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Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands, and is
located in the center of the country. It is bordered by the IJsselmeer in the
north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northeast.
Important cities in the province are its capital Utrecht and
Amersfoort.
History
In the Middle Ages, most of the area of the current province was ruled by the bishop of Utrecht. The bishopric was founded in 722 by Willibrord. Many wars were fought between Utrecht and the neighbouring counties and
duchies, Holland, Gelderland and
Brabant.
In 1527, the bishop of Utrecht sold his worldly power over his territories to Emperor
Charles V, who already owned the other
Dutch provinces. However, the Habsburg rule did not last long, as Utrecht joined the revolt of the United Provinces against Charles' son Philip II of Spain in 1579.
Geography
In the east of Utrecht lies the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, a chain of hills left after the last ice age, 10,000 years ago. Because of the
scarcity of minerals in the soil, the greatest part is planted with pine trees. The south of the province is a river landscape.
The west consists mostly of meadows. In the north are big lakes formed by the digging of peat.
Municipalities
External links
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