Purmer is a

polder A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains s ...

and reclaimed lake 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 ...

province 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 ...

, located between the towns of

Purmerend Purmerend () is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and in the region of West Friesland. The city is surrounded by polders, such as the Purmer, Beemster and the Wormer. The city became the tra ...

and

Edam-Volendam Edam-Volendam () is a municipality in the northwest Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, primarily consisting of the towns of Edam and Volendam. It is situated on the western shore of the Markermeer, just north of Waterland. In 2019, it ...

. It is also a village located in the municipalities of

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 ...

and Edam-Volendam.

Purmer polder

Windmill reclamation activity began in 1618. Hydraulic engineer

Jan Adriaanszoon Leeghwater Jan Adriaenszoon Leeghwater (born Jan Adriaenszoon; November 1575 – January 1650) was a Dutch millwright and hydraulic engineer. Biography Leeghwater was born as Jan Adriaanszoon. Only later did he adopt the name Leeghwater, from ''la ...

also had stakes in the reclamation, although he was not directly involved in the project itself.Poldersporen.nl webpage on Purmer history
Accessed 12 October 2008. In 1622 all 26.8 km² (10.3 sq mi) were clear of water. The original lake of Purmer formed part of a small number of landlocked minor seas located in North Holland. Other examples of such minor seas are the lakes of

Beemster Beemster () is a former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The Beemster is the first so-called polder in the Netherlands that was reclaimed from a lake, the water being extracted from the lake by windmills. The Beems ...

and

Schermer Schermer () is a former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The name came from "''skir mere''", which means "bright lake" (ref. Groenedijk, 2000). Since 2015 it has been a part of Alkmaar. The municipality of Sche ...

. All these lakes were directly connected to open sea, so salt water could flow in and tidal movements occurred. Purmer lake was connected to both the

Zuyderzee The Zuiderzee or Zuider Zee (; old spelling ''Zuyderzee'' or ''Zuyder Zee'') was a shallow bay of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands, extending about 100 km (60 miles) inland and at most 50 km (30 miles) wide, with an o ...

inlet and to Beemster lake. The Purmer's being directly connected to open sea resulted in large-scale

shoreline erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the acti ...

due to wave dynamics and water currents. The high rate of erosion and the need for

arable land Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...

gave rise to plans for reclamation. Once reclaimed, Purmer was given to farming, but the polder is now highly urbanised. Most of this urban sprawl is due to the town of

, which has derived its name from Purmer (the "end of Purmer"). During the 1980s and '90s Purmerend had two residential areas built in Purmer, Purmer-Noord and Purmer-Zuid. In contrast to Beemster and Schermer, Purmer is not a municipality in its own right, being divided among the municipalities of Purmerend, Edam-Volendam, and

Gallery

Image:Buyckslooter +2 1664 Blaeu.jpg, the newly reclaimed Purmer polder at bottom left, map drawn by

Willem Blaeu Willem Janszoon Blaeu (; 157121 October 1638), also abbreviated to Willem Jansz. Blaeu, was a Dutch cartographer, atlas maker and publisher. Along with his son Johannes Blaeu, Willem is considered one of the notable figures of the Netherlandis ...

File:Kruispunt in de Purmer.JPG, Crossing in the Purmer

References

*This article is based on the Dutch language article. {{Authority control Hydraulic engineering Lakes of the Netherlands Polders of North Holland Geography of Edam-Volendam Geography of Purmerend Waterland