Region: Zeeland
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History
Zeeland's history is deeply marked by its people's fierce and never-ending struggle against the water. There are innumerable accounts of flooding to which the inhabitants responded in a most brave and tenacious fashion, rebuilding once and again, and never letting the elements win this historic battle. Zeeland has also been subject of other invasions: Romans, Danes, Flemish, French have all left their influence in the region.
Geography
Zeeland is a province in the southwest of the Netherlands bordered by the North Sea to the west, the province of South Holland to the north, the province of North Brabant to the east and Belgium to the south. The province is made up of areas which were originally islands in the estuary of the Rhine. With the exception of a narrow strip of dunes along the coast, virtually all the soil in the province is a marine clay soil.
Population
The population of Zeeland is approximately 363,000.This figure represents an average of 198 inhabitants per square kilometre, as opposed to the national average of 439.
Economy
The main employment sectors in the region are: Service industries, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Fisheries. Recreation and tourism are also very important to the economy of the province and the connections achieved by the Delta Works, a gigantic project protecting the land from the sea, which links the islands and peninsulas together by dams and bridges, have promoted the growth of tourism in a most striking province of unique scenic beauty.There has been a considerable decrease in unemployment in Zeeland in recent years. The percentage of people out of work is 7.8%, which is considerably lower than the national average of 11.9% (October 1990) Zeeland is a province in the southwest of the Netherlands bordered by the North Sea to the west, the province of South Holland to the north, the province of North Brabant to the east and Belgium to the south.
Economic Development
Strategy
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