Rozenburg
Encyclopedia
Rozenburg is a town
and former municipality
in the western Netherlands
, in the province of South Holland
. The municipality had a population of 13,173 in 2004, and covers an area of 6.50 km² (of which 1.99 km² water). It was the second-smallest municipality in the Netherlands in area (behind Bennebroek
). On 10th of July, 2008, the local council decided to disband the municipality and to form a submunicipality of Rotterdam
. This was ratified on 27th of October, 2008 by the Eerste Kamer (the Dutch Senate), and came into effect on 18th of March, 2010.
The town is located on the former island by the same name: Rozenburg Island
. Its current form was created out of three separate parts: Rozenburg proper (a former sand bar
between Het Scheur
and Brielse Maas - part of the Nieuwe Maas
river - both branches of the Rhine-Meuse
delta), the sand bar Welplaat, and the southernmost part of the Hook of Holland (which was cut off from mainland Holland by the construction of the Nieuwe Waterweg
ship canal
in 1870 and subsequently was connected to Rozenburg when the remainder of Het Scheur was dammed off). The island is now connected to Voorne-Putten
by a sea barrier and a dam.
In 1950, the Nieuwe Maas (or Brielse Maas) was dammed off at both ends of Rozenburg Island, thereby forming Briel Lake
and connecting it to Voorne-Putten
Island.
Beginning in the same period, most of the island was given to industrial
enterprise
, part of the Port of Rotterdam
(Botlek
and Europoort
). When these sea ports were being planned in the 1950s, the councils of Rotterdam
and Rozenburg made the arrangement that Rotterdam would lead the development of the ports and industry, whereas Rozenburg would look after the housevesting of the expected population increase. The village of Blankenburg on the island had to be completely removed to make way for new canals and industry. The new housing developments were concentrated around the old village centre of Rozenburg on Het Scheur. In a short period its population rose from 3500 to over 14000.
The Hook of Holland bit was extended with a large polder
called Maasvlakte
, which contains large sea harbours and petrochemical
industry. Most of the island now belongs to the municipality of Rotterdam.
There is a refinery
located in Rozenburg. The Rozenburg refinery
is now owned by Kuwait Petroleum Europort BV which is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum International, KPI.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and former municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the western Netherlands
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...
, in the province of South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
. The municipality had a population of 13,173 in 2004, and covers an area of 6.50 km² (of which 1.99 km² water). It was the second-smallest municipality in the Netherlands in area (behind Bennebroek
Bennebroek
Bennebroek is a town and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, now part of Bloemendaal municipality. Before its merger, it was the smallest municipality in the Netherlands, covering an area of only 1.75 km².-History:...
). On 10th of July, 2008, the local council decided to disband the municipality and to form a submunicipality of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. This was ratified on 27th of October, 2008 by the Eerste Kamer (the Dutch Senate), and came into effect on 18th of March, 2010.
The town is located on the former island by the same name: Rozenburg Island
Rozenburg (island)
Rozenburg is an island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Rozenburg Island was formed centuries ago from several sand bars in the mouth of the river Maas. In 1568 construction started on the first set of dikes and in 1586 the land known as Roosenburgh was leased to Dirk...
. Its current form was created out of three separate parts: Rozenburg proper (a former sand bar
Bar (landform)
A shoal, sandbar , or gravelbar is a somewhat linear landform within or extending into a body of water, typically composed of sand, silt or small pebbles. A spit or sandspit is a type of shoal...
between Het Scheur
Het Scheur
Het Scheur is a branch of the Rhine-Meuse delta in South Holland, Netherlands, that flows west from the confluence of the Oude Maas and Nieuwe Maas branches past the towns of Rozenburg and Maassluis...
and Brielse Maas - part of the Nieuwe Maas
Nieuwe Maas
The Nieuwe Maas distributary of the Rhine River, and a former distributary of the Maas River, in the Dutch province of South Holland. It runs from the confluence of the rivers Noord and Lek, and flows west through Rotterdam. It ends west of the city where it meets the Oude Maas , near Vlaardingen,...
river - both branches of the Rhine-Meuse
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
delta), the sand bar Welplaat, and the southernmost part of the Hook of Holland (which was cut off from mainland Holland by the construction of the Nieuwe Waterweg
Nieuwe Waterweg
The Nieuwe Waterweg is a ship canal in the Netherlands from het Scheur west of the town of Maassluis to the North Sea at Hook of Holland...
ship canal
Ship canal
A ship canal is a canal especially constructed to carry ocean-going ships, as opposed to barges. Ship canals can be enlarged barge canals, canalized or channelized rivers, or canals especially constructed from the start to accommodate ships....
in 1870 and subsequently was connected to Rozenburg when the remainder of Het Scheur was dammed off). The island is now connected to Voorne-Putten
Voorne-Putten
thumb|225px|right|Satellite image of the [[Rhine]]-[[Meuse river|Meuse]] [[river delta|delta]], showing the island of 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 in the Netherlands...
by a sea barrier and a dam.
History
Rozenburg Island was formed centuries ago from several sand bars in the mouth of the river Maas. In 1568 construction started on the first set of dikes and in 1586 the land known as Roosenburgh was leased to Dirk Ariensz. Bisdommer and Son, the first permanent inhabitant of Rozenburg.In 1950, the Nieuwe Maas (or Brielse Maas) was dammed off at both ends of Rozenburg Island, thereby forming Briel Lake
Brielse meer
The Brielse Meer is a long, narrow lake between the Dutch estuary islands of Voorne and Rozenburg in the province of Zuid-Holland....
and connecting it to Voorne-Putten
Voorne-Putten
thumb|225px|right|Satellite image of the [[Rhine]]-[[Meuse river|Meuse]] [[river delta|delta]], showing the island of 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 in the Netherlands...
Island.
Beginning in the same period, most of the island was given to industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
enterprise
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, part of the Port of Rotterdam
Port of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004 it was the world's busiest port, now overtaken by first Shanghai and then Singapore...
(Botlek
Botlek
thumb|right|[[Satellite]] [[image]] of the [[Rhine]]-[[Meuse River|Meuse]] [[river delta|delta]] showing the Botlek .The Botlek originally was the name of a stretch of the Nieuwe Maas river, part of the Rhine-Meuse delta near the Dutch cities of Vlaardingen and Spijkenisse in the province of...
and Europoort
Europoort
Europoort is an area of the Port of Rotterdam and the adjoining industrial area in the Netherlands. Being situated at the mouth of the rivers Rhine and Meuse with the hinterland consisting of the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and partly France, Europoort is by certain measurements the world's...
). When these sea ports were being planned in the 1950s, the councils of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and Rozenburg made the arrangement that Rotterdam would lead the development of the ports and industry, whereas Rozenburg would look after the housevesting of the expected population increase. The village of Blankenburg on the island had to be completely removed to make way for new canals and industry. The new housing developments were concentrated around the old village centre of Rozenburg on Het Scheur. In a short period its population rose from 3500 to over 14000.
The Hook of Holland bit was extended with a large polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
called Maasvlakte
Maasvlakte
The Maasvlakte is part of Europoort, a harbour and industrial area near the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.-Creation:It was created in the 1960s by reclaiming land from the North Sea through dykes and sand suppletion. The sand for the suppletion was largely taken from the North Sea and the...
, which contains large sea harbours and petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
industry. Most of the island now belongs to the municipality of Rotterdam.
There is a refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
located in Rozenburg. The Rozenburg refinery
Rozenburg refinery
The Rozenburg refinery is an oil refinery owned by Kuwait Petroleum Europort BV which is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum International, KPI. It is sometimes referred to as the Europort refinery. The refinery capacity is 4 mtpa of crude oil. And has a Nelson complexity index of approximately...
is now owned by Kuwait Petroleum Europort BV which is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum International, KPI.