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Westland (Netherlands)
Encyclopedia
Westland is a municipality
in the western Netherlands
, in the province of South Holland
. It covers an area of 90.59 km² (of which 10.69 km² is covered by water
) and had a population of 97,270 in 2004.
Towns and other settlements: De Lier
, 's-Gravenzande
, Monster
, Naaldwijk
, Wateringen
, Heenweg
, Honselersdijk
, Kwintsheul
, Maasdijk
, Poeldijk, and Ter Heijde
.
s. The others are Heenweg, Honselersdijk, Kwintsheul, Maasdijk, Poeldijk, and Ter Heijde. Westland itself is not the name of a settlement or town, but rather of the region. The City hall is located in the middle of Westland, in Naaldwijk, the second largest settlement
in Westland.
The town of Honselersdijk also possesses the largest Flower Auction, FloraHolland, which also has a location in Rijnsburg
. This is a very important sector of the Westland economy
. Flowers produced in Westland are sold all over the world.
Coastal towns are Ter Heijde (near Monster), Monster itself and 's-Gravenzande. These towns are popular with Germans
and people from the Eastern Netherlands. It is not unknown for every holiday campsite to be fully booked with tourists. This is because of their relative proximity to the more popular Scheveningen
conurbation.
In a wider sense, Westland is also the name of the region south-west of the line The Hague
- Delft
- Rotterdam
, approximately consisting of the municipalities Westland and Midden-Delfland
, as well as Hoek van Holland
(municipality of Rotterdam
).
Westland is most known for its horticulture in greenhouse
s, growing flower
s and vegetable
s.
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...
. It covers an area of 90.59 km² (of which 10.69 km² is covered by water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
) and had a population of 97,270 in 2004.
Towns and other settlements: De Lier
De Lier
De Lier is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 5 km north of Maassluis. It also lies about below sea level....
, 's-Gravenzande
's-Gravenzande
s-Gravenzande is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 12 km southwest of The Hague. Until 2004 it was a separate municipality and covered an area of 20.77 km² .In 2001, the town of 's-Gravenzande had 15241 inhabitants...
, Monster
Monster, Netherlands
Monster is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 10 km south-west of The Hague.The village of "Monster" has a population of around 11,580....
, Naaldwijk
Naaldwijk
Naaldwijk is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 10 km southwest of The Hague.Naaldwijk lies in the heart of Westland. The largest economic sector is greenhouse horticulture...
, Wateringen
Wateringen
Wateringen is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 5 km southwest of The Hague.Until 2004 it was a separate municipality and covered an area of 8.93 km²....
, Heenweg
Heenweg
Heenweg is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 7 km northwest of Maassluis.In 2001, the town of Heenweg had 601 inhabitants...
, Honselersdijk
Honselersdijk
Honselersdijk is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about southwest of The Hague.The village of "Honselersdijk" has a population of around 5180....
, Kwintsheul
Kwintsheul
Kwintsheul is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 7 km southwest of The Hague....
, Maasdijk
Maasdijk
Maasdijk is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 5 km northwest of Maassluis.In 2008, the village of Maasdijk has 7000 inhabitants...
, Poeldijk, and Ter Heijde
Ter Heijde
Ter Heijde is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 11 km west of The Hague....
.
History
Westland was created on 1 January 2004 by a merger of the municipalities De Lier, 's-Gravenzande, Monster, Naaldwijk and Wateringen. These are also the names of five of the settlementTown
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...
s. The others are Heenweg, Honselersdijk, Kwintsheul, Maasdijk, Poeldijk, and Ter Heijde. Westland itself is not the name of a settlement or town, but rather of the region. The City hall is located in the middle of Westland, in Naaldwijk, the second largest settlement
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...
in Westland.
The town of Honselersdijk also possesses the largest Flower Auction, FloraHolland, which also has a location in Rijnsburg
Rijnsburg
Rijnsburg is a community in the eastern part of the city Katwijk, in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The name means Rhines Burg in Dutch.-History:...
. This is a very important sector of the Westland economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
. Flowers produced in Westland are sold all over the world.
Coastal towns are Ter Heijde (near Monster), Monster itself and 's-Gravenzande. These towns are popular with Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and people from the Eastern Netherlands. It is not unknown for every holiday campsite to be fully booked with tourists. This is because of their relative proximity to the more popular Scheveningen
Wider area
Westland is part of the HaaglandenHaaglanden
Haaglanden refers to the conurbation around The Hague in the Province of South Holland in the Netherlands. This area is prominent in the Netherlands because The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands and the country's seat of government.-Usage:"Haaglanden" is sometimes used to refer to...
conurbation.
In a wider sense, Westland is also the name of the region south-west of the line The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
- Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
- 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...
, approximately consisting of the municipalities Westland and Midden-Delfland
Midden-Delfland
Midden-Delfland is a municipality in the Westland region in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It had a population of 17,072 in 2004, and covers an area of 49.38 km² of which 1.93 km² is water...
, as well as Hoek van Holland
Hoek van Holland
The Hook of Holland , also known in English as the Hook, is a town in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is situated on the North Sea coast, on the north bank of the Nieuwe Waterweg ship canal. The town is administered by the municipality of Rotterdam as a district of that city...
(municipality 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...
).
Westland is most known for its horticulture in greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s, growing flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s.