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Zuid-Beveland South Beveland | |
|---|---|
Peninsula | |
 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | Zeeland |
| Municipality | Borsele Goes Kapelle Reimerswaal |
| Area | |
• Total | 344.33 km2 (132.95 sq mi) |
| Population (August 2017) | |
• Total | 95,389 |
| • Density | 267/km2 (690/sq mi) |
| Postal code | 4400-4481 |
| Area code | 0113 |
| Major roads | A58,Zeeuwse lijn |
Zuid-Beveland (Dutch:[ˈzœydˌbeːvəlɑnt]ⓘ; "South Beveland") is part of the province ofZeeland in theNetherlands north of theWestern Scheldt and south of theEastern Scheldt.
It is a formerisland, nowpeninsula, crossed by theCanal through Zuid-Beveland on the west and theScheldt–Rhine Canal on the east.
It consists of four municipalities:
Goes is Zuid-Beveland's principal urban center.
Zuid-Beveland is a former island which was joined (together withWalcheren) to the mainland by arailwayembankment in 1903 and toNoord-Beveland by theDelta Works. A shipping canal connecting the Belgian port of Antwerp with the Rhine River traverses Zuid-Beveland.
This was the period during which most ofZeeland appears to have been submerged. The area was and for several centuries would remain almost unpeopled.
During the eleventh century the area began to be drained, as little by littlepolders and channels were developed to protect the fields between them. Once drained, salt levels began to reduce and the soil became very fertile. Agriculture developed and prosperity grew.
In the thirteenth century villages and towns began to appear. People lived chiefly from farming and fishing. The commercial centre of Zuid-Beveland wasGoes, butReimerswaal to the east, which later would be destroyed by floods also played an important role at this time.
As a result of theSt. Felix's flood in November 1530, much of the island disappeared under water. Towns and villages were lost to what became known as thedrowned land of Zuid-Beveland (Pays inondé de Zuid-Beveland / Verdronken Land van Zuid-Beveland).[1] The island was again badly impacted forty years later in November 1570 by theAll Saints' Day Flood (Allerheiligenvloed /Inondations de la Toussaint).
Between 1568 and 1648, during the course of what by its weary end had become theEighty Years' War, the surviving lands of Zuid-Beveland were frequently in the military theatre of operations.
During most of this period the economy of the Netherlands slowed or contracted, with the exception of the agricultural sector. However, the region benefited from advances in transportation, connected in 1868 toRoosendaal by railroad with the inauguration of the Zeeland Line (laZeeuwse Lijn: la «Ligne zélandaise»), theRoosendaal–Vlissingen railway. In 1850 work began on theZuid-Beveland Canal which linked theWestern Scheldt and theEastern Scheldt across a narrow neck of land in the east of the province.
The construction in 1871 of theSloedam, topped off with a roadway and a railway track, across the oldSloe Channel, connected Zuid-Beveland withWalcheren.
On 16 May 1940, heavy fighting occurred near Kapelle between German and French motorised troops, who came to the rescue of the Dutch. The next day 65 French soldiers were buried by the local people.AfterWorld War II every French soldier who was killed in the Netherlands during the war was brought to Kapelle. On 16 May 1950, the military cemetery on the edge of town was officially opened. 217 French soldiers, 20 Moroccan soldiers in French service and 1 Belgian soldier were buried there.
The area was liberated by British and Canadians during theBattle of the Scheldt in November 1944.
TheNorth Sea flood on the night of 31 January and the morning of 1 February 1953 caused 1,836 deaths in the southwest of the Netherlands. Because of the relative high altitude, most parts of Zuid-Beveland (mainly the area of Goes) were relatively safe. In particular the eastern part of the peninsula suffered from floods. To prevent future floods, theDelta Works were started in 1950. As a side-effect, the connection with the rest of the country improved too.
The soil primarily consists ofmarine clay. The landscape is dominated bydikes surroundingpolders, due to recurring periods offloods andland reclamation. The main land-use is agricultural, of which consists primarily of crop cultivation and fruit orchards. Urban land-use is limited to the towns of Goes and Kapelle and several smaller towns and villages. Industrial activities are concentrated in the west of the peninsula (the Sloe area).
Agriculture, in particular crop cultivation, livestock breeding, aquaculture and fruit orchards are the economic mainstays. South Beveland specializes in the growing of wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, and fruits and is also known for its fisheries and oyster culture. Zuid-Beveland is also home to Europe's largestgreenhouse, located nearKapelle.
TheZak van Zuid-Beveland (a large fruit orchard area) is Zuid-Beveland's main touristic attraction. In spring the blooming trees and the small-scale landscape make for a popular place for outdoor activities. The historicsteam train from Goes to Borssele crosses this area. The many waters surrounding Zuid-Beveland are a popular place forwater sports, in particular theVeerse Meer.
The main road in Zuid-Beveland is the motorwayA58, connectingFlushing andEindhoven. The highway A256/N256 connects the peninsula to the north (Noord-Beveland,Zierikzee andRotterdam). The highway N62 is the connection to the south (Zeelandic Flanders andBelgium), by means of theWestern Scheldt Tunnel: a 6.6 kilometres (4.1 miles) tunnel under the Western Scheldt estuary betweenEllewoutsdijk andTerneuzen. It is the longest tunnel for highway traffic in The Netherlands and replaced the former ferry betweenKruiningen andPerkpolder 2003.
More or less parallel to the motorway, a railroad connects Zuid-Beveland toRoosendaal, theRoosendaal–Vlissingen railway, with stations in (from west to east) Goes,Kapelle-Biezelinge,Kruiningen-Yerseke,Rilland-Bath andKrabbendijke. A cargo railroad connects the main railway with the industrial area Sloe, near Flushing. A historical steam train connects Goes andHoedekenskerke, but this railroad nowadays only serves touristic purposes.
TheWestern Scheldt is an important shipping route to thePort of Antwerp. TheCanal through Zuid-Beveland connects the Western andEastern Scheldt. The more easternScheldt–Rhine Canal connectsAntwerp and theVolkerak. The Eastern Scheldt and Veerse Meer are popular with pleasure boats.
