Goeree-Overflakkee () is the southernmost delta

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An isla ...

of the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It is separated from

Voorne-Putten Voorne-Putten is an island between the North Sea, the Brielse Meer and the rivers Oude Maas, Spui and Haringvliet in the province of South Holland. Voorne-Putten consists of the two former islands Voorne (the larger, western part) and Pu ...

and

Hoeksche Waard The Hoekse Waard (; pre-1947 spelling: Hoeksche Waard) is an island between the Oude Maas, Dordtsche Kil, Hollands Diep, Haringvliet and Spui rivers in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. The island, part of the namesake muni ...

by the

Haringvliet The Haringvliet is a large inlet of the North Sea, in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is an important estuary of the Rhine-Meuse delta. Near Numansdorp, the Hollands Diep splits into the Haringvliet and the Volkerak e ...

, from the mainland of

North Brabant North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to t ...

by the Volkerak, and from Schouwen-Duiveland by Lake Grevelingen. Since 2013, Goeree-Overflakkee has also been a municipality, consisting from west to east of the former municipalities of

Goedereede Goedereede () is a little town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality had a population of about 11,000 in 2010. It consisted of the west part of the island of Goeree-Overfl ...

, Dirksland, Middelharnis, and

Oostflakkee Oostflakkee () is a former municipality on the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality covered an area of about 107 km² (of which about 33 km² was covered by ...

. The largest towns are Sommelsdijk, Middelharnis, Ouddorp, and Dirksland. Despite being part of the province of South Holland, the island's scenery and dialect are more closely related to

Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...

than to

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

. On the island they speak a form of Zeelandic, namely in the west and in the east.

History

The island was detached from the mainland when the Haringvliet formed as a result of two major flooding events. The first was in 1216, which breached the dunes of

Voorne Voorne-Putten is an island between the North Sea, the Brielse Meer and the rivers Oude Maas, Spui and Haringvliet in the province of South Holland. Voorne-Putten consists of the two former islands Voorne (the larger, western part) and Putten ...

and created a deep saltwater inlet. In the St. Elizabeth floods of 1421, this inlet connected to the Merwede and became an important estuary of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...

and

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...

rivers.

Politics

The

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

of Goeree-Overflakkee consists of 29 seats, which are divided as follows:

Former municipalities

Goedereede

The former municipality of

consisted of a number of places. From west to east, they were Ouddorp (with Oostdijk), Goedereede (with

Havenhoofd Havenhoofd is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee, and lies about 10 km west of Hellevoetsluis. The village was first mentioned around 1750 as "'t Goereese Hooft", and r ...

), and

Stellendam Stellendam is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee, and lies about 9 km west of Hellevoetsluis. History The village was first mentioned around 1750 as "'t Stelle Gors". Th ...

. Income consists mainly of tourism and fishery. Because of the extended and beautiful beach close by, Ouddorp has a large number of camping grounds which are a big attraction for other inland Europeans, mainly Germans. Goedereede and Stellendam both have an extended fishing fleet. Entering the town of Goedereede is like entering a different time. A town that takes you back a few centuries with its beautifully shaped buildings and tall church tower. Goedereede is one of two towns on the island that ever obtained city rights. Stellendam was hit hard in the 1953 storm flood and several monuments in the town commemorate this tragic event. Next to Stellendam lies the Haringvlietdam which shelters the

from the North Sea, this dam is part of the

Delta Project The Delta Works ( nl, Deltawerken) is a series of construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta from the sea. Constructed between 1954 and 1997, the works con ...

. On the island's side of the dam a 'Delta Expo' can be found with informative tours that guide you through the dam.

Dirksland

The former municipality of Dirksland consisted of

Melissant Melissant is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located on the island Goeree-Overflakkee, in the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee. History The village was first mentioned in 1484 as melissant, and means "sand ( shoal) o ...

Herkingen Herkingen is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located on the south coast of the island Goeree-Overflakkee, in the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee. History Herkingen was first mentioned in 1420 or 1421 as "Herkinghe", ...

, and Dirksland. The 1953 flood did not have such an enormous effect on these places, because the lands they are on lay generally higher than the rest of the island. Dirksland was the biggest of the three and also has the only hospital on the island. The Van Weel-Bethesda hospital is one of the smallest in the country, but has an excellent reputation, coming out very high in national hospital grade polls. Dirksland is recognizable from a distance by the biggest water tower of the country. The towns are agriculturally focused and have several camping grounds for people who prefer a quiet locality in contrast to the busy Ouddorp area, but who still want to be close to the shore. Dirksland has an inland harbor with a newly restored gate complex. Herkingen lies on the south side of the island and borders the Grevelingenmeer, a saltwater lake that has been disconnected directly from the North Sea by the

Brouwersdam The Brouwersdam is the seventh structure of the Delta Works in the Netherlands. Brouwersdam forms a barrier across the former estuary known as the Brouwershavense Gat. As a result, the area of water became known as the Grevelingenmeer. Construct ...

, but still connects to the Oosterschelde which is saltwater. The Grevelingenmeer is a large watersports area with the main recreational areas on Schouwen-Duiveland. Herkingen is trying to join in with the tourism industry and has quite a large yachting harbor. The town of Herkingen currently hosts several of the biggest modern windmills in the country.

Middelharnis

The former municipality of Middelharnis, forming the center of the island, was the biggest of the four with over 17,000 inhabitants. It consisted of Sommelsdijk, Middelharnis,

Nieuwe-Tonge Nieuwe-Tonge is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee, and lies about 13 km south of Hellevoetsluis. History The village was first mentioned in 1480 or 1481 as "Nova eccl ...

, and Stad aan 't Haringvliet. Middelharnis has a shopping area called ''D'n Diek''. This shopping center settled itself on a dike which used to be the last barrier for the towns from the Haringvliet. Now extensive, this dike and the area is enjoying a huge face lift. On Fridays in the summer months, there are what is called the Diekdagen (Dike days in English). On these days there are special activities like sports car racing and bicycle racing in the middle of the town. The town hosts a public high school and a Christian high school. Middelharnis has an inland harbor with a connection to the Haringvliet. There is also a small beach which can get very crowded in the summertime. The old main street in both Middelharnis and Sommelsdijk is very pretty. Starting at the church and ending at the harbor in both towns, they are very similar. Both towns have the church in the center and the rest of the towns fan out from this center. In Middelharnis the old municipality building lies on the main street. In Sommelsdijk there is a sport complex with swimming pool, called ''De Staver''. Stad aan 't Haringvliet has a small harbor with a beach. Like most of the towns on the island the old windmill has been preserved. Nieuwe-Tonge's main entry roads are the two dikes that form the edges of the town. And of course a traditional windmill is present.

Oostflakkee

The former municipality of

consisted of the following places:

Den Bommel Den Bommel is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee, and lies about 14 km south of Spijkenisse. History The village was first mentioned in 1473 as Bommele, and refers to a ...

(with Zuidzijde), Oude-Tonge,

Ooltgensplaat Ooltgensplaat is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee, and lies about 17 km south of Spijkenisse. History The village was first mentioned in 1554 as Oitkensplate, and me ...

Achthuizen Achthuizen is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee, and lies about 17 km south of Spijkenisse Spijkenisse () is a city in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Fol ...

, and

Langstraat Langstraat is a hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in D ...

. Oude-Tonge was the main town of this former municipality with a considerable industrial area. It also has a large bus station. Oude-Tonge suffered most in 1953 flood and was visited by the queen in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this event. Den Bommel is quite similar to Stad aan 't Haringvliet with a harbor and beach on the shores of the Haringvliet. A few kilometres east of Den Bommel is Zuidzijde, a very small town with a neat looking water tower. Ooltgensplaat is the most eastward town on the island with a harbor on the Volkerak. The town has a very old and beautiful municipal building. This town hosts the start and finish of De Omloop - a 100+ km walk around the island within a 24-hour period. This event attracts thousands every year, both participants and those who watch the spectacle. It is held annually in the latter half of August. Achthuizen and Langstraat are other small towns nearby Ooltgensplaat.

Notable people

* Jan van Os (1744 in Middelharnis – 1808) a Dutch painter * Laurens J. Bol (1898 in Ooltgensplaat – 1994) an art historian, specialized in

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and art and ...

painters * Aart Alblas (1918 in Middelharnis – 1944 in Mauthausen concentration camp) highly decorated Dutch resistance member * Tomas Ross (born 1944 in Den Bommel) a Dutch writer of historical criminal thrillers * Elco Brinkman (born 1948 in Dirksland) a retired Dutch politician and businessman. * Toine van Peperstraten (born 1967 in Achthuizen) a Dutch sports journalist IMDb Database
retrieved 06 July 2019 * Barbara Baarsma (born 1969) a Dutch economist, grew up in Goeree-Overflakkee * Liesbeth Zegveld (born 1970 in Ridderkerk) a Dutch lawyer, legal expert and professor

Sport

* Jan Pieterse (born 1942 in Oude-Tonge) a former professional racing cyclist, gold medallist in the Men's 100 km Team Trial at the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this h ...

* Arie Luyendyk (born 1953 in Sommelsdijk) a Dutch former auto racing driver, winner of the 1990 and 1997

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

races *

Juliette Bergmann Juliette Bergmann (previously Meijer) (born November 30, 1958) is a Dutch female bodybuilding champion. Early years and education Bergmann (born Juliette Maria Suzanna Bergmann) was born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, from a Dutch mother and an ...

(born 1958 in Vlaardingen) a Dutch female bodybuilding champion * Annemarieke van Rumpt (born 1980 in Middelharnis) a rower, bronze medallist with the Dutch eights in the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

Gorée in Senegal

The island of Gorée in

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

, notorious in the 18th century as a center for the

slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, got its name from the Dutch Goeree at the time when it was ruled by the Netherlands (from 1588 to 1664).

Gallery

File:De Hervormde kerk van Nieuwe-Tonge..JPG, De Hervormde kerk van Nieuwe-Tonge File:Lighthouse Goedereede.jpg, Toren van Goedereede File:Op de Kaai in Oude-Tonge..JPG, Op de Kaai in Oude-Tonge File:Haven van Herkingen - Herkingen - 20535646 - RCE.jpg, Haven van Herkingen - Herkingen

References

External links

* {{Authority control Islands of South Holland Municipalities of South Holland Municipalities of the Netherlands established in 2013 Regions of South Holland Regions of the Netherlands Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Islands of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta