FLEVOLAND - Geography and history
Flevoland lies more or less in the centre of the Netherlands. Flevoland's origin is unique. 1932 saw the completion of the 30-km dyke which transformed the Zuiderzee into an inland lake cut off from the Waddenzee and the North Sea: the IJsselmeer. Parts of this were then reclaimed from the water and turned into three polders, which in 1986 became the 12th province of the Netherlands. Flevoland in fact has a 5 000-year history dating back to the 'Swifterbant culture', remnants of which were discovered during the reclamation work.
With the exception of the former island of Urk, Flevoland lies on the sea bed up to six metres below sea level. A series of dykes and pumping stations keeps the province dry. Three-quarters of its surface is farmed. There are six municipalities, one of them the regional capital, Lelystad, while the rest of Flevoland consists of open countryside, woods and recreational areas. On the shores of the Markermeer is the famous Oostvaardersplassen bird sanctuary, which together with neighbouring areas constitutes one of Europe's most extensive wetlands.
Although major institutions and more than 20 000 firms have established themselves in Flevoland, economic growth is not yet fully self-supporting. There are still quantitative and qualitative gaps in the provision of facilities, and the growth in job opportunities cannot yet keep pace with the booming population. Legislation aimed at stimulating investment is therefore in force in Flevoland. Flevoland benefits from the support of EU Structural Funds.
Because of the region's proximity to the conurbations and its pleasant living conditions, there is a boom in commuter traffic, chiefly to the 'Randstad Holland'. Many former inhabitants of Amsterdam in particular have settled in Flevoland's attractive residential districts, mainly in the fast-growing city of Almere at the western boundary of the province.
Modern towns in a spacious region
The population is concentrated in the urban districts (95%). Almere is situated in the west and during the period 1992-2002, its population almost doubled (increasing by 80 000 inhabitants). In 2003, there were 165 000 inhabitants in Almere. Lelystad (70 000) is the capital of the province. The municipalities of Dronten (35 000) and Emmeloord/Noordoostpolder (45 000) provide services for the surrounding agricultural areas. There is a striking contrast between the district of Zeewolde, whose first inhabitant moved in as recently as 1984, and the former island of Urk with its fishing port, which saw its first settlers in about AD 800. The oldest polder, the Noordoostpolder, still fulfils the agricultural purpose for which it was reclaimed; its farm holdings are modern and, by Netherlands standards, extensive. The other two polders, Oostelijk and Zuidelijk Flevoland, originate from the 1950s and 1960s and reflect the continuing socio-economic history of the Netherlands: they were drained to provide space for the country's population growth in the 1960s and 1970s and hence accommodate the province's main centres of population, services and industry.
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