Drenthe
Drenthe has been populated for 15,000 years. The region has subsequently been part of the Episcopal principality of Utrecht, Habsburg Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Batavian Republic, Kingdom of Holland and Kingdom of the Netherlands. Drenthe has been an official province since 1796. The capital and seat of the provincial government is Assen. The King's Commissioner of Drenthe is Jetta Klijnsma. The Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) is the largest party in the States-Provincial, followed by the Labour Party (PvdA) and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
Drenthe has the lowest population density in the European Netherlands. It is a predominantly rural area, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands; except for the small cities of Assen (pop. 67,963) and Emmen (pop. 107,113), the land in Drenthe is mainly used for agriculture and it has a notable amount of forests and nature.
History
The name Drenthe is said to stem from thrija-hantja meaning "three lands".
Drenthe has been populated by people since prehistory. Artifacts from the Wolstonian Stage (150,000 years ago) are among the oldest found in the Netherlands. In fact, it was one of the most densely populated areas of the Netherlands until the Bronze Age. The most tangible evidence of this are the dolmens (hunebedden) built around 3500 BC. 53 of the 54 dolmens in the Netherlands can be found in Drenthe, concentrated in the northeast of the province. In 2006, the archaeological reserve of Strubben-Kniphorstbos, located between Anloo and Schipborg, was created to preserve part of this heritage.
Most of the Bronze Age objects found in the Netherlands have been found in Drenthe. One item shows that trading networks during this period extended a far distance. Large bronze situlae (buckets) found in Drenthe were manufactured somewhere in eastern France or in Switzerland. They were used for mixing wine with water (a Roman/Greek custom). The many finds in Drenthe of rare and valuable objects, such as tin-bead necklaces, suggest that Drenthe was a trading centre in the Netherlands in the Bronze Age.
Drenthe was first mentioned in a document from 820, it was called Pago Treanth (Drenthe district). In archives from Het Utrechts Archief, from 1024 to 1025, the "county Drenthe" is mentioned, when Emperor Henry II gave it to Bishop Adalbold II of Utrecht. Subjugation of this region into the Holy Roman Empire culminated in the Drenther Crusade launched by the Papacy around 1228-1232.
After long being subject to the Utrecht diocese, Bishop Henry of Wittelsbach in 1528 ceded Drenthe to Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, who incorporated it into the Habsburg Netherlands. When the Republic of the Seven United Provinces was declared in 1581, Drenthe became part of it as the County of Drenthe, although it never gained full provincial status due to its poverty; the province was so poor it was exempt from paying federal taxes and as a consequence was denied representation in the States General. The successor Batavian Republic granted it provincial status on 1 January 1796.
Shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Dutch government built a camp near the town of Hooghalen to intern German Jewish refugees. During the Second World War, the German occupiers used the camp (which they named KZ Westerbork) as a Durchgangslager (transit camp). Many Dutch Jews, Sinti, Roma, resistance combatants and political adversaries were imprisoned before being transferred to concentration and extermination camps in Germany and occupied Poland. Anne Frank was deported on the last train leaving the Westerbork transit camp on 3 September 1944.
In the 1970s, there were four hostage crises where South Moluccan terrorists demanded an independent Republic of South Maluku. They held hostages in hijacked trains in 1975 and 1977, in a primary school in 1977, and in the province hall in 1978.
Geography
Drenthe is situated at 52°55′N 6°35′E / 52.917°N 6.583°E in the northeast of the Netherlands; with to the north the province Groningen, to the west the province Friesland, to the south the province Overijssel, and to the east the German districts Emsland and Bentheim in the state Lower Saxony.
Drenthe is the 9th largest province of the Netherlands. It has a total area of 2,683 km (1,036 sq mi), with 2,639 km (1,019 sq mi) of land and 44 km (17 sq mi) of water. About 72% of the land or 1,898 km (733 sq mi) is used for agriculture.
Drenthe has several heathlands and no significant rivers or lakes. The national parks Drents-Friese Wold and Dwingelderveld (IUCN category II) and the national landscape Drentsche Aa (IUCN category V) are all (partially) located in the province.
The major urban centers of the province are the capital Assen in the north and Emmen, Meppel, Hoogeveen, and Coevorden in the south.
Climate
Drenthe has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb).
| Climate data for Groningen Airport Eelde (53°08′N 06°35′E / 53.133°N 6.583°E) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
15.2 (59.4) |
22.7 (72.9) |
27.7 (81.9) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.5 (92.3) |
33.1 (91.6) |
34.7 (94.5) |
30.5 (86.9) |
24.8 (76.6) |
17.4 (63.3) |
15.4 (59.7) |
34.7 (94.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) |
5.4 (41.7) |
9.0 (48.2) |
13.4 (56.1) |
17.4 (63.3) |
19.9 (67.8) |
22.2 (72.0) |
22.1 (71.8) |
18.6 (65.5) |
13.9 (57.0) |
8.7 (47.7) |
5.2 (41.4) |
13.4 (56.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.4 (36.3) |
2.4 (36.3) |
5.2 (41.4) |
8.4 (47.1) |
12.3 (54.1) |
14.9 (58.8) |
17.1 (62.8) |
16.9 (62.4) |
13.8 (56.8) |
10.0 (50.0) |
6.0 (42.8) |
2.9 (37.2) |
9.3 (48.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.4 (31.3) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
1.4 (34.5) |
3.4 (38.1) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.5 (49.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
11.6 (52.9) |
9.3 (48.7) |
6.2 (43.2) |
2.9 (37.2) |
0.1 (32.2) |
5.2 (41.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.0 (−7.6) |
−16.5 (2.3) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
0.1 (32.2) |
4.1 (39.4) |
3.2 (37.8) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−15.4 (4.3) |
−22.0 (−7.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 74.2 (2.92) |
51.4 (2.02) |
64.3 (2.53) |
42.1 (1.66) |
58.0 (2.28) |
71.2 (2.80) |
79.4 (3.13) |
70.9 (2.79) |
78.3 (3.08) |
74.0 (2.91) |
75.0 (2.95) |
73.4 (2.89) |
812.1 (31.97) |
| Average rainy days | 20 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 230 |
| Average snowy days | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 3 | 6 | 33 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 90 | 88 | 85 | 79 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 86 | 89 | 91 | 92 | 86 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 54.2 | 78.7 | 117.2 | 171.6 | 210.0 | 187.0 | 199.1 | 183.9 | 137.0 | 107.2 | 56.5 | 47.5 | 1,550 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 21 | 29 | 32 | 41 | 43 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 36 | 33 | 22 | 20 | 35 |
| Source: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute | |||||||||||||
Subdivisions
The province (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or NUTS level 2) is divided into three COROP regions (NUTS level 3): North Drenthe, Southeast Drenthe, and Southwest Drenthe. The COROP regions are used for statistical purposes.
The Netherlands underwent a large number of municipal mergers in the past decades and Drenthe was no exception. The most significant simultaneous set of mergers took place in 1998, when 32 municipalities were amalgamated into 10 larger municipalities. As of 2014 Drenthe consists of 12 municipalities; Emmen is the largest municipality in terms of both population and area, Westerveld is the least populous and Meppel covers the smallest area.
The municipalities Assen, Noordenveld, and Tynaarlo are part of the interprovincial Groningen-Assen Region and the municipalities Aa en Hunze, Assen, Borger-Odoorn, Coevorden, Emmen, Midden-Drenthe, Noordenveld, and Westerveld are part of the international Ems Dollart Region (EDR).
| Municipality | Population | Population density | Total area | COROP group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aa en Hunze | 25,333 | 93 /km (241 /sq mi) | 278.88 km (107.68 sq mi) | North Drenthe |
| Assen | 67,209 | 820 /km (2,124 /sq mi) | 83.45 km (32.22 sq mi) | North Drenthe |
| Borger-Odoorn | 25,633 | 94 /km (243 /sq mi) | 277.89 km (107.29 sq mi) | South East Drenthe |
| Coevorden | 35,771 | 121 /km (313 /sq mi) | 299.69 km (115.71 sq mi) | South East Drenthe |
| Emmen | 108,003 | 324 /km (839 /sq mi) | 346.25 km (133.69 sq mi) | South East Drenthe |
| Hoogeveen | 54,680 | 430 /km (1,114 /sq mi) | 129.25 km (49.9 sq mi) | South West Drenthe |
| Meppel | 32,875 | 585 /km (1,515 /sq mi) | 57.03 km (22.02 sq mi) | South West Drenthe |
| Midden-Drenthe | 33,368 | 98 /km (254 /sq mi) | 345.87 km (133.54 sq mi) | North Drenthe |
| Noordenveld | 31,110 | 154 /km (399 /sq mi) | 205.32 km (79.27 sq mi) | North Drenthe |
| Tynaarlo | 32,506 | 225 /km (583 /sq mi) | 147.7 km (57.03 sq mi) | North Drenthe |
| Westerveld | 18,902 | 69 /km (179 /sq mi) | 282.74 km (109.17 sq mi) | South West Drenthe |
| De Wolden | 23,592 | 106 /km (275 /sq mi) | 226.35 km (87.39 sq mi) | South West Drenthe |
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1899 | 148,544 | — |
| 1930 | 222,432 | +49.7% |
| 1960 | 311,196 | +39.9% |
| 1970 | 366,590 | +17.8% |
| 1980 | 418,479 | +14.2% |
| 1990 | 441,028 | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 469,806 | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 490,981 | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 493,682 | +0.6% |
| Source: CBS | ||
On 1 January 2023, Drenthe had a total population of 502,051 and a population density of 191/km (490/sq mi). It is the 3rd least populous and least densely populated province of the Netherlands, with only Flevoland and Zeeland having fewer people. Emmen is the most populous municipality in the province.
Religion
In 2015, 23.8% of the population belonged to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands while 9.3% was Roman Catholic, 0.9% was Muslim and 3.6% belonged to other churches or faiths. Over half (62.4%) of the population identified as non-religious.
Economy
 |
Agriculture is an important employer, although industrial areas are found near the cities. The quietness of the province is also attracting a growing number of tourists.
Drenthe is known as the "Cycling Province" of the Netherlands and is an exceptional place for a cycling holiday, having hundreds of kilometers of cycle paths through forest, heath and along canals and many towns and villages offering refreshment along the way. Drenthe exports through the entire Netherlands and also receives supplies and goods from Germany, making it a good business district. Many Dutch and German multinational companies are settled in Drenthe.
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 15.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 1.9% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 26,700 € or 89% of the EU27 average in the same year.
Culture
Language
Over half the population of Drenthe speaks the Drents dialect. Each town or village has its own version. All versions are part of the Low Saxon language group. Dutch Low Saxon has been officially recognised by the Dutch government as a regional language and is protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Sports
FC Emmen is the only professional football club in Drenthe. It plays in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie and its home stadium is De Oude Meerdijk.
The Ronde van Drenthe is an elite men's and women's professional road bicycle race that takes place annually in early March.
The TT Circuit Assen hosts the Dutch TT, which is a round of the MotoGP series of the Motorcycle Road Racing World Championship.
Museums
Drents Museum is an art and history museum in Assen. It had 227,000 visitors in 2013.
Museum Collectie Brands is a local museum located in Nieuw-Dordrecht that houses an extensive collection of rare and curious items collected by Jans Brands.
Politics
The States of Drenthe have 43 seats, and is headed by the King's Commissioner, currently Jetta Klijnsma. While the provincial council is elected by the people of Drenthe, the Commissioner is appointed by the King and the cabinet of the Netherlands. The daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the Gedeputeerde Staten, which are also headed by the Commissioner; its members (gedeputeerden) can be compared with ministers.
| 2023 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | ||||||||
| Farmer–Citizen Movement | 88,176 | 33.41 | 17 | ||||||||
| Labour Party | 24,861 | 9.42 | 4 | ||||||||
| People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | 20,434 | 7.74 | 4 | ||||||||
| Christian Democratic Appeal | 15,563 | 5.90 | 3 | ||||||||
| GroenLinks | 14,756 | 5.59 | 2 | ||||||||
| Party for Freedom | 13,681 | 5.18 | 2 | ||||||||
| ChristianUnion | 12,803 | 4.85 | 2 | ||||||||
| Socialist Party | 12,534 | 4.75 | 2 | ||||||||
| Party for the Animals | 11,167 | 4.23 | 2 | ||||||||
| Democrats 66 | 9,981 | 3.78 | 1 | ||||||||
| Forum for Democracy | 7,888 | 2.99 | 1 | ||||||||
| Volt | 7,734 | 2.93 | 1 | ||||||||
| Strong Local Drenthe | 7,485 | 2.84 | 1 | ||||||||
| JA21 | 6,368 | 2.41 | 1 | ||||||||
| All other parties | 10,451 | 3.96 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total valid votes | 263,882 | 100.00 | 43 | ||||||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 1,155 | 0.44 | |||||||||
| Total | 265,037 | ||||||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 399,405 | 66.36 | |||||||||
| Source: Kiesraad | |||||||||||
Transportation
The motorways A28 (E232), A32, A37 (E233), and the other major roads N33, N34, and N48 are maintained by the state.
There are four railways partially in the province of Drenthe:
| Trajectory | Railway stations in Drenthe |
|---|---|
| Arnhem–Leeuwarden | Overijssel – Meppel – Friesland |
| Gronau–Coevorden | Germany – Coevorden |
| Meppel–Groningen | Meppel – Hoogeveen – Beilen – Assen – Groningen |
| Zwolle–Emmen | Overijssel – Coevorden – Dalen – Nieuw Amsterdam – Emmen Zuid – Emmen |
Groningen Airport Eelde is a minor international airport located in Eelde in the province of Drenthe. Hoogeveen Airport is a general aviation airport located in Hoogeveen.
Science and education
ASTRON, the Netherlands institute for radio astronomy, is located near Dwingeloo. Their single-dish radio telescope of the Dwingeloo Radio Observatory was completed in 1956 and is now a national heritage site (rijksmonument). Their Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope is an array of fourteen dishes near the village of Westerbork and construction was completed in 1970. Their international Low-Frequency Array with its core near Exloo was completed in 2012.
In Assen, Emmen, and Meppel are universities of applied sciences (hogescholen). The Stenden University of Applied Sciences has locations in these three towns, which formed the Drenthe University of Applied Sciences before a merger in 2008. The Hanze Institute of Technology, part of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, is located in Assen. There are no research universities (universiteiten) in the province of Drenthe.
Media
RTV Drenthe, the regional radio and television station, is based in Assen. The regional daily newspaper for the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen is Dagblad van het Noorden, which is based in the city of Groningen.
See also
References
- ^ Statistieken provincie Drenthe - Gegevens over meer dan 100 onderwerpen!, AlleCijfers.nl
- ^ "EU regions by GDP, Eurostat". Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "CBS Statline".
- ^ Drenthe. "Drentse loofbossen zijn van topkwaliteit!". Provincie Drenthe (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ^ wandelverhaal (3 June 2021). "Drenthe, de oerprovincie van Nederland". WANDELVERHAAL (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ^ Maier, Christoph T. (2006). "Drenthe Crusade (1228–1232)". In A. V. Murray (ed.). The Crusades: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 4 vols. ABC-CLIO. vol. 2, p. 365.
- ^ (in Dutch) Marianne van Exel, Molukse treinkaping bij Wijster Archived 23 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, IS Geschiedenis, 2011. Retrieved on 8 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Marnix Koolhaas, Herdenking Molukse treinkaping 1977, Geschiedenis 24, 2007. Retrieved on 8 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Molukse gijzeling in Assen, Geschiedenis 24, 2000. Retrieved on 8 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Bodemgebruik; uitgebreide gebruiksvorm, per gemeente, Statistics Netherlands, 2013. Retrieved on 14 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Stationslijst Archived 16 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. Retrieved on 8 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Eelde, langjarige gemiddelden, tijdvak 1981–2010, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. Retrieved on 2 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Eelde extremen tijdvak 1971 t/m 2000, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. Retrieved on 8 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Indeling van Nederland in 40 COROP-gebieden Archived 5 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Statistics Netherlands. Retrieved on 2 April 2014.
- ^ "Gemeentelijke indeling op 1 januari 1998" [Municipal divisions on 1 January 1998]. cbs.nl (in Dutch). CBS. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten" [Key figures for neighbourhoods]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ About us Archived 25 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Groningen-Assen Region. Retrieved on 6 April 2014.
- ^ (in German) Die Mitglieder der EDR Archived 3 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Ems Dollart Region, 2014. Retrieved on 6 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Volkstelling 1899; algemene uitkomsten per gemeente, Statistics Netherlands, 1999. Retrieved on 1 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Volkstelling 1930; bewoners naar geslacht en geboorteplaats, Statistics Netherlands, 2006. Retrieved on 1 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Bevolkingsontwikkeling; levendgeborenen, overledenen en migratie per regio, Statistics Netherlands, 2013. Retrieved on 1 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand, Statistics Netherlands, 2017. Retrieved on 13 February 2017.
- ^ Helft Nederlanders is kerkelijk of religieus, CBS, 22 December 2016
- ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.
- ^ (in Dutch) "2013: Overzicht bezoekcijfers musea in Nederland Archived 2014-07-28 at the Wayback Machine", Metro, 2013. Retrieved on 20 July 2014.
- ^ "Proces-verbaal uitslag verkiezing Provinciale Staten Drenthe 2023" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
- ^ (in Dutch) Monumentnummer: 508721 – Station Meppel Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed. Retrieved on 3 April 2014.
- ^ (in Dutch) Wegenoverzicht Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Rijkswaterstaat. Retrieved on 2 April 2014.
External links
- (in Dutch) Portal Drenthe, official website
Drenthe travel guide from Wikivoyage
Municipalities of Drenthe | ||
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| Dependent territories | ||||||
until 1648; until 1659; until 1678.
Circles est. 1500: Bavarian, Swabian, Upper Rhenish, Lower Rhenish–Westphalian, Franconian, (Lower) Saxon Circles est. 1512: Austrian, Burgundian, Upper Saxon, Electoral Rhenish · Unencircled territories | ||||||
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