Overijssel

Province of the east central Netherlands, extending from the IJsselmeer to the German border; area 3,340 sq km/1,290 sq mi; population (1997) 1,057,900. The capital is Zwolle. Industries include textile production (cotton-spinning in the district of Twente). Other activities are livestock rearing, dairying, and fishing.

Geography The rivers IJssel and Vecht flow through the region. There are sandy flats, covered with waste stretches of heath and fen, and some fertile pasture land along the Ijsselmeer. Land has been reclaimed in the east of the province. Towns and cities include Enschede, Hengelo, and Deventer.

History The region was ruled by the bishops of Utrecht during the Middle Ages. It was sold to Charles V of Spain in 1527, and joined the revolt against Spanish authority to become one of the United Provinces of the Netherlands in 1579.