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From 1795 till 1813, Holland was occupied by the French. During that period, the county of Holland
was split up in two parts to break its economic power. The provinces of North-Holland and South-Holland
came into being as they exist today.
While the Dutch were under French rule, the British seized Dutch colonial possessions. After the fall
of Napoleon, the independence of the Netherlands was restored in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna. In addition, the territory
now comprising Belgium was made part of the kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Northern part of Holland was and is an agricultural area, mainly. Centuries long, it has provided
the food (bier, beef , butter and cheese) needed by its citizens and its seafaring suns during their voyages. Because of the
intensive (extensive) use of the boggy pasture soil, the land has subsided below sealevel and is completely enclosed by dunes
and 'dikes' to keep out the sea. Presently, incoming rain and river water has to be pumped out continually, via an elaborate
system of canals, sluices and pumps (watermills were used in the past), to keep the inhabitants of the land on dry soil. The
people living in North-Holland have to be vigilant and active to ensure a future for their heirs.
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