Groningen (; gos, Grunn; fry, Grinslân) is the northeasternmost

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of 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 borders on

Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...

to the west, Drenthe to the south, the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

state of

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

to the east, and the Wadden Sea to the north. As of February 2020, Groningen had a population of 586,309 and a total area of . Historically the area was at different times part of Frisia, the

Frankish Empire Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks du ...

, the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

, and the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

, the precursor state of the modern Netherlands. In the 14th century, the city of Groningen became a member of the Hanseatic League. The provincial capital and the largest city in the province is the

city of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...

(231,299 inhabitants). Since 2016, René Paas has been the King's Commissioner in the province. A coalition of

GroenLinks GroenLinks (, ) is a green political party in the Netherlands. It was formed on 1 March 1989 from the merger of four left-wing parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, the Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and t ...

, the Labour Party,

ChristianUnion The Christian Union ( nl, ChristenUnie, CU) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. The CU is a centrist party, maintaining more progressive stances on economic, immigration and environmental issues while holding more social ...

People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( nl, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie ; VVD) is a conservative-liberal Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin ''Politics and Governance in the Netherlands'', Basingstoke (Palgrave) p.49 political party in ...

, Democrats 66, and

Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal ( nl, Christen-Democratisch Appèl, ; CDA) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolution ...

forms the executive branch. The province is divided into 10 municipalities. The land is mainly used for

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

. There are

seaports A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

Delfzijl Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf and the Ems, which became fortified settlement in ...

and

Eemshaven Eemshaven (; en, Ems Harbor) is a seaport in the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. In 1968, the Dutch government declared the Ems estuary ( Eemsmond) to be an economic key region. One of the key developments for the regi ...

. The

Groningen gas field The Groningen gas field is a natural gas field in Groningen province in the northeastern part of the Netherlands. With an estimated 2,740 billion cubic metres of recoverable natural gas it is the largest natural gas field in Europe and one of the ...

, one of the world's largest, was discovered in 1959. The province is home to the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is th ...

and

Hanze University of Applied Sciences Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen (Hanze UAS, nl, Hanzehogeschool Groningen) is the largest technical & vocational university in the northern Netherlands and is located in Groningen. Hanze UAS offers various Bachelor and Master pr ...

History

Groningen was originally a part of Frisia. It became a part of the

around 785.

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

assigned the Christianization of this new possession to Ludger. In the 11th century, the city of Groningen was a village in Drenthe that belonged to the Bishopric of Utrecht, while most of the province was in the

Prince-Bishopric of Münster The Prince-Bishopric of Münster (german: Fürstbistum Münster; Bistum Münster, Hochstift Münster) was a large ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Lo ...

. During the Middle Ages, central control was remote, and the city of Groningen acted as a

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

, exerting a dominating influence on the surrounding

Ommelanden The Ommelanden (; ) are the parts of Groningen province that surround Groningen city. Usually mentioned as synonym for the province in the expression ("city and surrounding lands"). The area was Frisian-speaking, but under the influence of th ...

. In the 14th century, Groningen became one of the towns within the Hanseatic League.Hanseatic city
Toerisms Groningen. Retrieved on 27 January 2014. In the years after, Groningen expanded its influence. At its peak almost all of the current province Friesland was under the influence and control of Groningen. Shortly before 1498,

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519) was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. He was never crowned by the pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians. He proclaimed himself E ...

gave Groningen and Friesland to

Albert III, Duke of Saxony Albert III (german: Albrecht) (27 January 144312 September 1500) was a Duke of Saxony. He was nicknamed Albert the Bold or Albert the Courageous and founded the ''Albertine line'' of the House of Wettin. Biography Albert was born in Grimma as t ...

, who could however not establish permanent control. In 1514/15 Groningen came to the Duchy of Guelders, and in 1536 as the

Lordship of Groningen The Lordship of Groningen ( nl, Heerlijkheid Groningen) was a lordship under the rule of the House of Habsburg between 1536 and 1594, which is the present-day province of Groningen. Before 1536 A distinction must be made between the City of Gr ...

to the

Habsburg Netherlands Habsburg Netherlands was the Renaissance period fiefs in the Low Countries held by the Holy Roman Empire's House of Habsburg. The rule began in 1482, when the last Valois-Burgundy ruler of the Netherlands, Mary, wife of Maximilian I of Austr ...

. In 1594, Groningen was conquered from the Spanish by the

Republic of the Seven United Provinces The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

, precursor state of the Netherlands, to which it belonged henceforth. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the Netherlands were occupied by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. In April 1945, the

2nd Canadian Division The 2nd Canadian Division (2 Cdn Div; french: 2e Division du Canada) is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed ...

fought in the Battle of Groningen, which resulted in the liberation of the city and in the death of 130, the capture of 5,212, and the fleeing of 2,000 German soldiers. In May 1945, another 3,000 German soldiers were captured in the Battle of Delfzijl by the

5th Canadian Division The 5th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of most army units in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador; as well as some unit ...

, after which all of the northern provinces were liberated. East Groningen was the scene of a particularly fierce class struggle in the 19th and 20th centuries. Perhaps not coincidentally, Groningen boasts the only municipality (

Beerta Beerta () is a village and former municipality with a population of 2,205 in the municipality of Oldambt in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. In the 20th century, Beerta was a communist stronghold. In 1933, the municipal council was ...

) where the

Communist Party of the Netherlands The Communist Party of the Netherlands ( nl, Communistische Partij Nederland, , CPN) was a Dutch communist party. The party was founded in 1909 as the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) and merged with the Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Part ...

has ever had a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

(

Hanneke Jagersma Johanna "Hanneke" Jagersma (; born 1 November 1951) is a Dutch former politician. She was member of the Communist Party of the Netherlands from 1974 to 1989 and mayor of Beerta from 1982 to 1990. She now works for Humanitas, a Dutch care organis ...

Geography

Groningen is situated at in the northeast of the

. To the west is the province

, to the south is the province Drenthe, to the east the German districts are Leer and Emsland in the state

, and to the north the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...

, Ems, and

Dollart The Dollart (German name) or Dollard (Dutch name) is a bay in the Wadden Sea between the northern Netherlands and Germany, on the west side of the estuary of the Ems river. Most of it dries at low tide. Many water birds feed there. Gaining ...

. The northernmost point of the Netherlands is on

Rottumerplaat Rottumerplaat () is one of the three islands that make up Rottum in the West Frisian Islands. The island is located in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. It is situated between the shoal Simonszand and the island Rottumeroog. Rottumerplaat star ...

Uitersten
Oude stafkaarten verzamelen. Retrieved on 2 June 2014. at ; the easternmost point of the Netherlands is in

Bad Nieuweschans Bad Nieuweschans (also ''Lange Akkeren''; ; Gronings: ''Nij-Schans''; German: ''Bad Neuschanz'') is a village in the north-eastern Netherlands on the border with Germany. It forms part of the municipality of Oldambt. Nieuweschans means "new for ...

at . Groningen is the 7th largest province of the Netherlands. It has a total area of , with of land and of water. About 80% of the land or is used for

. The rest of the land is: 9% or of built-up or semi built-up area, 6% or of nature, 3% or of infrastructure, and 2% or of recreational area.Bodemgebruik; uitgebreide gebruiksvorm, per gemeente
Statistics Netherlands, 2013. Retrieved on 14 April 2014. The land in Groningen is flat. A large area of the province is below sea level. The Hasseberg near Sellingen of above sea level is the highest point. The

near

Slochteren Slochteren () is a village and former municipality with a population of 15,546 in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. On 1 January 2018, Slochteren merged with Hoogezand-Sappemeer and Menterwolde, f ...

is the 8th largest

natural gas field A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the presence ...

in the world. Since 1986, the exploitation of this gas field has caused earthquakes in the region with

magnitude Magnitude may refer to: Mathematics *Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction *Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object *Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector *Order of ...

s up to 3.6.Aardbevingen door gaswinning in Noord-Nederland

Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute The Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute ( nl, Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut, ; KNMI) is the Dutch national weather forecasting service, which has its headquarters in De Bilt, in the province of Utrecht, central Netherlands. ...

, 2013. Retrieved on 27 January 2014. In the Wadden Sea of Groningen, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

since 2009, are the sandbank

Simonszand Simonszand () is a sandbank between the West Frisian Islands of Schiermonnikoog and Rottumerplaat in the Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Het Hogeland in the province of Groningen. The sandbank was originally mapped as being a ...

and the natural reserve Rottum consisting of the three uninhabited islands

Rottumeroog Rottumeroog () is an uninhabited island in the Wadden Sea and is part of the Netherlands. The island is one of three West Frisian Islands in the province of Groningen. It is situated between the islands of Rottumerplaat and Borkum. The islan ...

, Rottumerplaat, and

Zuiderduintjes Zuiderduintjes (; en, Little Southern Dunes) is an uninhabited island in the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands. It is situated south of Rottumeroog, east of Rottumerplaat, and west of Borkum. The island is one of the three West Frisian Islands in ...

. The national park Lauwersmeer ( IUCN category II) is located on the border between Groningen and Friesland.

Subdivisions

The province of Groningen is also called '' Stad en

'', which means the city of Groningen and its surrounding lands, which are the historical regions of Fivelingo,

Hunsingo Hunsingo (Gronings: Hunzego or Hunzengo) is a region in the province of Groningen, Netherlands, between the Reitdiep and Maarvliet. Hunsingo was one of three Ommelanden. It is bordered to the north by the Wadden Sea, to the east Fivelingo, ...

, Oldambt, Westerkwartier, and Westerwolde. The province ( Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or NUTS level 2) is divided into three

COROP A COROP region is a division of the Netherlands for statistical purposes, used by Statistics Netherlands, among others. The Dutch abbreviation stands for , literally the Coordination Commission Regional Research Programme. These divisions are a ...

regions (NUTS level 3): East Groningen, Delfzijl and surroundings, and the rest of Groningen. The COROP regions are used for statistical purposes. The province is also divided into 10

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

, each with its own local government. Currently, Groningen is the most populated and most densely populated municipality, containing the largest city.

Climate

The province of Groningen has an oceanic climate (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: Cfb).

Demographics

On 1 January 2014, the province of Groningen had a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 582,640 and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

of , which make it the 9th most populous province and 8th most densely populated province of the Netherlands.Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand
Statistics Netherlands, 2014. Retrieved on 12 March 2014. The city of Groningen is the most populous city in the province and the 6th most populous city in the Netherlands. On 1 January 2013, 92.2% of the total provincial population was born in the Netherlands; and of the 7.8% that was born abroad, the ten most common foreign countries of origin are the neighbour

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

(1.09%), the former colonies and dependencies

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

(0.60%), Netherlands Antilles and Aruba (0.55%), Suriname (0.54%), and other countries

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

(0.41%),

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

(0.36%), China (0.32%),

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

(0,26%),

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

(0.26%), and

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

(0.18%).

Religion

Economy

Building University Medical Centre Groningen UMCG

The city of Groningen is the economic center of the province.Algemeen
, Economie.groningen.nl. Retrieved on 8 April 2014. In the 14th century, the city became a member of the Hanseatic League. Currently some of the city's major employers are

University Medical Center Groningen The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG, nl, Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen), formerly Groningen University Hospital, is the main hospital in Groningen, Netherlands. The medical centre is affiliated with the University of Groninge ...

with 12,141 employees,

with 5,591 employees, Municipality of Groningen with 3,063 employees, Education Implementation Service (DUO) with 2,000 employees, and

Gasunie N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (short form: Gasunie) is a Dutch natural gas infrastructure and transportation company operating in the Netherlands and Germany. Gasunie owns the Netherlands gas transmission network with a total length of over and long ...

with 1,748 employees. The other economically important area is the Ems

delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

with the sea ports of

and

.The ports
Groningen Seaports. Retrieved on 27 January 2014. In 2015, a total of 11,589 cargo vessels arrived at the two Groningen Seaports combined, 7,111 sea vessels and 4,478 inland vessels. The ports had a cargo throughput of 11,309,000 tonnes. The chemical industry near Delfzijl is located at the Chemie Park in

Farmsum Farmsum () is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta. History The village was first mentioned in the 10th or 11th century as "de Fretmarashem", and means "settlement of Fretmar". Farmsum was ...

, with factories of

AkzoNobel Akzo Nobel N.V., stylized as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries ...

Lubrizol The Lubrizol Corporation is an American provider of specialty chemicals for the transportation, industrial and consumer markets. These products include additives for engine oils and other transportation-related fluids, additives for industrial l ...

, and

Teijin Aramid Teijin Aramid, formerly known as Teijin Twaron, is a company in The Netherlands that produces various high-strength fibers for industrial purposes, most notably their para-aramid, Twaron. Twaron finds applications in numerous markets, such as au ...

. Both

GDF Suez Engie SA is a French multinational utility company, headquartered in La Défense, Courbevoie, which operates in the fields of energy transition, electricity generation and distribution, natural gas, nuclear, renewable energy and petroleum. It ...

and Vattenfall have a natural gas-fired power plant in Eemshaven, and

Essent Essent N.V. is a Dutch energy company based in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. It is a subsidiary of E.ON. It is a public limited liability corporation. Essent is the largest energy company in the country. Belgium is their second home market. Es ...

is building a coal-fired power plant there. The

Gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is oft ...

(GDP) of the province was 25 billion € in 2018, accounting for 3.2% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 37,300 € or 124% of the EU27 average in the same year. In 1959, the

near

was discovered, and the NAM started to exploit the field in 1963. This caused

Dutch disease In economics, the Dutch disease is the apparent causal relationship between the increase in the economic development of a specific sector (for example natural resources) and a decline in other sectors (like the manufacturing sector or agricultur ...

and induced earthquakes. In 2013, Groningen had a

labor force The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic reg ...

of 268,000 people and

unemployment rate Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...

of 9.6%, which is the second highest unemployment for a province in the Netherlands.

Culture

Language

Groningen is home to the Low Saxon

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...

called ''

Gronings Gronings (; gos, Grunnegs or Grönnegs), is a collective name for some Friso-Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varieties in East ...

'' (''Grönnegs'' / ''Grunnegs'' in Gronings regional language), In the eastern part of Friesland variations of the Groninger 'language' is spoken. Gronings has local nuances, for example, the people in the eastern part speak Gronings with more German influence. Nowadays, many inhabitants of the province don't speak the dialect, especially in the city of Groningen where many outsiders have moved.

Cuisine

Traditional dishes and delicacies from Groningen are boerenkoolstamppot, droge worst,

krentjebrij Krentjebrij is a Groningen/north Drenthe name for a traditional soup or porridge-like dessert with juice of berries that is eaten either warm or cold. It is also known as watergruel or krintsjebrij in Friesland. While there is no exact English tr ...

, oudewijvenkoek,

poffert Poffert (; gos, Povvert) is a dish from the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Sandra de Haan,Poffert", ''Parel van het Noorden'', 2014. Retrieved on 18 December 2014. It is traditionally made with wheat flour, buckwheat flour, yeast, cu ...

, and spekdik. Traditional alcoholic drinks are boerenjongens, boerenmeisjes, fladderak, and heet bier.

Museums

Museumhuis Groningen is an umbrella organization for museums and other heritage organizations in the province of Groningen and has 58 members. The

Groninger Museum The Groninger Museum () is an art museum in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. The museum exhibits modern and contemporary art of local, national, and international artists. The museum opened in 1874. The current post-modernist building co ...

is the most visited museum in the province with 209,195 visitors in 2015. The other museums and heritage organizations with more than 25 thousand visitors in 2015 are

Fort Bourtange Fort Bourtange ( nl, Vesting Bourtange) is a fort in the village of Bourtange, Groningen, Netherlands. It was built under orders of William the Silent and completed in 1593. Its original purpose was to control the only road between Germany and the ...

in Bourtange, Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum in Groningen,

Ter Apel Monastery Ter Apel Monastery ( nl, Klooster Ter Apel) is a former monastery in the village of Ter Apel in the northeastern Dutch province of Groningen. It is the only monastery in the larger area of Friesland and Groningen that survived the Reformation in ...

in Ter Apel, Fraeylemaborg in Slochteren,

Nationaal Bus Museum The Nationaal Bus Museum (; en, National Bus Museum) is a transport museum in Hoogezand in the Netherlands. The museum has a collection of Dutch buses. With 27,027 visitors in 2015, it is one of the most-visited museums in the province of Groni ...

in Hoogezand, and Museumspoorlijn STAR in Stadskanaal.

Heritage sites

File:Martini Toren.JPG,

Martinitoren The ''Martinitoren'' (; Martini or St. Martin's Tower) is the tallest church steeple in the city of Groningen, Netherlands, and the bell tower of the Martinikerk. The tower is located at the north-eastern corner of the ''Grote Markt'' (Main Ma ...

, icon of the provincial capital of Groningen File:Hoge der Aa2.jpg,

Der Aa-kerk The Aa-kerk (also: A-kerk) is a historic former parish church in the centre of Groningen, and a dominant feature in the skyline of the city together with the nearby Martinitoren. History Before the construction of the current church, a chapel ...

in Groningen File:Fraeylemaborg1 Slochteren.jpg, Fraeylemaborg in

File:Keukens appingedam.jpg, Hanging kitchens of

Appingedam Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...

File:Fortbourtange.jpg, Star fort of

Bourtange Bourtange (; Gronings: ''Boertang'') is a village with a population of 430 in the municipality of Westerwolde in the Netherlands. It is situated in the region Westerwolde in the east of the province of Groningen near the German border. Fort Bo ...

File:Goliath Poldermolen.jpg, Windmill Goliath in

File:Strokartonfabriek de Toekomst II A.jpg, Strawboard factory in

Scheemda Scheemda () is a village with a population of 2,445 in the municipality of Oldambt in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Scheemda was a separate municipality until 2010, when it merged with Reiderland and Winschoten to form the muni ...

Sports

FC Groningen from the city of Groningen is the only football club from the province in the

Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...

. Their home stadium

Euroborg The Euroborg () is the stadium in Groningen, Netherlands. It is the home of football club FC Groningen, with a capacity of 22,525 seats. The stadium site houses a casino, movie theater, school, supermarket, and a fitness centre. A temporary r ...

has a capacity of 22,550 seats. In the 2012–2013 competition, FC Groningen became 7th of the 18 teams.

SC Veendam Sportclub Veendam () was a Dutch professional association football club based in Veendam, province of Groningen. Founded on 4 September 1894 as Look-Out, it became P.J. Veendam in 1909, Veendam in 1910, SC Veendam in 1974, BV Veendam in 1997 an ...

played in the

Eerste Divisie The Eerste Divisie (, en, First Division) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie and with the third-level Tweede Divisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as t ...

, but filed for bankruptcy in 2013. The city of Groningen is also the base of basketball club

GasTerra Flames GasTerra is a Dutch partially state-owned company that is active in the worldwide trade and supply of natural gas. It is owned by Royal Dutch Shell (25%), ExxonMobil (25%) and the Dutch government (50%). Its history dates back to 2005, when the com ...

, volleyball club

Lycurgus Lycurgus or Lykourgos () may refer to: People * Lycurgus (king of Sparta) (third century BC) * Lycurgus (lawgiver) (eighth century BC), creator of constitution of Sparta * Lycurgus of Athens (fourth century BC), one of the 'ten notable orators' ...

, and

korfball Korfball ( nl, korfbal) is a ball sport, with similarities to netball and basketball. It is played by two teams of eight players with four female players and four male players in each team. The objective is to throw a ball into a netless baske ...

club Nic. The ice rink at the multi-sport center Kardinge in the city of Groningen is used for national speed skating championships, most recently the

2013 KNSB Dutch Sprint Championships The 2013 KNSB Dutch Sprint Championships in speed skating were held at the Kardinge ice stadium in Groningen, Netherlands. Stefan Groothuis and Margot Boer were the defending champions. Stefan Groothuis succeeded his title but Margot Boer lost ...

Politics

A provincial government in the Netherlands consists of a Provincial Council, the directly elected legislative branch, and a Provincial Executive, the executive branch. The King's Commissioner, who is appointed by the national government, is chairman of both branches.Provincial Council and Provincial Executive
, Province of Groningen. Retrieved on 28 January 2014. The

Provincial Council of Groningen The Provincial Council of Groningen ( nl, Provinciale Staten van Groningen, ), also known as the States of Groningen, is the provincial council of Groningen, Netherlands. It forms the legislative body of the province. Its 43 seats are distributed ...

consists of 43 members and the Provincial Executive consists of the King's Commissioner and six deputies. The government has its seat in the city of Groningen, which is the provincial capital. René Paas, member of the

(CDA), has been the King's Commissioner since 18 April 2016. He succeeded

Max van den Berg Margrietus Johannes "Max" van den Berg (;Every word in isolation: born 22 March 1946) is a Dutch politician and member of the Dutch Labour Party. From 1979 to 1986 he was the chairman of that party and from 1999 to 2007 he was a Member of the ...

who was the King's Commissioner in Groningen from 2007 to 2016. In the provincial elections of 2011, the Labour Party became the largest party with nearly 25% of the votes and 12 seats in the Provincial Council. The next three largest parties are the

(VVD) and the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...

(SP) with 6 seats each, and the

(CDA) with 5 seats.Verkiezingsuitslagen Provinciale Staten 1918 - heden
, Electoral Council. Retrieved on 27 January 2014. In 2011, two months after the elections, the member of the

Party for the North The Party for the North ( nl, Partij voor het Noorden, ''PvhN'') is a regional political party in the Netherlands founded in December 2002 representing the interests of the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The PvhN seeks a separate ...

(PvhN) continued as an independent under the name Free Mandate. The next provincial elections are planned for 18 March 2015. Following the 2011 elections, the Provincial Executive was formed by a coalition of the Labour Party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66 (D66), and

GreenLeft GroenLinks (, ) is a Green politics, green List of political parties in the Netherlands, political party in the Netherlands. It was formed on 1 March 1989 from the merger of four Left-wing politics, left-wing parties: the Communist Party of th ...

(GL). In 2013, GreenLeft left the coalition and was replaced by the

(CU). The Labour Party has three deputies, the other coalition parties have one deputy each. , - !colspan="2" align="left", Party ! Votes ! % ! Seats , - , bgcolor="", , align="left",

, 39,093 , 16.19 , 8 , - , bgcolor="", , align="left", Labour Party , 29,711 , 12.30 , 6 , - , bgcolor="", , align="left",

, 27,160 , 11.25 , 5 , - , bgcolor="", , align="left", Democrats 66 , 23,422 , 9.70 , 4 , - , bgcolor="", , align="left",

, 22,089 , 9.15 , 4 , - , bgcolor="", , align="left", Christian Union , 21,124 , 8.75 , 4 , - , bgcolor="", , align="left", Party for Freedom , 19,340 , 8.01 , 3 , - , , align="left", Groninger Belang , 15,869 , 6.57 , 3 , - , bgcolor="", , align="left",

, 15,701 , 6.50 , 3 , - , bgcolor="", , align="left", Party for the Animals , 9,078 , 3.76 , 2 , - , , align="left",

, 5,173 , 2.14 , 1 , - , colspan="7" style="background: #C0C0C0", , - , , align="left", Other parties , 13,719 , 5.68 , 0 , - !colspan="2", Total ! 241,479 ! 100 ! 43

Transportation

Roads

In the province of Groningen, there are three national roads ( nl, rijkswegen), which are maintained by

Rijkswaterstaat Rijkswaterstaat, founded in 1798 as the ''Bureau voor den Waterstaat'' and formerly translated to Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management, is a Directorate-General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Net ...

.Wat voor wegen zijn er in Nederland en wie is de wegbeheerder?
, Rijksoverheid. Retrieved on 15 March 2014. The motorway A7 ( E22) connects the city of Groningen with the provinces of Friesland and North Holland in the west and with Winschoten and Germany in the east. The motorway is interrupted for the ring road of the city of Groningen, where it is the expressway N7. The motorway A28 ( E232) starts at the city of Groningen and runs south connecting it with the provinces of Drenthe, Overijssel,

Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...

, and

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

. The expressway N33 runs south from Eemshaven, via Appingedam and Veendam, to Drenthe. Other roads are overseen by the province (N roads), municipalities, or

water boards A water board is a regional or national organisation that has very different functions from one country to another. The functions range from flood control and water resources management at the regional or local level (the Netherlands, Germany), w ...

Public transport

Public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

falls under the rules for

government procurement in the European Union Government procurement or public procurement is undertaken by the public authorities of the European Union (EU) and its member states in order to award contracts for public works and for the purchase of goods and services in accordance with princ ...

. Tenders for regional bus and railway services are selected by the province of Groningen.

Qbuzz Qbuzz is a public transport company in the Netherlands that operates services in South Holland, Utrecht, Drenthe and Groningen. Founded in 2008, it was a 100% subsidiary of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (the Dutch National Railway Operator) betwee ...

is contracted for bus services in the period 2009–2015 and

Arriva Arriva plc is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England.Nederlandse Spoorwegen Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS; ; en, "Dutch Railways") is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands. It is a Dutch state-owned company founded in 1938. The Dutch rail network is one of the busiest in the European Union, and t ...

operates the railway services from

Groningen railway station Groningen railway station (; abbreviation: Gn), locally called ''Hoofdstation'' (main station), is the main railway station in Groningen in the Province of Groningen, Netherlands. It is located on the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway between Zu ...

southward to Drenthe and beyond. The railway network in the Netherlands is maintained by

ProRail ProRail () is a Dutch government organisation responsible for the maintenance and extension of the national railway network infrastructure (not the metro or tram), the allocation of rail capacity, and controlling rail traffic. Prorail is a part o ...

. There are six railways located partially or entirely in the province of Groningen. The railway station Groningen connects several of these railways.Leeuwarden - Groningen
Sporenplan. Retrieved on 8 March 2014.

Airports

The international airport that serves Groningen is

Groningen Airport Eelde Groningen Airport Eelde is a minor international airport in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located near Eelde in the Province of Drenthe, south of the city of Groningen in the province of Groningen. In 2015, the airport handled 220,710 ...

, which is located in

Eelde Eelde () is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 9 km south of Groningen. Groningen Airport Eelde is located near the village. Eelde was a separate municipality until 1998, when ...

in the province of Drenthe. The airport is co-owned by the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe and the municipalities of Groningen,

Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...

, and

Tynaarlo Tynaarlo (; Gronings: ''Tynaorl'') is a village and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. Although it is located in the province of Drenthe, many of its communities serve as suburbs of the neighbouring city of Groningen, capital of the ep ...

. Its summer destinations are

Antalya la, Attalensis grc, Ἀτταλειώτης , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 07xxx , area_code = (+90) 242 , registration_plate = 07 , blank_name = Licence plate ...

, Faro,

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capital ...

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...

Heraklion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban Ar ...

Kos Kos or Cos (; el, Κως ) is a Greek island, part of the Dodecanese island chain in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese by area, after Rhodes and Karpathos; it has a population of 36,986 (2021 census), ...

, Palma de Mallorca, and

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...

. Its winter destinations are Innsbruck and

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

. Starting on 5 June 2014, there will also be flights to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. For other international destinations, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the nearest airport. The

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

airports in the province are Oostwold Airport in Oostwold and Stadskanaal Airfield in

Stadskanaal Stadskanaal () is a town and municipality with a population of 32,715 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. It was named after the canal Stadskanaal. From 1800 until 1900 this area was ideal for its peat mining, and so ...

Science and education

The

in the city of Groningen was founded in 1614 and is the only research

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

(''universiteit'') in the province. On 1 September 2013, it had 29,407 students and 5,238

full-time equivalent Full-time equivalent (FTE), or whole time equivalent (WTE), is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person (or student) in a way that makes workloads or class loads comparable across various contexts. FTE is often used to measure a ...

of staff members. The university has ten faculties: Arts, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Medical Sciences, Philosophy, Spatial Sciences, Theology and Religious Studies, and University College Groningen. The

, the NHL University of Applied Sciences, and the

Stenden University of Applied Sciences Stenden University of Applied Sciences ( nl, Stenden Hogeschool) is a state-funded professional university in the north of the Netherlands. The University is the product of the merger in 2008 of Hogeschool Drenthe and Christelijke Hogeschool Ne ...

in the city of Groningen are the province's publicly funded universities of applied sciences (''

hogescholen A university of applied sciences (UAS), nowadays much less commonly called a polytechnic university or vocational university, is an institution of higher education and sometimes research that provides vocational education and grants academic de ...

'').

Media

The ''

Dagblad van het Noorden The ''Dagblad van het Noorden'' (; en, Daily of the North), abbreviated as ''DvhN'', is a Dutch regional daily newspaper that is published and circulated in the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe in the northeastern Netherlands. The newspaper is ...

'' is a regional daily newspaper based in the city of Groningen and is owned by NDC Mediagroep. It was founded in 2002 by merging the ''

Nieuwsblad van het Noorden The ''Nieuwsblad van het Noorden'' (; "Newspaper of the North") is a former regional daily newspaper from the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. It was published from 1888 to 2002, when it was merged with the '' Groninger Dagblad'' and the ...

'', the ''

Groninger Dagblad The ''Groninger Dagblad'' ( en, Groningen Daily) is a former regional newspaper from the Netherlands. It was published from 1992 until 2002. It was a merger of the ''Winschoter Courant'' (1870) and ''De Noord-Ooster'' (founded 1904; a daily since ...

'', and the ''

Drentse Courant The ''Provinciale Drentsche en Asser Courant'' was a regional newspaper in Drenthe, Netherlands, published in Assen from 1851 to 1966. It was a continuation of the ''Nieuws- en Advertentieblad voor de Provincie Drenthe'' (1823–1826) and ''Drent ...

''. In 2015, the newspaper had a circulation of 96,515.

RTV Noord RTV Noord is a regional radio and television public broadcaster in Groningen, Netherlands. , its radio programs are broadcast on FM 97.5 MHz. It broadcasts TV and radio programming 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Some content is broadcas ...

is a regional

public broadcaster Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...

of radio and television based in the city of Groningen, with Radio Noord and TV Noord. Their radio station has 121,000 daily listeners and a market share of 28% (2012) and their TV station has 171,000 daily viewers and a market share of 26.7% (2012).Bereik regionale omroepen blijft dalen
(in Dutch), '' Nu.nl'', 2013. Retrieved on 2 September 2014.

Notable residents

People from the province of Groningen:

References

External links

*, official government website
Nothing Tops Groningen
official tourism website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Groningen (Province) Provinces of the Netherlands West Frisia Lordships of the Holy Roman Empire

History

Geography

Subdivisions

Climate

Demographics

Religion

Economy

Culture

Language

Cuisine

Museums

Heritage sites

Sports

Politics

Transportation

Roads

Public transport

Airports

Science and education

Media

Notable residents

See also

References

External links