Zuiderzee / IJsselmeer

Originally the Zuiderzee was a bay in the North Sea. After it was cut off by the Afsluitdijk in 1932 its name was changed to the IJsselmeer. The plan was to reclaim some of the land for industry and agriculture and for use as residential areas. Some of the polders, as the reclaimed areas are called, are already in use: the Wieringermeer polder, covering 20,000 hectares (49,420 acres) was reclaimed as early as 1930; the Noordoostpolder (1942) covers 48,000 hectares (118,608 acres), and the reclamation of the East Flevoland polder (54,000 hectares/133,434 acres) and the South Flevoland polder (43,000 hectares/106,253 acres) was completed in 1957 and 1968 respectively. Lelystad in East Flevoland is to become a residential and industrial