The IJmeer is a '

bordering lake In the Netherlands, the bordering lakes (in Dutch: ''Randmeren'') are a chain of lakes which separate the Flevopolder and Noordoostpolder from the ancient lands of the provinces of Gelderland, Utrecht, Overijssel and Friesland.''Wateralmanak 200 ...

' (''Randmeer'') in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It lies between the De Nes polder (in

Waterland Waterland () is a municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland. It is situated north of Amsterdam, on the western shore of the Markermeer. It is well-known for comprising the touristy towns of Broek in Waterland and M ...

), Pampushaven, Hollandse Brug and the mouth of the IJ in

IJburg IJburg () is a residential neighbourhood under construction in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is situated in the IJmeer and is being built on artificial islands which have been raised from the lake. The Haveneiland, Rieteilanden, Steigereiland and ...

, straddling the provinces of

North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...

and

Flevoland Flevoland () is the twelfth and youngest province of the Netherlands, established in 1986, when the southern and eastern Flevopolders, together with the Noordoostpolder, were merged into one provincial entity. It is in the centre of the countr ...

. It is an important habitat for birds such as the

tufted duck The tufted duck or tufted pochard (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek '' aithuia'', an unidentified seabird ment ...

and scaup. To the north-east is the

Markermeer The Markermeer () is a lake in the central Netherlands in between North Holland, Flevoland, and its smaller and larger neighbors, the IJmeer and IJsselmeer. A shallow lake at 3 to 5 m in depth, matching the reclaimed land to its west, ...

, south-east is the

Gooimeer The Gooimeer (Gooi Lake) is a bordering lake in the Netherlands between the southeastern part of North Holland (the Gooi) and Flevoland. There is a railroad bridge over the narrow west side, between Weesp and Almere Muziekwijk, with a parallel ...

Houses in the IJmeer

Since 1998 islands have been built for the new suburb of

. The first houses were ready in 2003. On 24 November 2004 the Council of State ruled that the construction of further new islands was provisionally banned, because the consequences for the environment were insufficiently researched.

Further plans for the IJmeer

In 2006, the Council for Transport and Public Works and the Environment Board issued a joint opinion stating that

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

and

Almere Almere () is a Planned community, planned List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Flevoland, Netherlands, located about 20 km ...

should become conjoined cities with the IJmeer as a 'Central Park'. Partly to this end, Almere has announced plans to build residential areas in the IJmeer, in order for Amsterdam and Almere to grow closer together. There are plans for a connection between Amsterdam and Almere, straight through the IJmeer, through IJburg, and the planned Almere Pampus. Most likely this connection will be a bridge with lanes for public transport (

metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...

and RER-like) and road. ROA (2006), Verkenning Regionale IJmeerverbinding
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Islands

The IJmeer has a number of islands including: *De Drost *

Hooft (island) Hooft or 't Hooft is a Dutch surname meaning "(the) head" (''hoofd'' in modern Dutch).Pampus Pampus () is an artificial island and late 19th-century sea fort located in the IJmeer near Amsterdam. Pampus now belongs to the municipality of Gooise Meren and is open to visitors. Together with the artillery battery on the lighthouse isla ...

Vuurtoreneiland Vuurtoreneiland ("Lighthouse Island") is a small island in the IJmeer, Netherlands, just off the coast of Durgerdam. The island's main function is as a base for a lighthouse; a military fort on the island was abandoned in the 1930s. History of ...

*Warenar

References

Lakes of the Netherlands Ramsar sites in the Netherlands Landforms of Flevoland Landforms of North Holland Geography of Amsterdam Geography of Gooise Meren Almere Waterland {{NorthHolland-geo-stub