]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden/gebieden/noord-holland|title=Natuurgebieden in Noord-Holland|work=Natuurmonumenten}}</ref> and [[Staatsbosbeheer]]
,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.staatsbosbeheer.nl/natuurgebieden/zoekresultaten.aspx?Province=Noord-Holland|title=Natuurgebieden|work=Staatsbosbeheer}}</ref> as well as provincial organisation "Landschap Noord-Holland".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.landschapnoordholland.nl/natuurgebieden/natuurgebieden|title=Natuurgebieden|work=landschapnoordholland.nl}}</ref>

==Organisations and companies based in North Holland==

Several international organisations such as [[Amnesty International]]<ref>[https://www.amnesty.nl/wie-we-zijn/contact Amnesty International], Amsterdam address.</ref> have settled the head office of their Netherlands branch in the province and particularly in [[Amsterdam]]; the international head office of [[Greenpeace]] is located in the city.<ref>[https://workfor.greenpeace.org Work for Greenpeace], official website.</ref> Other companies based in the Netherlands' capital include [[AkzoNobel|Akzo Nobel]], [[Heineken International]], [[ING Group]], [[ABN AMRO]], [[TomTom]], [[Delta Lloyd Group]], [[Booking.com]] and [[Philips]]. [[Randstad NV]] is headquartered in [[Diemen]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.randstad.nl/over-randstad/contact/routebeschrijving | title=route en | publisher=[[Randstad NV]]}}</ref> while [[KPMG]] and [[KLM]] operate from [[Amstelveen]].<ref>[https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/about/offices/amsterdam-1.html "Amstelveen hoofdkantoor"], KPMG.com.</ref><ref>[http://www.amstelveenweb.com/fotodisp&fotodisp=652 KLM Office], Amstelveen.</ref>

Several national nature friendly organisations like [[Milieudefensie]], the national "Union of vegetarians",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vegetariers.nl/|title=De Vegetariërsbond – Vegetariersbond|work=vegetariers.nl}}</ref> the "Vissenbescherming" (Fish protection foundation)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vissenbescherming.nl/|title=Home|website=Vissenbescherming}}</ref> and the [[Party for the Animals]] as well have their head office in North Holland.

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

==External links==
{{Commons category|North Holland}}
{{Wikivoyage|North Holland}}
* [https://www.noord-holland.nl/English/Province_of_Noord_Holland Province of Noord Holland], official government website

{{North Holland Province}}
{{Provinces of the Netherlands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:North Holland| ]]
[[Category:1840 establishments in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:Provinces of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1840]]