|
Alblasserwaard
The Alblasserwaard () is a polder in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is mainly known for the windmills of Kinderdijk, located near the village of Kinderdijk in the polder's northwestern part. History The first human inhabitants of the Alblasserwaard settled there after the last ice age, around 10.000 years ago. The ice had not reached the area itself, but eolian deposits created high points in the wet environment. These high points were places where hunter-gatherers settled, as archaeological investigations in the area have shown. During the Middle Ages several canals and dikes were created to reclaim the land. The last part was diked in the second half of the 14th century, following the permanent flooding of Woude and Donkersloot. Yet numerous floods continued to happen throughout the history of the area, as it is bound by rivers on all sides. During World War II the Bombing of Rotterdam also damaged the Alblasserwaard, when both the village center of A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Windmills At Kinderdijk
The windmills at Kinderdijk are a group of 19 monumental windmills in the Alblasserwaard polder, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Most of the mills are part of the village of Kinderdijk in the municipality of Molenlanden, and one mill, De Blokker, is part of the municipality of Alblasserdam. Built in 1738 and 1740, to keep water out of the polder, it is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands and one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. The mills are listed as national monuments and the entire area is a protected village view since 1993. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. History Kinderdijk lies in the Alblasserwaard, at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. In Alblasserwaard, problems with water became more and more apparent in the 13th century. Large canals, called "weteringen", were dug to get rid of the excess water in the polders. However, the drained soil started setting, while the level of the river ros ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk () is a village in the municipality of Molenlanden, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located about east of Rotterdam. Kinderdijk is situated in the Alblasserwaard polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. To drain the polder, a system of 19 windmills was built around 1740. This group of mills is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands. The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Etymology The name Kinderdijk is Dutch for "Children dike". During the Saint Elizabeth flood of 1421, the Grote Hollandse Waard flooded, but the Alblasserwaard polder stayed unflooded. It is often said that when the horrendous storm had subsided, a villager went to the dike between these two areas to inspect what could be salvaged. In the distance he saw a wooden cradle floating on the water. As it came nearer, some movement was noted, and upon cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alblasserdam
Alblasserdam () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It covers an area of , of which is water, and has a population of as of . Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden region. A portion of the small village of Kinderdijk, which boasts the largest and most famous concentration of windmills in the Netherlands, is part of Alblasserdam. Etymology The name ''Alblasserdam'' is derived from its location near the creek Alblas where a dam was built. Inhabitants of Alblasserdam are called ''Alblasserdammers'' (singular: ''Alblasserdammer''). History 13th-19th century The town of Alblasserdam was first mentioned in the chronicles of Melis Stoke in 1299, but the municipality wasn't formed until 1447. Before that, it was part of Oud-Alblas. Because of its location on the Noord river, one of the busiest waterways in Western Europe, water has played a major role in Alblasserdam's history. The river was important for its devel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hardinxveld-Giessendam
Hardinxveld-Giessendam () is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is located about 10 km east of Dordrecht, on the river Beneden-Merwede. The municipality had a population of in and covers an area of of which is water. The municipality of Hardinxveld-Giessendam consists of the two population centres Giessendam/Neder-Hardinxveld and Boven-Hardinxveld. Until they were merged in 1957, Giessendam and Hardinxveld were two municipalities, consisting of only a few streets and dykes and only a few thousand inhabitants. The town's economy is for a large part dependent on ship building (e.g. Damen Shipyards Group) and general contracting. Several industry parks are present. History The village Hardinxveld is one of the oldest settlements of the Alblasserwaard. It is known that in 1105 a priest was present here, and therefore a church as well. Since 1282, Hardinxveld became a grand fiefdom. Through the centuries it suffered from warfare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noord (river)
The Noord ("North") is a short tidal river in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The Noord starts at the city of Dordrecht where the Beneden Merwede river forks into the Oude Maas and the Noord. It joins the Lek at the city of Ridderkerk and Kinderdijk, and the combined stream is thereafter known as the Nieuwe Maas. The distance is about nine kilometres. The direction of its water flow depends on the tides. The Noord River separates IJsselmonde island from the Alblasserwaard mainland to the east. There are two connections between them: * Bridge over the Noord (motor vehicles, cyclists) * Noord Tunnel (motor vehicles) History During the early Middle Ages the river was considered to be the continuation of the Merwede river (itself a distributary branch of the Rhine) and was named accordingly. However, as a result of the St. Elizabeth's floods the Merwede found a new and shorter path to the sea (the current Hollands Diep Hollands Diep ( p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polder
A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains separated from the sea or river by a dike # Marshes separated from the surrounding water by a dike and subsequently drained; these are also known as '' koogs'', especially in Germany The ground level in drained marshes subsides over time. All polders will eventually be below the surrounding water level some or all of the time. Water enters the low-lying polder through infiltration and water pressure of groundwater, or rainfall, or transport of water by rivers and canals. This usually means that the polder has an excess of water, which is pumped out or drained by opening sluices at low tide. Care must be taken not to set the internal water level too low. Polder land made up of peat (former marshland) will sink in relation to its previo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gorinchem
Gorinchem ( or ), also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The municipality of Gorinchem also includes the population centre of Dalem. History It is assumed that Gorinchem was founded circa 1000 CE by fishermen and farmers on the raised land near the mouth of the river Linge at the Merwede. "''Goriks Heem''" (Home of Gorik) is first mentioned in a document from 1224 in which Floris IV granted people from Gorinchem exemption of toll payments throughout Holland. Somewhere between 1247 and 1267, Gorinchem became property of the Lords of Arkel. At the end of the 13th century earthen mounts reinforced with palisades were built around the settlement to protect it from domination by the neighboring counties of Holland and Gelre. Half a century later real city walls were built complete with 7 gates and 23 watchtowers. Otto van Arke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dordrecht
Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after Rotterdam, The Hague, Zoetermeer and Leiden, with a population of . The municipality covers the entire Dordrecht Island, also often called ''Het Eiland van Dordt'' ("the Island of Dordt"), bordered by the rivers Oude Maas, Beneden Merwede, Nieuwe Merwede, Hollands Diep, and Dordtsche Kil. Located about 17 km south east of Rotterdam, Dordrecht is the largest and most important city in the Drechtsteden and is also part of the Randstad, the main conurbation in the Netherlands. Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland and has a rich history and culture. Etymology The name Dordrecht comes from ''Thuredriht'' (circa 1120), ''Thuredrecht'' (circa 1200). The name seems to mean 'thoroughfare'; a ship-canal or -river through which ships we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vijfheerenlanden
Vijfheerenlanden (), literally "lands of five Lords", is a municipality in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The municipality was created on 1 January 2019 through the merger of the former municipalities of Vianen (Utrecht), Leerdam and Zederik (both South Holland). Vijfheerenlanden has 59,150 inhabitants on 1 January 2022. Vijfheerenlanden is also the name of an area in the provinces of Utrecht (since 2002) and South Holland. The area also borders on two other Dutch provinces: Gelderland to the east, and North Brabant to the south. On its western border is the Alblasserwaard, an area in South Holland, and on its eastern border the , an area in Gelderland. The largest city of Vijfheerenlanden is Vianen, which is a major node in the Dutch network of roads and rivers. The second largest city is Leerdam. The borders on the north and south of the area are formed by rivers, de Lek in the north and the Waal the south, the east border is formed by the line Haaften – Rheno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merwede
The Merwede () etymology uncertain, possibly derived from the ancient Dutch ''Merwe'' or ''Merowe'', a word meaning "wide water") is the name of several connected stretches of river in the Netherlands, between the cities of Woudrichem, Dordrecht and Papendrecht. The river is part of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and is mostly fed by the river Rhine. At first, a disconnected branch of the Meuse joins the Waal at Woudrichem to form the Boven Merwede (Upper Merwede). A few kilometers downstream it splits into the Beneden Merwede (Lower Merwede) on the right and the Nieuwe Merwede (New Merwede) on the left. All these rivers are tidal. The Nieuwe Merwede joins the Bergse Maas near Lage Zwaluwe to form the Hollands Diep estuary, and separates the Island of Dordrecht from the Biesbosch National Park. The Beneden Merwede splits into the Noord River and Oude Maas near Papendrecht. History In medieval times the name Merwede (or "Merwe" in Middle Dutch) was the name of a co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lek River
The Lek () is a river in the western Netherlands of some in length. It is the continuation of the Nederrijn after the Kromme Rijn branches off at the town of Wijk bij Duurstede. The main westbound waterway is hereafter called the Lek River. The Nederrijn is, itself, a distributary branch of the river Rhine. Portions of the river form the boundary between the provinces of Utrecht and Gelderland, and between Utrecht and South Holland. In Roman times, the Nederrijn flowed into the Kromme Rijn and these streams were the main outflow of the river Rhine. When the Kromme Rijn began to silt up in the Middle Ages, the Lek became the primary branch. A short distance past Wijk bij Duurstede, the river intersects with the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, which continues south towards the Waal. A branch of this canal, the ''Lekkanaal'' (Lek Canal) is connected to the river at the city of Nieuwegein. Other major towns on its banks are Culemborg, Vianen, Schoonhoven, Nieuw-Lekkerland, Lekkerker ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Sea Flood Of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm surge that struck the Netherlands, north-west Belgium, England and Scotland. Most sea defences facing the surge were overwhelmed, causing extensive flooding. The storm and flooding occurred at the end of Saturday, 31 January 1953 and morning of the next day. A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm over the North Sea caused a storm tide. The combination of wind, high tide, and low pressure caused the sea to flood land up to above mean sea level. Flooding summary In the Netherlands 20% of the land was below mean sea level (subsequently with the expansion of Flevoland this proportion has increased); the next-highest 30% sat at less than above sea level. Such land relies heavily on sea defences and was worst affected, recording 1,836 deaths and widespread damage. Most of the casualties occurred in the southern province of Zeeland. In England, 307 people were killed in the counties ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.jpg "Click for more on -> Vijfheerenlanden")
