Zaan

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Zaan
Zaandenuylbrug.jpg
Den Uylbridge in Zaandam, the Netherlands.
Netherlands relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Mouth of Zaan
Location
Country Netherlands
DistrictZaan District
Physical characteristics
Mouth  
  coordinates
52°28′11″N4°49′35″E / 52.46972°N 4.82639°E / 52.46972; 4.82639

The Zaan (Dutch pronunciation: [zaːn] ) is a small river in the province of North Holland in the northwestern Netherlands and the name of a district through which it runs. The river was originally a side arm of the IJ bay and travels 13.5 kilometers (8½ miles) through the municipalities of Zaanstad ("Zaan City") and Wormerland north of Amsterdam, from West-Knollendam in the north to Zaandam in the south, where it empties into the IJ.

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The municipality of Zaanstad and several towns along the Zaan are named for the river: Koog aan de Zaan, Westzaan, Oostzaan, Zaandijk and the city of Zaandam. The river also runs past Zaanse Schans, a village with historic windmills and houses. It ranks among the top tourist destinations in the Netherlands.

Panorama view

Zaanse Schans panorama.jpg
The Zaan at Zaanse Schans

The Zaan district

The region through which the river runs is called the Zaan district (Dutch : Zaanstreek [ˈzaːnstreːk] ). It comprises the municipalities of Zaanstad, Oostzaan, and most of Wormerland.

During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, the Zaan district was dotted with windmills with a variety of functions and it is often considered to be one of the world's first industrialized areas. [1] Joining an already considerable number of flour mills were, for example, from 1592 "wood mills" for sawing wood, from 1600 "hemp mills" for extracting fibers from flax and hemp, from 1601 oil mills for crushing oil-bearing seeds and "paint mills" producing dyes and paint, and shortly after paper mills for the production of paper. By the mid-17th century, approximately 900 windmills could be found along the river, some of them still preserved, particularly in the Zaanse Schans neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk.

The Zaan district continues to be a heavily industrialized area with many factories, particularly around the city of Zaandam. A number of major Dutch companies, like Ahold and Verkade, were founded in the Zaan district.

The dialect spoken in the Zaan area is known as Zaans. It has some similarities with the West Frisian dialect.

French impressionist painter Claude Monet stayed in Zaandam in the summer of 1871 and produced a series of 24 paintings of the Zaan district, writing to his friend Camille Pissarro that, "there is enough here to paint for an entire lifetime." [2] Monet returned to the Zaan district to paint during visits to the Netherlands in following years[ citation needed ].

The name of the Alkmaar-based football club AZ is short for Alkmaar Zaanstreek.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oostzaan</span> Municipality in North Holland, Netherlands

Oostzaan is a municipality and a town in the Zaanstreek, Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,689 in 2021. Oostzaan has a total area of 16.08 km2 (6.21 sq mi) of which 4.55 km2 (1.76 sq mi) is water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wormerland</span> Municipality in North Holland, Netherlands

Wormerland is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaanstad</span> Municipality in North Holland, Netherlands

Zaanstad is a Dutch municipality in the province of North Holland, situated northwest of Amsterdam. Its main city is Zaandam. It is part of the conurbation and metropolitan area of Amsterdam. It had a population of 156,901 in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Friesland (region)</span> Contemporary region in the Northwest of the Netherlands

West Friesland is a contemporary region in the Northwest of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaandijk</span> Town in North Holland, Netherlands

Zaandijk is a town in the municipality of Zaanstad, province of North Holland, Netherlands. It lies about 11 kilometres northwest of Amsterdam and had a population of 8,686 in 2017. Zaandijk is one of the smallest villages in Zaanstad, having a surface area of 209 hectare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koog aan de Zaan</span> Village in North Holland, Netherlands

Koog aan de Zaan is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zaanstad, and lies about 11 km northwest of Amsterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westzaan</span> Village in North Holland, Netherlands

Westzaan is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zaanstad, and lies about 13 km northeast of Haarlem. It is located west of Zaandam, Koog aan de Zaan and Zaandijk, southwest of Wormer, southeast of Krommenie and south and southeast of Assendelft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaandam</span> City in North Holland, Netherlands

Zaandam is a city in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad and received city rights in 1811. It is located on the river Zaan, just north of Amsterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaanse Schans</span> Neighbourhood of Zaandam in Zaanstad, North Holland, Netherlands

Zaanse Schans is a neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk, Netherlands. It is best known for its collection of historic windmills and wooden houses that were relocated here from the wider region north of Amsterdam for preservation. From 1961 to 1974, old buildings from all over the region known as the Zaanstreek were relocated using lowboy trailers to Zaanse Schans. Two of the windmills in Zaanse Schans are preserved on their original site where they were first constructed, and therefore do not constitute part of the relocated structures. The Zaans Museum, established in 1994, near the first Zaanse Schans windmill, is located south of the neighbourhood. This architectural reserve for Zaanse timber construction is a protected village scene because of its architectural-historical and landscape value. It developed into an international tourist destination with several million visitors every year: in 2016, there were 1.8 million, in 2017 – 2.2 million.

Zaans is a dialect of Dutch spoken in the Zaan district, which lies north of Amsterdam, in the Dutch province of North Holland. Zaans is one of the oldest dialects in the country. The dialect has similarities to the West Frisian dialect which is spoken in an area further north of the Zaan district.

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Duyvis is a Dutch brand of salty snacks, peanuts and nuts. Dip sauces are also sold under the Duyvis brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaandijk Zaanse Schans railway station</span> Railway station in the Netherlands

Zaandijk Zaanse Schans railway station, until 2016 Koog-Zaandijk railway station, is a railway station in Koog aan de Zaan and Zaandijk, both neighbourhoods of the municipality of Zaandam, Netherlands. It is also the closest railway station to Zaanse Schans. The station opened on 1 November 1869 and is located on the Den Helder–Amsterdam railway between Zaandam and Uitgeest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Den Helder–Amsterdam railway</span> Railway line in the Netherlands

The Den Helder–Amsterdam railway is a railway line in the Netherlands running from Den Helder to Amsterdam, passing through Alkmaar and Zaandam. It is also called the Staatslijn K in Dutch. The line is 81 km long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Kat, Zaandam</span>

De Kat is the only remaining working windmill in the world which makes paint. The mill is in the Zaanse Schans, Zaanstad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Os, Zaandam</span>

De Os is an oil windmill in the Zaanse Schans, Zaanstad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Zoeker</span>

De Zoeker is the name of an oil windmill, located in the Zaanse Schans, Zaanstad. Its purpose is to press seeds such as linseed and rapeseed into vegetable oil. It is the only oil mill still in operation, and is one of five remaining oil mills in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Gekroonde Poelenburg</span> Paltrok mill in Zaandam, Netherlands

De Gekroonde Poelenburg is a paltrok mill in Zaandam, Netherlands which has been restored to working order. Like all Dutch paltrok mills it is a windpowered sawmill. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 40093. It is located at the Zaanse Schans in a group of several historic industrial windmills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Het Jonge Schaap, Zaandam</span>

Het Jonge Schaap is the name of a wooden wind powered sawmill, located in the Zaanse Schans, in the municipality of Zaanstad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaans Museum</span> Industrial heritage museum in Zaandam, Netherlands

Zaans Museum is a museum in Zaandam, Netherlands, located at the Zaanse Schans. It opened in 1998 to preserve and protect the heritage of the Zaan area. In 2009, the museum was extended with the addition of the Verkade Experience.

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