Zeeland

The province of Zeeland (Sealand) incorporates a clutch of islands and peninsulas – Schouwen-Duiveland, Tholen, Sint Philipsland, Noord-Beveland, Walcheren and Zuid-Beveland – that nestle in the middle of a vast delta through which many of Europe's rivers drain; it also incorporates Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, a strip of land bordering the Belgian region of Flanders. As you survey the calm, flat landscape, consider that for centuries the resilient Zeelanders have been battling the North Sea waters, devising and implementing ingenious methods of water management, including the huge Delta Project.