NOORD-HOLLAND - Geography and history
North Holland borders the North Sea and the IJsselmeer and has a moderate maritime climate. It is a densely populated province,extensive areas of which have been reclaimed from the water over the centuries. Schiphol airport is situated on the old Haarlemmermeer. The area's geomorphology had a profound effect on its urbanization, with towns built on land lying above the water-table. By far the most important city in the province is the national capital, Amsterdam, whose heyday was the 'golden age' of the seventeenth century. Other towns such as Hoorn, Enkhuizen and Alkmaar also have historic centres dating back to this era of prosperity. The province has several other cities: the provincial capital Haarlem, Zaanstad and Hilversum.
The urbanized region of the province forms part of the Randstad, a horseshoe-shaped conurbation also comprising the western part of the neighbouring province of Utrecht and the conurbations of South Holland, including Rotterdam and The Hague. Although well over two-thirds of the inhabitants of North Holland live in its urban districts, the province has large rural expanses, primarily in the north, along the coast and in the southeast, in the wooded Het Gooi region.
The heart of the Netherlands
The city of Amsterdam can be called a metropolis. Its many financial institutions and international business services, plus its cultural and tourist attractions, make it one of Europe's most important centres. The historical character of the town and cultural historical treasures such as the Rembrandt and Van Gogh collections make the city popular with visitors from all over the world. Schiphol airport scores highly in the international ratings: fourth in Europe in terms of freight transport and sixth in terms of passenger numbers. Thanks to its position on the North Sea coast and on the former Zuiderzee, North Holland has for centuries been a leading international centre for transport, trade, financial services and industry.
Contrasts and interdependance
The north and south of North Holland contrast in some respects and show gradual transitions in others. Some 70% of the population and 80% of economic activity are based in the south, with the Amsterdam conurbation as the focus. The industrial zones along the North Sea canal form the dividing line between the densely populated south and the primarily agricultural north. Further large industrial estates are to be found around Schiphol airport, Alkmaar, Haarlem and Hilversum. Many inhabitants of Amsterdam and Haarlem moved in the 1970s to centres of growth such as Alkmaar, Hoorn and Purmerend.The northern outpost of the province, known as the Kop van Noord-Holland, is largely dependent on agriculture, fishing and, on the island of Texel, tourism.The major town in this part of the region, Den Helder, is the home port of the Netherlands navy. The IJsselmeer and the range of dunes along the west coast have substantial tourist and recreational facilities. Leafy garden suburbs accommodating high-income groups are to be found around Haarlem and in Het Gooi.
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