Kop van Overijssel
Encyclopedia
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
province of Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
. It consists of the municipality of Steenwijkerland
Steenwijkerland
Steenwijkerland is a municipality in the province Overijssel, in the eastern Netherlands.The municipality forms the entire northwesterly corner of the province. This area is called "the Head of Overijssel"...
and matches the historical region of the Land van Vollenhove. In past times it comprised a wider area, the municipalities of Kampen, Zwartewaterland
Zwartewaterland
Zwartewaterland is a municipality in the province Overijssel in the eastern Netherlands.-Situation; economy :This mainly rural municipality lies south of Steenwijkerland on the Zwarte Water . This is a short distributary of the river IJssel from Zwolle to the Zwarte Meer. This lake was before 1931...
and Staphorst
Staphorst
Staphorst is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.-History:The villages of Staphorst and its southern neighbour Rouveen came into existence as in the 13th century monks started to bring the bogs and swamps into culture. All the farms were built along the long road through the bog...
also belonging to it.
The Kop van Overijssel has about 43,000 inhabitants and an area of about 322 km², of which a tenth is water. The 'capital' is Steenwijk
Steenwijk
Steenwijk is a city in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland. It is the largest town of the municipality.Steenwijk received city rights in 1327...
. Other noteworthy places are Blokzijl
Blokzijl
Blokzijl is a city located southwest of Steenwijk in the province of Overijssel, the Netherlands.Blokzijl grew in the 1580s. During the siege of Steenwijk, the Dutch built there a fortified lock or in local dialect zijl or siel. It received city rights in 1672...
, Giethoorn
Giethoorn
Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, about 5 km southwest of Steenwijk....
(a 'Venice of the North
Venice of the North
The term Venice of the North refers to various cities in northern Europe that contain canals, comparing them to Venice, Italy, which is renowned for its canals .* Saint Petersburg* Amsterdam* Bruges* Stockholm* Copenhagen* Hamburg...
') and Vollenhove
Vollenhove
Vollenhove is a city in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, southwest of Steenwijk. Until the Noordoostpolder was drained, it was located on the coast of the IJsselmeer....
.
The region is nearly surrounded by three provincial borders: in the west that of Flevoland
Flevoland
Flevoland is a province of the Netherlands. Located in the centre of the country, at the location of the former Zuiderzee, the province was established on January 1, 1986; the twelfth province of the country, with Lelystad as its capital...
(Noordoostpolder
Noordoostpolder
Noordoostpolder is a municipality in the Flevoland province in the central Netherlands. Formerly, it was also called Urker Land. Emmeloord is the administrative center, located in the heart of the Noordoostpolder. The municipality has the largest land area in the Netherlands...
region), in the north that of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
(Stellingwerven region) and in the east that of Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
(the municipalities of Westerveld
Westerveld
Westerveld is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands.The municipality Westerveld was established in 1998 out of de municipalities of Diever, Dwingeloo, Havelte en Vledder.Westerveld is being crossed by a channel the Drentsche Hoofdvaart...
and Meppel
Meppel
Meppel is a municipality and a city in the northeast of the Netherlands, in the south-west of the province Drenthe.It developed in the 16th century as a transport and distribution inland harbour for turf...
). In the south it borders on Salland
Salland
Salland is a historical dominion in the west and north of the present Dutch province of Overijssel. It is probably named after the Salian Franks, who are thought to originate from Salland...
, another region of Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
.
The area contains a vast marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
of about 60 km² called Nationaal Park Weerribben-Wieden, which is a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
and includes two great lakes called Beulakerwijde and Belterwijde.
Gallery
File:Giethoorn 01.JPG|Canal in Giethoorn
Giethoorn
Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, about 5 km southwest of Steenwijk....
File:De Wicher Weerribben.jpg|Windmill near Kalenberg
File:Steenwijk centrum van boven.jpg|Steenwijk
Steenwijk
Steenwijk is a city in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland. It is the largest town of the municipality.Steenwijk received city rights in 1327...
from above
File:Blokzijl Havenkolk2.jpg|Harbor of Blokzijl
Blokzijl
Blokzijl is a city located southwest of Steenwijk in the province of Overijssel, the Netherlands.Blokzijl grew in the 1580s. During the siege of Steenwijk, the Dutch built there a fortified lock or in local dialect zijl or siel. It received city rights in 1672...
File:Beulakerwijde.jpg|Shore of the Beulakerwijde
File:Grafheuvels in het Eeserveld.jpg|Barrows near Eesveen
File:Hoofdstraat 96 Oldemarkt.jpg|Old houses in Oldemarkt
Oldemarkt
Oldemarkt is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland, about 12 km west of Steenwijk....
File:Nederland (Overijssel).jpg|Hamlet of Nederland
Nederland, Overijssel
Nederland is a hamlet in the municipality Steenwijkerland in the province Overijssel, Netherlands. It has a population of about 25. 'Nederland' is the Dutch name for the Netherlands. Because of the comical value of the toponym, roadsigns with the name 'Nederland' are stolen frequently.The Dutch...