Groningen Province

Provincial capital: Groningen

Area: 297,000 hectares/742,500 acres

(land area 235,000 hectares/587,500

acres)

Population: 557,000

The province of Groningen, the "Top of Holland", lies in the extreme northeast of the Netherlands, bounded on the north by the Waddenzee, on the east by Germany, on the south by the province of Drenthe and on the west by Friesland. Largely untouched by tourism, it has sandy soil to the west and east, peat soil in the southeast and clay soil in the north.

Archaeological finds have shown that the province of Groningen was already occupied by man in prehistoric times. Some place names still hark back to Carolingian times. In the Middle Ages monks taught the peasants to build their houses on artificial mounds (terpen) which would provide protection from flooding. A number of monasteries were founded in the 12th century, the most important being the Cistercian house of Aduard. During the 15th century the town of Groningen began to extend its authority far beyond its own boundaries and came into conflict with the inhabitants of the surrounding territories (Ommelanden). During the struggle for independence the Ommelanden were on the side of the States General, while the town was occupied by the Spaniards. The conflict was settled only in 1718, when William IV became Stadholder. During the period of French rule, from about 1800, the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe together with the German territory of East Friesland were combined to form a département. The present provincial boundaries were fixed in 1814. From time immemorial Groningen province was a predominantly agricultural region. Nowadays, however, as a result of the mechanization of agriculture and increasing industrialization, only some 10 per cent of the population work on the land; a quarter are employed in industry and half in the services sector.

As a result of agricultural development, associated particularly with the clearance of peat, two-thirds of the area of the province consists of arable land. The main crops are corn, vegetables and potatoes.

The growing of potatoes led to the production of starch, used in the manufacture of noodles, custard powder and plastics (e.g. for telephones and radio sets). The packaging industry, formerly flourishing, has declined. Also in decline is the shipbuilding industry, since the larger ships now being built cannot negotiate the canals. The discovery of fields of natural gas - the fourth largest in the world - have given a great boost to the gas industry. Other minerals found in the province are salt, magnesium and potassium, which are profitably worked on an industrial scale.