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  Alblasserdam
  Alblasserdam (population 19,003 in 2009) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 9.96 square kilometres (3.85 sq mi), of which 1.18 square kilometres (0.46 sq mi) is water. Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden. 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.
  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).
  The history of Alblasserdam goes back some 700 years. The name is 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 development and makes it an advantageous location for industry. Alblasserdam's strategic location also brought it negative consequences: between 1350 and 1821, the Alblasserwaard polder has been flooded 32 times. It also suffered during the German raid on Rotterdam on May 11, 1940, when its town center was seriously hit. However, the historic Kerkstraat (Church Street) and the characteristic dike construction along the river were spared. The North Sea flood of 1953 also affected a portion of Alblasserdam.
  
  wn.com/Alblasserdam
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  Albrandswaard
  Albrandswaard ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 19,607 in 2004, and covers an area of 23.75 km² (9.17 mile²) of which 1.57 km² (0.61 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Albrandswaard consists of the village of Poortugaal in the west and Rhoon in the east. Each has a metro station on Rotterdam Metro line D (Poortugaal station and Rhoon station), which connects in eastern direction to Rotterdam and to the main railway network at Rotterdam Centraal railway station, and in western direction to Hoogvliet and Spijkenisse.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Albrandswaard
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  Alphen aan den Rijn
  Alphen aan den Rijn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑɫ.fə(n) aːn dɛn ˈrɛi̯n] ( listen)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, between Leiden and Utrecht. The town is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), where the river Gouwe branches off. The municipality had a population of 72,674 in 2010, and covers an area of 57.68 km² (22.27 sq mi) of which 2.61 km² (1.01 sq mi) is water. It also contains the remnants of a Roman castellum.
  The municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn also includes the communities of Aarlanderveen and Zwammerdam. The town is located in what is called the 'Green Heart' of the Netherlands, which is a somewhat less densely populated centre area of the Randstad.
  The name "Alphen" is probably derived from the name of the Roman castellum Albanianae, meaning "settlement at the white water".
  The area around Alphen aan den Rijn has been inhabited for 2000 years. In the Roman era, the Oude Rijn was the main branch of the Rhine River and formed the north border of the Roman Empire. Since the rule of Emperor Claudius (41–54 CE), divisions of the Roman army were stationed here. Consequently, several Roman fortifications were located along the Oude Rijn, including castellum Albanianae in the centre of Alphen. The Romans had also built the first bridge over the Oude Rijn. Alphen was therefore an important commercial site in the area until Germanic raids ended that in 240 CE.
  
  wn.com/Alphen_aan_den_Rijn
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  Amsterdam
  Amsterdam (English /ˈæmstərdæm/; Dutch: [ˌɑmstərˈdɑm] ( listen)) is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The city's status as the capital of the nation is governed by the constitution. Amsterdam has a population of 790,654 within city limits, an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,289,762. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.
  Amsterdam's name is derived from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were formed. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam (in Dutch: 'Grachtengordel'), located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.
  
  wn.com/Amsterdam
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  Barendrecht
  Barendrecht ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 43,104 in 2007, and covers an area of 21.72 km² (8.39 mile²) of which 1.45 km² (0.56 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Barendrecht also includes the following communities: Barendrecht-Carnisselande, Smitshoek.
  There is a railway station in Barendrecht - Barendrecht railway station. Journey time to Rotterdam Centraal is 14 – 23 minutes.
  The current municipality of Barendrecht is located in the area of three former fiefdoms: East-Barendrecht, West-Barendrecht, and Carnisse. The oldest reference to East-Barendrecht is from 1264. These fiefdoms were in Riederwaard, an area reclaimed from water since the 12th century but had to deal with frequent dike breaches throughout the 13th and 14th centuries.
  During the French Period, the three fiefdoms were merged into one municipality Barendrecht. After the French Period, it was split into East and West-Barendrecht, but in 1836 it was again united as one municipality.
  
  wn.com/Barendrecht
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  Bergambacht
  Bergambacht ([bɛr.ˈχɑm.bɑχt] ( listen), population: 9,280 in 2004) is a village in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 38.05 km² (14.69 mile²) of which 2.96 km² (1.14 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Bergambacht also includes the communities Ammerstol and Berkenwoude, which were former municipalities amalgamated with Bergambacht in 1985.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Bergambacht
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  Bernisse
  Bernisse ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 12,684 in 2004, and covers an area of 68.59 km² (26.48 mile²) of which 11.25 km² (4.34 mile²) is water.
  The municipality is named after the Bernisse River, which flows right through it from the Spui (river) to the Brielse meer and separates the estuary islands of Voorne and Putten.
  The municipality of Bernisse consists of the following communities: Abbenbroek, Biert, Geervliet, Heenvliet, Oudenhoorn, Simonshaven, Zuidland.
  The municipality of Bernisse was formed on January 1, 1980, through the amalgamation of the municipalities Abbenbroek, Oudenhoorn, Zuidland, and parts of the municipalities Geervliet (including Simonshaven) and Heenvliet.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Bernisse
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  Binnenmaas
  Binnenmaas ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 19,245 in 2004, and covers an area of 54.91 km² (21.20 mile²) of which 4.57 km² (1.76 mile²) is water. It is named after the lake of the same name.
  The municipality was formed on January 1, 1984, by the merger of the municipalities Puttershoek, Maasdam, Mijnsheerenland, Westmaas, and Heinenoord. On January 1, 2007, the municipality 's-Gravendeel was added to Binnenmaas.
  The municipality of Binnenmaas consists the following communities: Blaaksedijk, De Wacht, Goidschalxoord, 's-Gravendeel, Greup, Heinenoord, Kuipersveer, Maasdam, Maasdijk, Mijnsheerenland, Puttershoek, Reedijk, Schenkeldijk, Sint Anthoniepolder, Westdijk, Westmaas and Zwanegat.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Binnenmaas
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  Boskoop
  Boskoop ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 15,217 in 2008, and covers an area of 16.96 km² (6.55 mile²) of which 2.17 km² (0.84 mile²) is water. It's the world's biggest joined floriculture area.
  Boskoop is famous for its nurseries, particularly woody plant and perennial nurseries, of which some 774 are situated on long stretches of land, divided by narrow canals. Before World War II almost all transport was conducted using narrow boats. A few exceptionally high footbridges crossing some of the broader (main) canals remain from these days. Between the World Wars the transition was made from fruit culture to decorative garden plants and trees. As a source of technical knowledge about the art of growing decorative plants, Boskoop remains world renowned and unique.
  The name "Boskoop" has been given to an apple cultivar (Belle de Boskoop) which is widely distributed in the Low Countries, and to a grape variety (Boskoop Glory).
  
  wn.com/Boskoop
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  Brielle
  Brielle ( pronunciation (help·info)), also called Den Briel (Brill in English) is a town, municipality and historic seaport in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, on the north side of the island of Voorne-Putten, at the mouth of the New Maas. The municipality covers an area of 31.12 km² (12.02 mile²) of which 3.63 km² (1.40 mile²) is water. In 2004 its population was 15,948.
  The municipality of Brielle also includes the communities Vierpolders, and Zwartewaal.
  Brielle is twinned with:
  Brielle is a very old, fortified town. Its name is derived from the Celtic word brogilo (meaning "closed area" or "hunting grounds"). The oldest writings about Brielle indicate that the current location is the "new" Brielle. Den ouden Briel (Old Brill) must have been situated somewhere else on the Voorne-Putten Island. It received city rights in 1306. The city was for a long time the seat of the Count of Voorne, until this fiefdom was added to Holland in 1371. It had its own harbour and traded with the countries around the Baltic Sea. Brielle even had its own trading colony in Sweden.
  
  wn.com/Brielle
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  Cromstrijen
  Cromstrijen (Cromstrien in local dialect) is a municipality on the Hoeksche Waard Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 70.31 km² (27.15 mile²) of which 15.94 km² (6.15 mile²) is water. It was formed on January 1, 1984, when the municipalities on the Hoeksche Waard were realigned.
  The municipality of Cromstrijen consists of the communities Klaaswaal and Numansdorp (townhall).
  Its population was 13,027 in 2004.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Cromstrijen
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  Delft
  Delft ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland (Zuid-Holland), the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague. Delft is primarily known for its typically Dutch town centre (with canals); also for the painter Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery (Delftware), the Delft University of Technology, and its association with the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
  From a rural village in the early Middle Ages Delft developed to a city, that in the 13th century (1246) received its charter.
  (For some more information about the early development, see the article "Gracht", section "Delft as an example").
  The town's association with the House of Orange started when William of Orange (Willem van Oranje), nicknamed William the Silent (Willem de Zwijger), took up residence in 1572 At the time he was the leader of growing national Dutch resistance against Spanish occupation of the country, which struggle is known as the Eighty Years' War. By then Delft was one of the leading cities of Holland and it was equipped with the necessary city walls to serve as a headquarters.
  
  wn.com/Delft
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  Dirksland
  Dirksland ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality on Goeree-Overflakkee Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 8,269 in 2004, and covers an area of 74.15 km² (28.63 mile²) of which 18.59 km² (7.18 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Dirksland also includes the communities Herkingen and Melissant.
  The North Sea flood of 1953 did not have as much of a destructive effect on Dirksland as the rest of the island, because Dirksland is somewhat higher. Dirksland is the largest of the three communities within the municipality and also has the only hospital on Goeree-Overflakkee island. The Van Weel-Bethesda Hospital is one the smallest in the country, but has an excellent reputation. Dirksland can be recognized from a distance by the tallest water tower in the country. The towns are agriculturally focused and have several campgrounds for people who prefer a bit of rest over the busy Ouddorp area but still want to be close to shore. Dirksland has an inland harbor with a newly restored gate complex.
  
  wn.com/Dirksland
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  Dordrecht
  Dordrecht (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdɔr.trɛχt] ( listen)), colloquially Dordt [dɔrt], historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009. 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. 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.
  The name Dordrecht comes from Thyre, the name of a river, and Middle Dutch drecht "ford", thus meaning "Thure river crossing". Some documentation speaks of the river actually being called Thuredrith. Inhabitants of Dordrecht are Dordtenaren (singular: Dordtenaar). Dordrecht is informally called Dordt by its inhabitants. In earlier centuries, Dordrecht was a major trade port, well-known to British merchants, and was called Dort in English.
  
  wn.com/Dordrecht
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  Flanders
  Flanders (Dutch:  Vlaanderen (help·info)) is the (political) community of the Flemings, one of the communities of Belgium, and also a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
  "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied. In the second half of the twentieth century, there has been a gradual shift of political and economic power from French-speaking Wallonia (which was industrialized earlier) to the Flemish.
  To the English-speaking peoples, Flanders meant historically (from circa 1000 AD) the land situated along the North Sea from the Strait of Dover to the Scheldt estuary. The southern borders were generally ill-defined. Over the last millennium, it was mostly the southern and western borders that receded to give the present day borders within northern Belgium.
  Flanders has figured prominently in European history. Between the early 17th century and 1945, the political outcomes of modern Spain, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria were often decided by battles on the plains of Flanders. Even earlier in British and Irish history, the Flemings (or Flemish) were important allies of the Normans in their conquest of England (1066) and invasion of Ireland (1169–71).
  
  wn.com/Flanders
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  Giessenlanden
  Giessenlanden (population: 14,359 in 2004) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 65.12 km² (25.14 mile²) of which 1.55 km² (0.60 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Giessenlanden consists the communities Arkel, Giessen-Oudekerk, Giessenburg, Hoogblokland, Hoornaar, Noordeloos, and Schelluinen.
  The Arkel railway station, on the Elst–Dordrecht railway, is situated in the municipality Giessenlanden.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Giessenlanden
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  Gloucester
  Gloucester (ⁱ/ˈɡlɒstər/ GLOS-tər) is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately 32 miles (51 km) north-east of Bristol, and 45 miles (72 km) south-southwest of Birmingham.
  Gloucester was founded in AD 97 by the Romans under Emperor Nerva as Colonia Glevum Nervensis, and was granted its first charter in 1155 by King Henry II. Economically, the city is dominated by the service industries, and has a strong financial and business sector, being home to the bank Cheltenham & Gloucester and historically was prominent in the aerospace industry.
  The existence of a British settlement at Gloucester (Caer Glow, Gleawecastre, Gleucestre) is not confirmed by any direct evidence, but Gloucester was the Roman municipality of Colonia Nervia Glevensium, or Glevum, founded in the reign of Nerva. Parts of the walls can be traced, and many remains and coins have been found, though inscriptions are scarce. Evidence for some civic life after the end of Roman Britain includes the mention in the Historia Brittonum that Vortigern's grandfather ruled Gloucester. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Gloucester was part of Wessex from the Battle of Deorham in 577 until 584, when it came under the control of Mercia.
  
  wn.com/Gloucester
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  Goedereede
  Goedereede [ˌɣu.də.ˈreɪ̯.də] ( listen) is a municipality and a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 11408 in 2010, and covers an area of 153.85 km² (59.40 mile²) of which 82.53 km² (31.87 mile²) is water. It consists of the west part of the island of Goeree-Overflakkee.
  The municipality of Goeree also includes the communities, from west to east, Ouddorp, Goedereede (with Havenhoofd), (Oostdijk) and Stellendam.
  The Brouwersdam is a dam, part of the Delta Works, from the island Goeree-Overflakkee to Schouwen-Duiveland, in Zeeland. The Haringvlietsluizen are floodgates, also part of the Delta Works, from Goedereede to the border of Westvoorne and Hellevoetsluis on the island of Voorne-Putten.
  Goedereede received city rights in 1312. From Sir Gereart van Voorne.
  Income consists mainly of tourism and fishery. Because of the extended beach close by, Ouddorp has a large number of camping grounds. Ouddorp, Goedereede and Stellendam have all an extended fishing fleet.
  
  wn.com/Goedereede
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  Gorinchem
  Gorinchem ( pronunciation (help·info)), also called Gorkum (pronun. (info)), is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 21.99 km² (8.49 mile²) of which 3.03 km² (1.17 mile²) is water. It had a population of 34,623 in 2004.
  The municipality of Gorinchem also includes the population centre of Dalem.
  It is assumed that Gorinchem was founded circa the year 1000 by fishermen and farmers on the raised land near the mouth of the river Linge at the Merwede. "Goriks Heem" 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 Arkel granted it city rights on 11 November 1322.
  
  wn.com/Gorinchem
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  Gouda
  Gouda (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣʌu̯daˑ] ( listen); population 70,828 in 2009) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes, and 15th-century city hall.
  In the Middle Ages, a settlement was founded at the location of the current city by the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took its name. The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbour. Gouda's array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day trip destination.
  Around the year 1100, the area where Gouda now is located was swampy and covered with a peat forest, crossed by small creeks such as the Gouwe. Along the shores of this stream near the current market and city hall, peat harvesting began in the 11th and 12th centuries. In 1139, the name Gouda is first mentioned in a statement from the Bishop of Utrecht.
  
  wn.com/Gouda
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  Gouwe
  Gouwe is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Opmeer, and lies about 11 km northwest of Hoorn.
  The statistical area "Gouwe", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 210.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Gouwe
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  Graafstroom
  Graafstroom ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,697 in 2004, and covers an area of 69.32 km² (26.76 mile²) of which 2.21 km² (0.85 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Graafstroom consists of the following population centres: Bleskensgraaf en Hofwegen, Brandwijk, Goudriaan, Molenaarsgraaf, Ottoland, Oud-Alblas, Wijngaarden.
  
  
  
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  Hellevoetsluis
  Hellevoetsluis ([ˌɦɛləvutˈslœy̆s] ( listen)) (population: 39,559 in November 2011, source CBS (Dutch)) is a small city and municipality on Voorne-Putten Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 46.14 km² (17.81 mile²) of which 14.57 km² (5.63 mile²) is water and it includes the population centres Nieuw-Helvoet, and Nieuwenhoorn, both former municipalities.
  Hellevoetsluis is located on the Haringvliet with the sea, beach and dunes close by, on the extreme southern edge of the Rijnmond and Europoort areas, close to the broad Zeeland landscape. The name translates as "lock at the foot of the Helle". The Helle was a small local river which disappeared over time.
  The history of Hellevoetsluis has always been connected with water. During the time of the United Provinces Hellevoetsluis was the naval port of the Admiralty of de Maze (Rotterdam) and could accommodate an entire fleet within a special land-enclosed fortress with harbour and dockyard facilities, accessible through a canal. Thanks to its strategic situation the town grew from the beginning of the 17th century to be the homeport for the Dutch war fleet. In later years the port was fortified more and more and Hellevoetsluis therefore became a unique combination of fortified town and naval port. The Admirals Maarten Tromp, Michiel de Ruyter and Piet Heyn had their home base here and in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution William III of Orange's invasion fleet departed from the port.
  
  wn.com/Hellevoetsluis
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  Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
  Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht ( pronunciation (help·info)) (population: 25.120) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands. It is located in the Dutch province of South Holland, on the island of IJsselmonde, and borders with Zwijndrecht, Ridderkerk, and the Noord River. The jurisdiction of the municipality covers an area of 11.99 km² (4.63 mile²) of which 1.26 km² (0.49 mile²) is water. It comprises no other population centres.
  Until 1855, the town was known as Hendrik-Ido-Schildmanskinderen-Ambacht en de Oostendam. Then it merged with Sandelingen-Ambacht and its full name for a period of time was Hendrik-Ido-Oostendam-Schildmanskinderen-Groot-en-Klein-Sandelingen-Ambacht.
  The area has been populated from circa the year 1000 CE. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the only means of existence for many centuries. All lands were owned by or in control of the nobility of Dordrecht. Not until the Eighty Years' War some industrial activities began to appear along the river dike. Furthermore, horticulture and flax growing also developed.
  
  wn.com/Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
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  Hillegom
  Hillegom ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 13.48 km² (8.38 mile²) of which 0.61 km² (0.38 mile²) is water.
  The name Hillegom is derived from the abbey named Hijlighem (Old Frankish for "Holy Home"). This abbey no longer exists.
  It is bordered by the municipalities of Bloemendaal, Bennebroek (to the north), Haarlemmermeer (to the east), Lisse (to the south), and Noordwijkerhout (to the west).
  Hillegom is part of an area called the Duin- en Bollenstreek ("Dune and Bulb Region"). As such, a large portion of the local economy was traditionally geared to the cultivation of bulb flowers.
  Hillegom was formed on the eastern edge of the coastal dunes where the old Leiden to Haarlem route crossed the Hillegommerbeek (Hillegom's Creek), not far from the shores of the Haarlemmermeer (Haarlem's Lake). Places with the suffix "-heim" (or variant spellings) usually developed before the year 1000 and therefore it is assumed that this may apply to Hillegom as well. In 1150 the abbot of Egmond had the rights to naming priests in Hillegom, indicating that a church or chapel existed there. In 1248 the count Willem II gave the Chapel of Hijllinghem and all its buildings to the Abbot of Egmond.
  
  wn.com/Hillegom
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  Holland
  Holland
  
  Holland is a region in the western part of the Netherlands. The term Holland is also frequently used as a pars pro toto to refer to the whole of the Netherlands. This usage is generally accepted but disliked by Dutch people in the other parts of the Netherlands.
  From the 10th century to the 16th century, Holland proper was a unified political region, a county ruled by the Counts of Holland. By the 17th century, Holland had risen to become a maritime and economic power, dominating the other provinces of the Dutch Republic.
  Today, the former County of Holland consists of the two Dutch provinces of North Holland and South Holland, which together include the Netherlands' three largest cities: country capital Amsterdam; seat of government The Hague; and Rotterdam, home of Europe's largest port.
  Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) referred to this region as the land between the Helinium and Flevo ("inter Helinium ac Flevum"), the names of the mouths into which the Rhine divided itself, the first discharging its waters in the Mosa in the neighbourhood of Brielle and the second into "the lakes of the north" (present IJsselmeer). The name Holland first appeared in sources in 866 for the region around Haarlem, and by 1064 was being used as the name of the entire county. By this time, the inhabitants of Holland were referring to themselves as "Hollanders".Holland is derived from the Middle Dutch term holtland ("wooded land").^{[citation needed]} This spelling variation remained in use until around the 14th century, at which time the name stabilised as Holland (alternative spellings at the time were Hollant and Hollandt). Popular, but incorrect etymology holds that Holland is derived from hol land ("hollow land") and was inspired by the low-lying geography of Holland.^{[citation needed]}
  
  wn.com/Holland
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  Janskerk (Gouda)
  The Sint Janskerk in Gouda, the Netherlands, is a large Gothic church, known especially for its stained glass windows, for which it has been placed on the UNESCO list of Dutch monuments.
  The church is dedicated to John the Baptist, the patron saint of Gouda, and was built during the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1552 a large part of the church burned, including the archives. Most information of the early period is taken from the diaries of Ignatius Walvis. Around 1350 a tower was built (only the lower part remains). In 1485 the foundation was built for the present-day choir. This expansion made the church the longest in the Netherlands, with a length of 123 meters.
  The stained glass windows were made and installed primarily by the brothers Dirk and Wouter Crabeth I, in the years 1555-1571, and after a short stop for the Protestant Reformation, until 1603. During the Reformation the church was spared, because the city fathers sided with the reigning king Philip II of Spain, rather than William the Silent, representing the Orange rebels. Later, after the orangists conquered the northern half of Holland, Gouda reverted to Orange in 1572. It was only during this period that the church was in danger, and three weeks later an angry mob stormed the church and plundered the contents, but fortunately left the windows intact. The church was closed, but many wealthy regents of the city attempted to have it reopened. In 1573 the Gouda council prohibited the practise of Roman Catholic religion and in the summer it was opened for the Protestant Dutch Reformed faith, which it still has today.
  
  wn.com/Janskerk_(Gouda)
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  Katwijk
  Katwijk ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. It has a population of 61,292.^{[citation needed]}
  Katwijk is located on the North Sea, northwest of Leiden and 16 km north of The Hague. The municipality is essentially the area between Leiden and the North Sea. Katwijk lies along the Oude Rijn, which ends at the North Sea in Katwijk aan Zee. It shares its borders with the municipalities of Noordwijk, Teylingen, Oegstgeest, Leiden, and Wassenaar. Katwijk is by far the largest town in the Duin- en Bollenstreek ("Dune and Bulb Region"). The municipality covers an area of 31.06 km² (11.99 mile²), of which 6.41 km² (2.47 mile²) is water.
  The town consists of a number of districts, including namesakes Katwijk aan den Rijn and Katwijk aan Zee. On 1 January 2005 the various districts had the following populations:
  Lying on the coast, Katwijk aan Zee is (and has always been) the larger town. Katwijk aan den Rijn lies just slightly inland. Rijnsburg is east of Katwijk aan den Rijn and to the south is Valkenburg. Hoornes-Rijnsoever is north of Katwijk aan Zee.
  
  wn.com/Katwijk
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  Korendijk
  Korendijk (population: 11,019 in 2004) is a municipality on the Hoeksche Waard Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 100.48 km² (38.80 mile²) of which 22.57 km² (8.71 mile²) is water.
  With the municipal reorganization of the Hoeksche Waard on 1 January 1984, the municipality of Korendijk was formed out of the former municipalities of Goudswaard, Nieuw-Beijerland, Piershil (location of town hall), Zuid-Beijerland, and the island Tiengemeten. In addition to these villages, it also has the population centres Nieuwendijk and Zuidzijde.
  It is bordered on the southside by the Haringvliet estuary, on the westside by the Spui River, and by the municipalities Oud-Beijerland and Cromstrijen to the north and east.
  
  
  
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  Lansingerland
  Lansingerland is the name for the new municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It was formed on January 1, 2007, by the merger of the municipalities of Berkel en Rodenrijs, Bleiswijk and Bergschenhoek, collectively known as the "B-Triangle".
  The name was chosen from a competition and derived from the name Lansingh, the height-of-land between the Delfland and Schieland Water Boards, which runs between the "B-Triangle" villages. The choice of name is symbolic: the name of the border that formerly divided the area, will now unite it. The "h" in Lansingh was dropped to ease spelling.
  Lansingerland consists of the following communities:
  On 18 September 2007 Ewald van Vliet was installed as the first mayor of Lansingerland. Lansingerland council consists of 31 seats. They were last contested in March 2010 and the results were as follows:-
  
  wn.com/Lansingerland
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  Leerdam
  Leerdam ([lɪːr.ˈdɑm] ( listen); population: 21,050 in 2004) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.
  The municipality covers an area of 34.32 km² (13.25 mile²) of which 0.53 km² (0.20 mile²) is water. It comprises the town of Leerdam, the rural villages Kedichem, Schoonrewoerd and Oosterwijk. The south border of the town is formed by the river Linge. Leerdam is the most eastern town of the province of South Holland and is situated almost exactly in the middle of the three highways A2, A15 and A27.
  Leerdam received city rights in 1407. The small river Linge, bordered by beautiful water meadows, defines the atmosphere and tone of the landscape. Several centuries ago Leerdam formed a part of the Vijfheerenlanden domain, before it was raised to the level of County in 1498. The rich history of Leerdam can be found in well-kept historic buildings such as the Grote Kerk (Great Church), the Hofje van mevrouw van Aerden (Mrs. Aerden Almshouses, now a museum), the remaining and restored city walls on the Zuidwal and the Oude Raadhuis (Old City Hall).
  
  wn.com/Leerdam
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  Leiden
  Leiden (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈlɛi̯.də(n)] ( listen); in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland. The municipality of Leiden has a population of about 120,000, but the city forms one densely connected urban area with its suburbs Oegstgeest, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten, Valkenburg, Rijnsburg and Katwijk, which have about 254,000 inhabitants combined. The larger Leiden agglomeration counts 332,000 inhabitants which makes it the sixth major agglomeration in the Netherlands. Leiden is located on the Old Rhine, at a distance of some 20 kilometers from The Hague to its south and some 40 kilometers from Amsterdam to its north. The recreational area of the Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) lies just to the northeast of Leiden.
  A university city since 1575, Leiden houses Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Centre. It is twinned with Oxford, the location of England's oldest university.
  It is true that Leiden is an old city, its connection with Roman Lugdunum Batavorum is true though it is actually near the close-by town of Katwijk, whereas the Roman settlement near modern Leiden was called Matilo. However, there was a Roman fortress in Leiden in the 4th century.^{[citation needed]}
  
  wn.com/Leiden
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  Leiderdorp
  Leiderdorp ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland near the city of Leiden. It had a population of 26,182 in 2004.
  The municipality covers an area of 12.29 km² (4.75 mile²) of which 0.56 km² (0.22 mile²) is water. Leiderdorp has now become a suburb of the city of Leiden, although the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) river and the Zijl river separate the two. The HSL-Zuid high-speed rail line between Amsterdam and Brussels crosses Leiderdorp in a tunnel.
  It is one of the oldest towns in Zuid Holland province and was a base for the Spanish army in the Eighty Years' War.
  Šamorín, in Slovakia, is the twin town of Leiderdorp.
  Leiderdorp, map of 1867.
  Town centre on the Old Rhine.
  Listed farm in spring
  
  
  
  
  
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  Liesveld
  Liesveld ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,810 in 2006, and covers an area of 44.44 km² (17.16 mile²) of which 3.37 km² (1.30 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Liesveld was formed on 1 January 1986 from the former municipalities of Groot-Ammers, Langerak, Nieuwpoort, and Streefkerk. It consists of the population centres Groot-Ammers, Langerak, Nieuwpoort, Streefkerk, and Waal.
  Its name is probably derived from a low-lying swampy area filled with reed grasses (Dutch: lies - Glyceria aquatica) near Gelkenes. Castle Liesvelt was built on such a reedy field, giving its name to the Lords of Liesvelt, who owned lands within the municipality.
  
  wn.com/Liesveld
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  Lisse
  Lisse ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 16.11 km² (10.01 mile²) of which 0.41 km² (0.25 mile²) is water. Its population is 21864 (1 November 2006, source: CBS). Located within the municipal boundary is also the community De Engel.
  The history of Lisse is closely related and similar to the neighboring towns of Hillegom and Sassenheim. Based on a document from 1198 which makes official mention of the town's name, Lisse celebrated its 800-year anniversary in 1998, although there is an indication that there was already a settlement there in the 10th century.
  In the Middle Ages, Lisse was a small settlement; there were only 50 houses in 1500. Because of prolonged warfare (particularly the wars of Charles the Bold and the Eighty Years' War), poverty was prevalent. Its population lived from agriculture, animal husbandry, and peat harvesting.
  In the 17th and 18th centuries, Lisse was, like Hillegom, home to many estates of rich merchants and nobility. The forests and gardens of the Keukenhof, Meerenburg, Wildlust, Zandvliet, Overduin en Akervoorde, Wassergeest, Grotenhof, Ter Specke, Dubbelhoven, Rosendaal, Veenenburg en Berkhout, Middelburg, Ter Beek, and Uytermeer estates all added to the town's beauty and glory.
  
  wn.com/Lisse
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  Maassluis
  Maassluis ([maˑˈslœy̆s] ( listen)) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 32,847 in 2004, and covers an area of 10.11 km² (of which 1.51 km² water).
  It received city rights in 1811. It was also the setting for the Dutch cult classic, Spetters, filmed by noted director Paul Verhoeven there in 1980.
  Maassluis was founded circa 1340, as a settlement next to a lock (in Dutch: sluis) in the sea barrier between the North Sea and Rotterdam. Originally called Maeslandsluys, it was part of Maesland. In 1489 the settlement was sacked. During the Eighty Years' War, Philips of Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, started to build a defense wall but before its completion, it was captured by the Spanish in 1573 and Philips of Marnix was taken prisoner. A year later Maeslandsluys was looted by mutinous Spanish troops.
  On 16 May 1614, Maeslandsluys was separated from Maesland by the counts of Holland and renamed to Maassluis. This separation may have been religiously motivated: Maassluis was predominantly Protestant whereas Maasland catholic. In 1624 the defense wall was demolished to make way for the Great Church, for which construction started in 1629. The construction was stopped for 5 years because privateers from Dunkirk raided many fishing boats from Maassluis and would throw the crew overboard. In 1639 the Great Church was completed. On 4 December 1732, the famous Garrels Organ was inaugurated. Built from 1730 to 1732 by Rudolf Garrels, a pupil of Arp Schnitger, it was a gift by Govert van Wijn, ship-owner from Maassluis.
  
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  Middelharnis
  Middelharnis (population: about 18,000 in 2009) is a municipality and a village in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 86.79 km² (of which 25.63 km² water).
  The municipality consists of the following population centres:
  On 1 January 1966, the municipalities of Nieuwe-Tonge, Sommelsdijk, and Stad aan 't Haringvliet were added to Middelharnis.
  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. The village hosts a public and Christian high school. Middelharnis has an inland harbor with connection to the Haringvliet. There is also a small beach which can get very crowded in the summertime. The old main street in both villagses are very pretty. Starting at the church and ending at the harbor, they are very identical. In Middelharnis the old main street has the old municipality building. Both towns have the church in the center and the rest of the towns sort of vane out from this center. In Sommelsdijk a sportcomplex with swimming pool is present called De Staver. Stad aan 't Haringvliet has a small harbor with 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.
  
  wn.com/Middelharnis
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  Midden-Delfland
  Midden-Delfland ( pronunciation (help·info)) 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. Midden-Delfland is considered to be the main Cittaslow of The Netherlands.
  It was formed on January 1, 2004, through the merger of the former municipalities:
  The municipality comprises the population centres Hodenpijl, Den Hoorn, Gaag, Maasland, Negenhuizen, Schipluiden, 't Woudt, Zouteveen, and De Zweth.
  The green area that comprises the municipality of Midden-Delfland was named Midden-Delfland before 2004, and it referred to the green area surrounded by cities (such as The Hague and Rotterdam) and the horticulture area of Westland. The supporters of a continuous green area were lucky that the municipality of Midden-Delfland became a reality: the cities of Delft, Vlaardingen and Schiedam wanted to build new houses here, and the Westland gardeners also wanted to expand. Now, Midden-Delfland is designated as a recreation area for people from the surrounding cities.
  
  wn.com/Midden-Delfland
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  Nederlek
  Nederlek ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 14,831 in 2004, and covers an area of 31.44 km² (of which 3.60 km² is covered by water). It was formed on January 1, 1985, by the amalgamation of the municipalities Krimpen aan de Lek and Lekkerkerk. Its name means "Lower Lek", a reference to its location on the Lek River.
  There is no town called Nederlek but the municipality consists of the population centres Krimpen aan de Lek and Lekkerkerk. The last town gained notoriety in 1980 when a large amount of toxic waste was found underneath a residential area built in the 1970s. The cost of cleaning up the mess ran up to 188 million guilders (approximately 90 million US dollars).
  
  
  
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  Netherlands
  The Netherlands (ⁱ/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdə(r)lɑnt] or [ˈneɪ̯də(r)lɑnt] ( listen); West Frisian: Nederlân; Papiamento: Hulanda) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some 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 with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces (a case of pars pro toto; see terminology of "the Netherlands").
  
  wn.com/Netherlands
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  Nieuw-Lekkerland
  Nieuw-Lekkerland (population: 9,539 in 2004) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is situated on the southern shores of the Lek River, in the north-western part of the Alblasserwaard. The municipality covers an area of 12.77 km² (of which 2.37 km² is covered by water).
  The municipality includes the population centres of Nieuw-Lekkerland (divided into the two neighbourhoods Dorpslaan and Middelweg) and Kinderdijk.
  The town's name evolved slightly over time: in 1280 Leckerlant, in 1331 Niewe Leckerland, and in 1903 Nieuw Lekkerland. It means "land of or near the river Lek" with the addition of "nieuw" ("new") to distinguish it from Old Lekkerland (now Lekkerkerk) across the river.
  The name Nieue-Leckelant appears for the first time around 1325 and distinguishes it from Oudt-Leckelant (now Lekkerkerk). The most notable building used to be Castle Schoonenburg. Because of its elevated location on a mount, it served as a refuge for the people during floods before the reclamation of the Alblasserwaard. After 1456, the castle was abandoned and became a ruin. Its remains were thereafter probably used to rebuild a church tower. only the mount is still visible. The Reformed Church is from 1848.
  
  wn.com/Nieuw-Lekkerland
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  Nieuwkoop
  Nieuwkoop ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality was enlarged on January 1, 2007, through the amalgamation of Liemeer and Ter Aar.
  Before 2007, the municipality covered an area of 38.50 km² (14.86 mile²) of which 8.69 km² (3.36 mile²) is water. Its population was 11,092 in 2004.
  On May 3th, 2008, the Dutch newspaper het Algemeen Dagblad published an arcticle which stated that Nieuwkoop is the safest municipality of the Netherlands.
  
  The municipality of Nieuwkoop includes the following communities:
  The oldest part of Nieuwkoop are the buildings along the Nieuwkoopse Plassen (Nieuwkoop's Ponds), many of which are completely surrounded by water and accessible over individual bridges to the main road. The Nieuwkoopse Plassen are shallow lakes that were dug for peat harvesting in the 16th century and are now designated as a natural monument. New neighborhoods north-west of the main road are built after World War II.
  
  wn.com/Nieuwkoop
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  Noordwijk
  Noordwijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈnoːrtʋɛi̯k] ( listen)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 51.53 km² (of which 16.12 km² is water) and had a population of 24,707 in May 2006.
  The municipality of Noordwijk consists of the communities Noordwijk aan Zee and Noordwijk-Binnen, separated by a narrow green belt.
  Besides its beaches, Noordwijk is also known for its bulb flower fields. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek).
  Noordwijk is also the location of the headquarters for the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), part of the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA's visitors' centre Space Expo is a permanent space exhibition.
  Noordwijk aan Zee was founded around 1200 as a fishing village. Until the beginning of the 19th century, fishing remained its primary business, but then began to be replaced by the growing tourism industry. Nowadays because of its long sandy beaches, it is a popular resort town with 1,000,000 overnight stays per year.
  
  wn.com/Noordwijk
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  Noordwijkerhout
  Noordwijkerhout ([ˌnoːrtʋɛi̯kərˈhʌu̯t] ( listen)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 23.40 km² (of which 0.80 km² water) and had a population of 15,121 in May 2006. The town is in the bulb growing region (the Duin- en Bollenstreek) of the Netherlands, famed for its tulips.
  The municipality of Noordwijkerhout also includes the following towns, villages and townships: De Zilk.
  The coastal dunes where Noordwijkerhout is located have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeological digs in the area just north outside of town have found items and implements from before Christ. During the Roman era, this region was inhabited by a Germanic tribe, called Cananefates by the Roman writer Tacitus.
  Noordwijkerhout is about 5 kilometers from the North Sea and provides access to the beach and nearby hiking opportunities through the dunes. Just north of town is the Oosterduinse meer (Eastern Dune's Lake) which is used for swimming and windsurfing.
  
  wn.com/Noordwijkerhout
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  Norway
  Norway ⁱ/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian:  Norge (Bokmål) or  Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
  
  wn.com/Norway
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  Oegstgeest
  Oegstgeest (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌuxstˈxeːst], locally [ˌuχstˈχeɪ̯st] ( listen)) is a town and municipality in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. Its population was 22,576 in 2008.
  The municipality of Oegstgeest covers an area of 7.75 km² (of which 0.54 km² is water). Oegstgeest lies just to the north of Leiden, with which it is conjoined in a conurbation. Oegstgeest is a separate municipality, but it is effectively a suburb of Leiden. The municipality of Katwijk is to the west, the municipality of Teylingen to the north, the Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) to the northeast and Leiderdorp to the east.
  Oegstgeest is one of the earliest inhabited places along the coast. Evidence of a Batavian settlement from the second century was found in 1946 in an extension of a coastal dune in the Elgeesterpolder, although it is not certain whether this location remained permanently inhabited in the centuries after that.
  By the 9th century there was already a little church in the same location as the current Little Green Church (Groen Kerkje) which, according to legend, was dedicated by Willibrord. The existence of this church is an indication that there may have been a community there.
  
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  Oostflakkee
  Oostflakkee [ˌoʊ̯st.flɑ.ˈkeɪ̯] ( listen), population: 10,126 in 2004) is a municipality on the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 107.44 km² (of which 32.75 km² is covered by water).
  The municipality of Oostflakkee was formed by the amalgamation of the former municipalities of Den Bommel, Ooltgensplaat, and Oude Tonge in 1966. It consists of the communities Achthuizen, De Langstraat, Den Bommel (with Zuidzijde), Ooltgensplaat, Oude-Tonge, Zuidzijde.
  Oude Tonge is the main town of this municipality with a considerable industrial area. It also has a large busstation. Den Bommel is quite similar as Stad aan 't Haringvliet with a harbor and beach on the shores of the Haringvliet. A few kilometers east of Den Bommel there is Zuidzijde, a very small town with a neat looking watertower. 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 is the yearly start and finish of De Omloop - a 100+ km walk around the island in a 24 hour period. This event attracts thousands every year either participants or bystanders. It is held yearly in the latter half of August. Achthuizen and Langstraat are other small towns nearby Ooltgensplaat.
  
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  Oud-Beijerland
  Oud-Beijerland ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. With a population of 23,797 in 2005, it is the most populated town on the Hoeksche Waard island, located on the Oude Maas and Spui Rivers.
  The municipality of Oud-Beijerland also includes the communities Vuurbaken and Zinkweg.
  After the St. Elizabeth's flood (1421), large parts of the islands Putten and Grote Waard were lost and became clay banks and salt marshes which would be inundated at high tide and be unsuitable for habitation. In subsequent centuries, portions of land would be reclaimed.
  Oud-Beijerland was formed in 1559 as "Beijerland" by Lamoral, Count of Egmont. He was granted the rights to this area in 1557 and had the land reclaimed. This new polder was named Beijerland, Moerkerken, Cromstrijen en de Greup. Circa 1624 the smaller polders Bosschenpolder and Nieuwlandpolder were added to it. Beijerland was named after Sabina of Bavaria (Dutch: Beijeren), wife of the Count of Egmont.
  
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  Ouderkerk
  Ouderkerk (population: 8,100 in 2005) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 28.53 km² (of which 1.42 km² water). It was formed on January 1, 1985, after a municipal reorganization.
  The municipality of Ouderkerk consists of the population centres Gouderak, Lageweg, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, and IJssellaan, all situated along the Hollandse IJssel river.
  
  
  
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  Papendrecht
  Papendrecht ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, at the crossing of the River Beneden Merwede and the Noord River. The municipality had a population of 30,914 in 2004, and covers an area of 10.77 km² (of which 1.30 km² water).
  Although Papendrecht is first mentioned in documents dating back to 1105, it remained a small settlement until the 1950s. In the 1960s its development accelerated and almost its entire area is now urbanized.
  Papendrecht has two Water taxi stops, one at the Beneden Merwede River, and one at the Noord River. The entire trajectory of the Water taxi is:
  Papendrecht also has a relatively high density of bus connections, mostly provided by Arriva.
  
  
  
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  Pijnacker-Nootdorp
  Pijnacker-Nootdorp ([ˈpɛi̯nˌɑkər ˈnoʊ̯dɔrp] ( listen) population: 47,891 in 2010) is a suburban municipality in the Randstad conurbation in the Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 38.60 km² (of which 0.95 km² water).
  The municipality of Pijnacker-Nootdorp comprises the following towns, villages and townships: Delfgauw, Nootdorp, Oude Leede, Pijnacker and (parts of) newly built Ypenburg. It is the result of merging the municipalities of Pijnacker and Nootdorp in 2002, with parts being annexed by neighbouring The Hague. It is part of the Haaglanden conurbation centred around The Hague, but it is also close to Delft and Rotterdam.
  Nootdorp is connected to The Hague through the Randstadrail public transport system, and also with a tram line.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Pijnacker-Nootdorp
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  Ridderkerk
  Ridderkerk ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 44,886 in 2010, and covers an area of 25.10 km² (of which 1.35 km² is covered by water).
  The municipality of Ridderkerk also includes the following towns, villages and townships: Bolnes, Oostendam, Rijsoord and Slikkerveer.
  
  wn.com/Ridderkerk
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  Rijnwoude
  Rijnwoude (population: 18,986 in 2004) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 57.85 km² (22.34 mile²) of which 1.17 km² (0.45 mile²) is water.
  Rijnwoude was formed in 1991 as Rijneveld through the merger of the former municipalities of Benthuizen, Hazerswoude, and Koudekerk aan den Rijn. In 1993 the municipality was renamed to its current name Rijnwoude.
  The municipality of Rijnwoude consists of the communities Benthorn, Benthuizen, Hazerswoude-Dorp, Groenendijk, Hazerswoude-Rijndijk (location of town hall), Hogeveen, and Koudekerk aan den Rijn.
  
  
  
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  Rijswijk
  Rijswijk [ˈrɛisʋɛik] ( listen) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a suburb of The Hague (population: 47,693 in 2004) and covers an area of 14.48 km² (of which 0.43 km² is covered by water).
  The municipality of Rijswijk also includes the villages 't Haantje and Sion.
  Archeological excavations indicate that this area of the coastal dunes were already inhabited some 5500 years ago. The formation of the village Rijswijk took place in the 13th century, and its history was dominated by presence of mansions and estates of the nobility and affluent. Among the many country estates known to have been in Rijswijk are:
  The Treaty of Ryswick was signed at the Huis ter Nieuwburg in 1697, ending the Nine Years' War. A monument, the Needle of Rijswijk (1792), was erected to commemorate the treaty in the Rijswijk Forest.
  Until 1900 Rijswijk remained a relative small community but it became urbanized during the 20th century when it expanded rapidly. Today, Rijswijk's area has almost been completely built-up. The last major development is the new Ypenburg neighbourhood, built on the lands of the former Ypenburg Airfield but this part of Rijswijk was annexed by The Hague in 2002. Rijswijk is part of the Haaglanden conurbation. During the years its built-up area has grown to the point where it has effectively merged with The Hague, even though it is still a separate municipality.
  
  
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  Rotterdam
  Rotterdam ( /ˈrɒtərdæm/; Dutch [ˌrɔ.tər.ˈdɑm] ( listen)) is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam constructed in 1270 on the Rotte River, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre. Its strategic location at the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta on the North Sea and at the heart of a massive rail, road, air and inland waterway distribution system extending throughout Europe is the reason that Rotterdam is often called the "Gateway to Europe".
  Located in the Province of South Holland, Rotterdam is found in the west of the Netherlands and at the south end of the Randstad. The population of the city proper was 616,250 on February 1st 2012. The population of the greater Rotterdam area, called "Rotterdam-Rijnmond" or just "Rijnmond", is around 1.3 million people. Rotterdam is one of Europe's most vibrant, multicultural cities. The city is known for its university (Erasmus), its cutting-edge architecture, its lively cultural life, its striking riverside setting, its maritime heritage and the Rotterdam Blitz.
  
  wn.com/Rotterdam
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  Schiedam
  Schiedam ([sχiˈdɑm] ( listen)) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen, and south of Delft. In the south it is connected with the village of Pernis by the Beneluxtunnel.
  The city is known for its historical center with canals, and for having the tallest windmills in the world. Schiedam is also famous for the distilleries and malthouses and production of jenever (gin) - such as the internationally-renowned Ketel One - so much so that in French and English the word schiedam (usually without a capital s-) refers to the town's Holland gin. This was the town's main industry during the early Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th century, a dark period to which it owed its former nickname "Zwart Nazareth" or "Black Nazareth". Furthermore, the city is known for Saint Lidwina, one of the most famous Dutch saints (her relics are located in the Liduina Basilica in Schiedam).
  
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  Schoonhoven
  Schoonhoven (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsxoːnˌɦoːvə(n)], locally [ˈsχoʊ̯nˌɦoʊ̯və(n)] ( listen)) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality has a population of 11,819 as of 2012^[update], and covers an area of 6.96 km² (of which 0.67 km² water). It is now the smallest municipality in the Netherlands in land area, following the merger of Rozenburg into Rotterdam.
  A historic map of Schoonhoven of 1652 shows the north and west town walls, which were common during medieval times in the Netherlands. The only remaining medieval entrance gate of Schoonhoven is the Veerpoort (Ferry Gate) next to the Lek River (see external link 4). This Veerpoort has protected Schoonhoven from the floods of the river Rhine and from the sea during the North Sea flood of 1953 and is still fully functional as a water barrier today.
  A ferry transporting both vehicles and pedestrians across the Lek River (see external link 5) connects Schoonhoven with Gelkenes in Liesveld.
  
  wn.com/Schoonhoven
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  Sliedrecht
  Sliedrecht (population: 23,837 in 2004) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi) (of which 1.22 square kilometres (0.47 sq mi) is covered by water).
  The first IKEA store in the Netherlands opened in Sliedrecht in 1978, but it closed in 2006. Sliedrecht is also the site of the Nationaal Baggermuseum (National Dredging Museum) - featuring dredging and salvage.
  Sliedrecht railway station and Sliedrecht Baanhoek railway station are situated on the Elst–Dordrecht railway.
  Waterbus route 2:
  
  
  
  wn.com/Sliedrecht
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  South Holland
  South Holland (Dutch: Zuid-Holland [ˈzœy̆t ˈɦɔlɐnt] ( listen) 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. With a population of 3,502,595 (30 November 2009) and an area of 3,403 km², the province has the highest population density in the Netherlands.
  For more on the history of South Holland in the context of Dutch history, see the article on the "History of the Netherlands". The history of this province can also be found in the articles on its constituent elements (e.g. Rotterdam, The Hague, etc.) The information here pertains just to South Holland itself.
  For most of its history, the modern-day province of South Holland was an integral part of Holland.
  From the 9th century to the 16th century, Holland was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, and was ruled by the counts of Holland. Some of the counts were powerful magnates who also ruled many other territories, culminating in a period of rule by the House of Habsburg which was terminated by the Dutch Revolt.
  
  wn.com/South_Holland
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  Spijkenisse
  Spijkenisse ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 74,482 in 2006, and covers an area of 30.23 km² (of which 4.07 km² water). It is part of the Rotterdam Metropolitan Area.
  The municipality also includes the communities of Hekelingen, Den Hoek and Beerenplaat.
  Spijkenisse is twinned with Thetford, United Kingdom, and Hürth, Germany.
  Archeological research has shown that the area around Spijkenisse has been inhabited for many thousands of years. The people then depended on fishing on the Meuse and hunting in the swamps.
  The oldest reference to the name Spickenisse is from a source from 1231. This name comes from the words spieke (Spit (landform)) and nesse (nose) meaning "pointy nose" in reference to a spit of land protruding along the river.
  Spijkenisse formed as a farmers and fishing village at a creek along the Oude Maas. Initially it belonged to the Lord of Putten (whose coat of arms is now used by the city) but in 1459 the fiefdom Putten, including Spijkenisse, was transferred to Philip III, Duke of Burgundy. In 1581 the area came under the control of the Count of Holland.
  
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  Strijen
  Strijen (population: 9,312 in 2004) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality, covering an area of 57.72 km² (of which 6.50 km² is water), is located on the Hoeksche Waard island along the Hollands Diep estuary.
  Strijen hosts a public library, swimming pool, a small shopping centre and a local museum.
  Furthermore, Strijen is home to an important and welcome resting stop for migrating birds, especially geese. During winter, the endangered Eurasian Spoonbill uses this area as a foraging ground.
  The municipality of Strijen also includes the population centres of Cillaarshoek, De Klem, Mookhoek, Oudendijk, and Strijensas.
  
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  Teylingen
  Teylingen ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. It was created on January 1, 2006, through the amalgamation of Sassenheim, Voorhout, and Warmond. It is named after Castle Teylingen, located on the northern edge of Sassenheim, in Voorhout.
  The municipality is bordered by Noordwijkerhout and Lisse to the north, Haarlemmermeer and Alkemade to the east, Leiderdorp and Leiden to the south, and Oegstgeest and Katwijk to the west. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek). The Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) lie just to the east of Sassenheim.
  
  
  
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  The Hague
  The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag pronounced [dɛnˈɦaˑχ] ( listen), officially 's-Gravenhage pronounced [ˈsχraˑvə(n)ˌɦaˑɣə] ( listen)) is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants (as of 1 September 2011), and more than one million inhabitants including the suburbs, it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Located in the west of the Netherlands, The Hague is in the centre of the Haaglanden conurbation and lies at the southwest corner of the larger Randstad conurbation.
  The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government and parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands which constitutionally is Amsterdam. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands lives at Huis ten Bosch and works at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands and 150 international organisations are located in the city, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, which makes The Hague one of the major cities hosting the United Nations, along with New York, Vienna and Geneva.
  
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  Utrecht
  Utrecht (/ˈjuːtrɛkt/; Dutch pronunciation: [ˈytrɛxt] ( listen)) city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 316,448 on 1 February 2012.
  Utrecht's ancient city centre features many buildings and structures from the Early Middle Ages. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the eighth century. Currently it is the see of the Archbishop of Utrecht, the most important Dutch Roman Catholic leader. Utrecht is also the see of the archbishop of the Old Catholic church, titular head of the Union of Utrecht (Old Catholic), and the location of the offices of the main Protestant church. Until the Dutch Golden Age Utrecht was the city of most importance of the Netherlands until Amsterdam became its cultural and most populous centre.
  Utrecht is host to Utrecht University, the largest university of the Netherlands, as well as several other institutes for higher education. Due to its central position within the country, it is an important transport hub for both rail and road transport. It has the second highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam.
  
  wn.com/Utrecht
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  Vlaardingen
  Vlaardingen ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is located on the north bank of the Nieuwe Maas/Nieuwe Waterweg river at the confluence with the Oude Maas. The municipality administers an area of 26.71 square kilometres (10.31 sq mi), of which 23.81 square kilometres (9.19 sq mi) is land, with 71,938 residents (in May 2006).
  The town is divided into a northern (locally known as the "Holy") and a southern part by the A20 motorway. On the east the town is (currently in part) separated from Schiedam by the A4 motorway. Other places nearby are Maassluis to the west, Schipluiden and Delft to the north, and Spijkenisse in the south-west, on the other side of the Nieuwe Waterweg. The A20 connects Rotterdam to Hoek van Holland. The Beneluxtunnel (the tunnel that runs under the Nieuwe Waterweg) connects the A20 to the A15.
  The centre of the city is on the west side of the old harbour, which is a widened section of the canal (Vlaardingse Vaart) which runs from Vlaardingen to Schipluiden.
  
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  Vlist
  Vlist ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 56.52 km² (of which 2.73 km² is water) and had a population of 9,803 in 2004.
  On January 1, 1985, the municipalities of Haastrecht, Stolwijk, and Vlist were merged and the new municipality was named after the little river Vlist.
  The municipality of Vlist includes the population centres of Haastrecht, Stolwijk, and Vlist.
  The Vlist is a river in South Holland which runs from Schoonhoven to Haastrecht where it empties into the Hollandsche IJssel. It passes Schoonhoven, Bonrepas, Vlist Haastrecht, it crosses the communities Schoonhoven and Vlist. The river stretches from the crow flies about ten kilometers. The Vlist is a bog river and was formerly used as a basin for polders around the river; there were a lot of windmills for pumping water on the banks of the river. Previously, the Vlist used for transportation of goods, particularly from Schoonhoven to Utrecht. Today the river has a tourist function. In particular cyclists and pedestrians use the area for their tours. In the summer the roads beside the Vlist filled with cyclists and hikers. The river itself is often navigated with canoes which can be hired in Haastrecht. In the winter when the river is frozen, the Two Provinces trip is organized for the ice-skate enthusiasts. Along this river (at Bonrepas) Wilhelmina of Prussia, wife of William V, was stopped on June 28, 1787 by patriots from Gouda and then brought to a farm on the Goejanverwelle Lock.
  
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  Voorschoten
  Voorschoten ([ˈvɔːrˌsxoʊ̯tə(n)] ( listen); population: 22,505 in 2004) is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km² (of which 0.38 km² is covered by water). Recently, plans to merge into one village with Wassenaar have been introduced.
  The old Castle Duivenvoorde, the British School in the Netherlands and the Manor Vredenhof - rebuilt from Diederik Jansz. Graeff, and until the 18th century in the hands from the De Graeff family - are located in or near Voorschoten.
  The population in 2012 is nearly 30,000. There's a sport park in Voorschoten with a golf court (nine par three holes) a baseball club, a hockey club, a handball club and a football club. There's a swimming pool near there too. There're two big churches: the main church and the Laurentius Church. There goes one main road through Voorschoten pass the centre called the Leidscheweg.
  
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  Waddinxveen
  Waddinxveen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌʋɑdɪŋksˈfeːn], locally [ˌʋɑdɪŋksˈfeɪ̯n] ( listen)) is a town and municipality along the Gouwe river in the western Netherlands in the province of South Holland near Gouda. The municipality had a population of 26,304 in 2004, 25.328 on New Year's Eve of 2010. and covers an area of 29.39 km² (of which 1.52 km² is water).
  In Waddinxveen, there's the so-called 'Vergeten Plek' (Dutch for 'Forgotten Place'). This is the lowest place in the Dutch polders. It's 7.01 meters below Amsterdam Ordnance Datum
  Partner city of Waddinxveen is Pelhřimov in the Czech Republic.
  The first reference to the area is from 1233, when on April 20, Floris IV, Count of Holland, sold an area of peat lands along the Gouwe River for 200 Dutch pounds to Nicolas of Gnepwijk, Lord of Aalsmeer and Woubrecht. The area was given the name "Waddinxvene". Because of this event, Waddinxveen celebrated its 750-year anniversary in 1983.
  Between 1817 and 1870, Waddinxveen was dissolved and its area split into the municipalities of Noord-Waddinxveen and Zuid-Waddinxveen. Due to further expanding, those two municipalities reunited into one.
  
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  Wassenaar
  Wassenaar  pronunciation (help·info) (population: 25,651 as of June 1, 2007) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.
  A fairly affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km (6 mi) north of that city on the N44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region. The municipality covers an area of 62.50 km², of which 11.65 km² is covered by water. Inhabitants of Wassenaar are called Wassenaarders.
  It is known^{[citation needed]} that a 12th century Romanesque church in Wassenaar lies on the spot where the Northumbrian missionary Willibrord once landed in the Netherlands; the high dunes to the west were not formed until later.
  Wassenaar long remained an unremarkable little town, known only as the home of the House of Wassenaer. It only began to gain notoriety in the 19th century when Louis Bonaparte ordered the construction of the Heerweg ("Army Road") between The Hague and Leiden, which forms the current Rijksstraatweg. In approximately 1840, Prince Frederik had the De Paauw (Peacock) palace built, where he lived for many years; it now serves as the city hall of Wassenaar.
  
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  Westvoorne
  Coordinates: 51°53′24″N 4°03′59″E / 51.89°N 4.06639°E / 51.89; 4.06639
  Westvoorne ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality on the island Voorne-Putten in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 97.52 km² (of which 44.06 km² water). It had a population of 14,265 in 2004.
  The municipality of Westvoorne was formed on January 1, 1980, through the merger of the former municipalities of Oostvoorne and Rockanje. It consists the population centres of Oostvoorne, Rockanje, Tinte and Helhoek.
  Rockanje, windmill
  Tinte, chapel
  
  
  
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  Zederik
  Zederik ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 76.49 km² (of which 2.72 km² water). It had a population of 13,546 in 2004.
  The municipality of Zederik was formed on January 1, 1986, through the merger of the former municipalities of Ameide, Hei- en Boeicop, Leerbroek, Lexmond, Meerkerk, Nieuwland, and Tienhoven. The municipality is named after the Old Zederik, a small canal running through its area.
  The population centres of Zederik consist of Ameide, Hei- en Boeicop, Leerbroek, Lexmond, Meerkerk, Nieuwland, and Tienhoven.
  
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  Zoetermeer
  Coordinates: 52°03′40″N 4°29′36″E / 52.06111°N 4.49333°E / 52.06111; 4.49333
  Zoetermeer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌzu.tər.ˈmɪːr] ( listen)) is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² (of which 2.15 km² is water). A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950. By 1 January 2010 this had grown to 121.580, making it the third largest population centre in the province of South Holland, after Rotterdam and The Hague. It is part of the Haaglanden conurbation.
  The name "Zoetermeer" (Dutch for "Sweet Lake") refers to the former fresh lake north of the town (reclaimed in 1614).
  In the tenth century Zoetermeer was a small village, primarily home to farmers and fishermen. In the 13th century a village centre was formed, which still exists as the historic Dorpsstraat. Until the 17th century there was a lake, called the Zoetermeer. A reminder of this is the "Noord Aa" at the northern edge of town, an artificial lake was created when tons of sand were needed as building material for the foundations for new housing development, and the area north of Zoetermeer provided a good source.
  
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  Zoeterwoude
  Zoeterwoude ([ˌzutərˈʋʌudə] ( listen)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers 21.91 km² (of which 0.67 km² is water). It had a population of 8,526 in 2004.
  The municipality of Zoeterwoude consists of Zoeterwoude-Dorp, Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk, Gelderswoude, Weipoort, Westeinde, and Zuidbuurt. The main brewery of Heineken International is located there.
  The name Zoeterwoude is first mentioned in a document from 1205, which references a certain "Florentius van Sotrewold". It is uncertain if this is a reference to the village. The first confirmed existence is from 1276 when Dirk van Santhorst received the "Soetrewold" fiefdom from Floris V, Count of Holland.
  Its municipal boundaries were set circa 1300. At that time it was one of the largest municipalities in the Netherlands, but later much land was annexed by surrounding cities, notably Leiden. In 1450, the first bridge between Leiderdorp and Zoeterwoude was built. In 1574, Zoeterwoude was burnt to the ground and its polders inundated by Leideners in order to increase the range of the city's cannons. Almost no inhabitants remained in Zoeterwoude.
  
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  Zuidplas
  Zuidplas is a new municipality by 1 january 2010. Joining of Moordrecht, Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel and Zevenhuizen-Moerkapelle.
  
  wn.com/Zuidplas

• Ad Melkert
  Adrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert (Dutch: [ˈɑt ˈmɛlkərt] ( listen); February 12, 1956) is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA). He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from June 3, 1986 until August 22, 1994 when he became Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Kok I following the Dutch general election of 1994. At the end of the parliamentary period, he was not included in the Cabinet Kok II after the Dutch general election of 1998 by his own request, as he wanted to focus his energies on his candidacy to succeed Wim Kok as the next Party leader of the Labour Party. Melkert returned to the House of Representatives on July 13, 1998 and became the Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on July 13, 1998 and became the presumed de facto next party leader in all but name. He was elected the official party leader on December 15, 2001 and became the lijsttrekker for the Dutch general election of 2002. Melkert and People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) leader Hans Dijkstal were the front runners to become the next Prime Minister, but the unexpected arrival of Pim Fortuyn of Livable Netherlands (LN) and later the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF), turned the polls. Fortuyn blamed the problems in the country on the Purple cabinets (in which both Melkert and Dijkstal served as ministers). Fortuyn depicted Melkert and Dijkstal as two bureaucrats who didn't understand the feelings and problems among the population. After a heated campaign a mere days before the election, Fortuyn was assassinated in Hilversum. The Labour Party suffered a landslide defeat in the election losing 23 seats, Melkert was blamed for the defeat primary because of his technocratic leadership in contrast to the more charismatic Fortuyn. During the election Fortuyn accused him with demonization, and after Fortuyn's assassination Melkert received death threats and sequentially left national politics. He resigned as party leader and parliamentary leader on May 16, 2002 and gave up his seat in the House of Representatives on October 17, 2002.
  
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  Adriaan Vlacq
  Adriaan Vlacq (Gouda, 1600 - The Hague, 1667) was a Dutch book publisher and author of mathematical tables. Born in Gouda, Vlacq published a table of logarithms from 1 to 100,000 to 10 decimal places in 1628 in his Arithmetica logarithmica. This table extended Henry Briggs' original tables which only covered the values 1-20,000 and 90,001 to 100,000. The new table was computed by Ezechiel de Decker and Vlacq who calculated and added 70,000 further values to complete the tables. This table was further extended by Jurij Vega in 1794, and by Alexander John Thompson in 1952.
  In 1632, he settled in London but ten years later with the onset of the English Civil War, he moved to Paris and later moved to The Hague.
  He died at The Hague in 1667.
  The crater Vlacq on the Moon is named after him.
  
  
  
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  Desiderius Erasmus
  Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (October 28, 1466? – July 12, 1536), known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian.
  Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in a pure Latin style. He was an early proponent of religious toleration, and enjoyed the sobriquet "Prince of the Humanists"; he has been called "the crowning glory of the Christian humanists." Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament. These raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. He also wrote The Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, Julius Exclusus, and many other works.
  Erasmus lived through the Reformation period, but while he was critical of the Church, he did not join the cause of the Reformers. In relation to clerical abuses in the Church, Erasmus remained committed to reforming the Church from within. He also held to Catholic doctrines such as that of free will, which some Reformers rejected in favor of the doctrine of predestination. His middle road approach disappointed and even angered scholars in both camps.
  
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• Ed de Goey
  Eduard "Ed" Franciscus de Goeij, usually referred to as Ed de Goey (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛd də ˈɣui]) in the English media (born 20 December 1966) is a Dutch former football goalkeeper. He was most recently a coach at Queens Park Rangers. In a 20-year career, he played for Sparta Rotterdam, Feyenoord, Chelsea and Stoke City.
  He signed for Feyenoord in 1990 and stayed there for seven years. During his time in Rotterdam, De Goey missed a total of just eight games and won one Eredivisie title (in 1993) and four KNVB Cups in 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995. He was awarded the Dutch Golden Shoe in 1994.
  De Goey joined Chelsea in June 1997 from Feyenoord for £2,250,000, which at the time made him the most expensive goalkeeper in the Premier League. He was first choice goalkeeper for most of his time in West London, and was a member of the sides that won the League Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup (both in 1998) and the FA Cup in 2000. In 1999-00 he set club records for most appearances (59) and clean sheets (27) during a season, both since surpassed by Frank Lampard and Petr Čech respectively. De Goey later lost his place in the side to Italian Carlo Cudicini and made just 25 appearances in his final three seasons. He joined Stoke City on a free transfer in 2003 having played 179 games for Chelsea, keeping 71 clean sheets.
  
  wn.com/Ed_de_Goey
• 
  Jon Lord
  Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord D.M. (born 9 June 1941) is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple, besides Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord, The Artwoods and Flower Pot Men.
  In 1968, Lord founded Deep Purple, where he was virtually the leader of the band until 1970. In addition, Lord wrote the organ riff on "Child in Time". He and drummer Ian Paice were the only constant band members during the band's existence from 1968 to 1976 and from when they reformed in 1984 until Lord's retirement from Deep Purple in 2002. On 11 November 2010, Lord was made an Honorary Fellow of Stevenson College, Edinburgh. On 15 July 2011, he was granted an honorary Doctor of Music degree by his home town's University of Leicester.
  Jon Lord was born in Leicester on 9 June 1941 to his parents Miriam (1912–1995, née Hudson) and Reg. He studied classical piano from the age of five, and those influences are a recurring trademark in his work. His influences range from Bach (a constant connection in his music and his keyboard improvisation) to Medieval popular music and the English tradition of Edward Elgar.
  
  wn.com/Jon_Lord
• Leo Vroman
  Leo Vroman (born April 10, 1915) is a Dutch-American hematologist, a prolific poet mainly in Dutch and an illustrator. Vroman was born in Gouda and he studied biology in Utrecht. When the Nazis occupied the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, he fled to London. From there he traveled to the Dutch East Indies. He finished his studies in Batavia. After the Japanese occupied Indonesia he was interned and stayed in several prisoner-of-war camps. In the camp Tjimahi he befriended famous author Tjalie Robinson and Rob Nieuwenhuys.
  After the war, Vroman went to New York where he worked as a hematology researcher. He has been an American citizen since 1951.
  In 1946, he published his first poems in the Netherlands. He has since won almost every Dutch literary poetry prize possible. In 1970 Leo Vroman was awarded the Individual Science Award, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
  In 2003, his former highschool, de Goudse ScholenGemeenschap (GSG), changed its name into de Goudse ScholenGemeenschap Leo Vroman (GSG Leo Vroman), to honour their famous student.
  
  wn.com/Leo_Vroman
• Marco de Goeij
  Marco de Goeij (born, 1967 Gouda) is a Dutch composer, known for having reconstructed the lost musical score for the Deep Purple song Concerto for Group and Orchestra in 1999.
  Marco de Goeij studied classical guitar at the Utrecht School of the Arts, graduating in 1992. He continued to study in Paris, following lessons in modern classical music from Wim Hoogewerf, a Dutch classical guitarist and microtonalist.
  In the mid-1990s, when De Goeij was writing an article about Deep Purple's "Concerto for Group and Orchestra", De Goeij learned that the scores of this concerto for full orchestra, which was then last performed in 1970, were missing. De Goeij reconstructed the scores by listening to CD recordings and watching videos of live performances. He presented the first two of the three parts of the scores to Deep Purple in 1997 when the band was performing in the Netherlands. After the scores were completed, the reconstructed concerto was first performed by Deep Purple and the London Symphony Orchestra in 1999. Since then, it has been performed as part of a 2000-2001 world tour, and on several occasions afterwards, see the main article on Concerto for Group and Orchestra.
  
  wn.com/Marco_de_Goeij
• 
  Paulien van Deutekom
  Paulien van Deutekom (The Hague, February 4, 1981) is a former Dutch speed skater who was specialised in the middle long distances, over 1000 and 1500 metres.
  In November 2005 Van Deutekom surprised when she skated among the best at the Speed Skating World Cup qualification tournament at several distances and as a result qualified herself to participate in those World Cups. During her first ever World Cup meeting in the Olympic Oval in Calgary she skated a new Dutch record over 1500 metres, skating 1:55.43, overtaking the record from Annamarie Thomas. A week later, Ireen Wüst would skate 1:54,93 which meant Van Deutekom had lost her record already.
  Later, in December 2005 she participated at the 2005 Dutch Single Distance Championships, which was also the venue for Olympic Qualification. At the 1500 metres distance she finished in second position and qualified for the 2006 Winter Olympics. She also had chances over 1000 metres, however only finished in fourth position and did not directly qualify. A skate-off between her and Barbara de Loor made the decision in De Loor's favour. She also was selected to be part of the pursuit team. At the Olympics itself Van Deutekom finished as 13th over 1500 metres, while the team pursuit team was eliminated at an early stage.
  
  wn.com/Paulien_van_Deutekom
• René Van Der Wouden
  René van der Wouden (born February 10, 1972) is a Dutch electronic musician.
  René has been active in music since he was eight years old. He started having piano lessons in a classical sense and later he also had some lessons on the organ. As a child René quickly got fascinated by the organs and synthesizers he saw on TV every week in the Dutch musicshows Toppop and Countdown. Also, his piano teacher of that time (in 1983) played a Roland Jupiter 6 synthesizer in a band. During a lesson this synthesizer stood next to the piano that remained untouched that day. Since 1987 the interest in electronic music started to grow immensely. The music of Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream and Jeff Wayne's “War of the Worlds” got his interest.
  In 1993 René bought his first set of synthesizers like the Korg Poly800 and Yamaha DX7. During this period René started to compose and record many pieces of music. Also an expanse of more electronic instruments and recording-devices happened. Next to this expansion, René studied a lot of recordings of electronic music and was influenced by artists from the Innovative Communication label like: Mind over Matter, G.E.N.E., Software, Quiet Force, Megabyte and Double Fantasy.
  
  wn.com/René_Van_Der_Wouden

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