Netherlands Population 1979

Netherlands Population 1979

According to 800zipcodes, the population has gone from 11,721,446 residents from 1961 to 13,814,495 in 1977 (estimate). The average density, which is over 400 residents / km 2, always remains the highest in European countries and is followed, at a considerable distance, by that of Belgium (321 residents / km 2). In the three western provinces (North Holland, South Holland and Utrecht), comprising 21% of the total area, 46% of the population is collected, so that the density varies considerably from province to province (from 151 in that of Drenthe to 1054 in southern Holland). This is mainly due to the high concentration of economic activities in the western section of the country, located at the confluence of major waterways. Recently there has been a more rapid demographic increase in the eastern and southern areas, determined in part by the radial expansion of traditional activities, in part by the increasingly important role assumed by these regions, especially in relation to the neighboring countries, the Rep. Fed. of Germany and Belgium. But the demographic increase is always linked, for the most part, to to the natural increase even if the birth rate is clearly decreasing (14.5 ‰ in 1973 but over 19 ‰ in the years 1965-1969), while mortality has for some time been very low (8.2 ‰). In the period 1963-72 the annual increase of the population was 1.2%. On the other hand, emigration and above all immigration are always modest, indeed the second current (consisting mainly of Dutch returning home) generally compensates for emigration. Foreigners in Holland slightly exceed 200,000 units; there are over 15,000 Italians. During the 1960s, internal movements intensified with the transfer of individuals from the poor countryside to the large western cities, but these displacements were compensated by reverse movements from the cities of the West to the urban centers of the East. The growing wildfire expansion of western urban areas has resulted in the planned formation of a large and rational metropolis, theRandstad, in which urban organisms will, in the future, be only neighborhoods with specific functions (coordination, commercial, industrial, etc.). The Randstad, the city-ring, is already currently a large urban reality: it is composed of two large arms open to the south-east; the northern one, centered in Amsterdam, also includes IJmuiden, Haarlem, Hilversum and Utrecht; the southern one is the great Rotterdam with Dordrecht, Delft, The Hague and Leiden. The Randstad gathers nearly half of the Dutch population over an area that is barely a fifth of the country’s surface.

The conquest of new lands, removed from the sea, continued incessantly both within the IJsselmeer and in the “Delta Plan” region. In particular, the eastern Flevoland polder (54,000 ha) and, since 1967, the southern Flevoland polder (43,000 ha) have been cultivated since 1962; the drying up of the Markerwaard is nearing completion, which, with its 60,000 ha, will be the largest of the Dutch polders. The IJsselmeer will remain in communication with Amsterdam through a canal, 400 m wide, between the south-eastern polders and that of the Markerwaard; at the junction of these three polders a new city will arise, Lelystad, in memory of the designer of the development plan. The “Delta Plan”, whose gigantic environmental transformation works have been underway since 1958, foresees the completion of the enterprise around 1980: several dams have already been built to connect the islands and peninsulas of Zeeland together, as well as other dams in the port of Rotterdam to protect the entrances to the Europoort and the Nieuwe Waterweg. The “Delta Plan” represents, technically, a work superior to that required for the transformation of the IJsselmeer. Another technical stage of the Dutch expansion into the sea will be the reclamation of the Wadden Sea, already the subject of several studies, which will be carried out by connecting the various islands of the Frisian Archipelago by means of dams. Europoort and the Nieuwe Waterweg. The “Delta Plan” represents, technically, a work superior to that required for the transformation of the IJsselmeer. Another technical stage of the Dutch expansion into the sea will be the reclamation of the Wadden Sea, already the subject of several studies, which will be carried out by connecting the various islands of the Frisian Archipelago by means of dams. Europoort and the Nieuwe Waterweg. The “Delta Plan” represents, technically, a work superior to that required for the transformation of the IJsselmeer. Another technical stage of the Dutch expansion into the sea will be the reclamation of the Wadden Sea, already the subject of several studies, which will be carried out by connecting the various islands of the Frisian Archipelago by means of dams.

The active population, equal to almost 37% of the total, is divided as follows: industry 37%, administrative services and banks 29%, trade and transport 27%, agriculture and fishing 7% (the latter around 22% in 1960). The economic base of Holland is no longer agriculture. The importance of this sector still remains relevant (which still ensures more than a quarter of exports), but overall the gross national product represents just 6%, while the industrial sector and mining exploitation respectively account for 39%. and 34%. The industrialization process has determined a new orientation of the Dutch economy, with multiple commercial outlets, particularly in Western European countries, among which those of the European Community stand out. There are numerous and important multinational companies operating in the Dutch industry, especially in the electronics, petrochemical and artificial textiles sectors. Despite the PB economic system having characteristics of rationality and efficiency, such as specialized and intensive agriculture, industrial and commercial activities with a high level of organization (favored by a good geographical position), accentuated regional imbalances between the countries remain within the country. western provinces and the rest of the territory. In the former, in fact, the large ports, the centers of the commercial organization, over half of the entire industrial body, are located, among which are the complexes that process import goods.

Netherlands Population 1979

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