Groningen (province)

Most northerly province of the Netherlands, located on the Ems estuary and also including two of the innermost West Friesian Islands (both uninhabited), bounded to the north by the North Sea, to the south by the province of Drenthe, to the east by Germany, and to the west by Friesland; area 2,350 sq km/907 sq mi; population (2003 est) 574,700. The capital is Groningen; other major towns are Hoogezand-Sappemeer, Stadskanaal, Veendam, Delfzijl, and Winschoten. The chief industries are natural gas, textiles, sugar refining, shipbuilding, and papermaking. Agriculture centres on arable and livestock farming, dairy produce, tobacco, and fishing.

History
Under the power of the bishops of Utrecht from 1040, the provincial capital of Groningen became a member of the Hanseatic League in 1284. In 1536, Charles V, king of Spain and Holy Roman emperor, added Groningen to his Netherlands possessions. During the revolt of the Netherlands against Spain, the nobles living in the province's countryside signed the Union of Utrecht in 1579. The capital, however, remained loyal to the Habsburgs until 1594 when it was recaptured by the Dutch under Maurice of Nassau. Its university was founded in 1614.