NL-2674572 Zeeland the westernmost province

Zeeland is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. It consists of several islands and peninsulas. It also includes a strip of land bordering Flanders, the Zeelandic Flanders. Its area is about 2,930 km², of which almost 1,140 km² is water and holds a population of about 380,000. The capital of Zeeland is Middelburg.

The province of Zeeland is a large river delta situated at the mouth of several major rivers, namely Scheldt, Rhine and Maas. Most of the province lies below sea level and was reclaimed from the sea by inhabitants over time. What used to be a muddy landscape, flooding at high tide and reappearing at low tide, became a series of small man-made hills that stayed dry at all times. The people of the province would later connect the hills by creating dikes, which led to a chain of dry land that later grew into bigger islands and gave the province its current shape. The shape of the islands has changed over time at the hands of both man and nature.

Flag of Zeeland

The last great flooding was the North Sea flood of 1953 which inundated vast amounts of land. The subsequent construction of the Delta Works changed the face of the province. The infrastructure is very distinct with its bridges, tunnels and dams.

The postcard shows a Storm Surge Barrier.  This postcard came from Lia (24 September 2014) Postcrossing.

Tourism is an important economic activity in Zeeland. In the summer, its beaches are full of tourists.

The flag of Zeeland as well as the coat of arms shows a lion emerging from water.  The text on the coat of arms is "luctor et emergo" (Latin for "I struggle and I emerge").

This flag postcard came from Elly V. (23 April 2014) Direct Swap Postcrossing.