Limburg

Limburg, provincie, southeastern Netherlands. It is bounded on the northwest by Noord-Brabant provincie, on the north by Gelderland provincie, on the east by Germany, and on the south and southwest by the Belgian provinces of Limburg and Liège. It is drained by the Geul, Gulp, Roer, and Maas (Meuse) rivers, the latter forming part of the province’s southwestern boundary and bisecting its northern portion.

Formerly part of the duchy of Limburg, which was divided in 1648 between the United Provinces of the Netherlands and the Spanish Netherlands, the area was united in 1815 to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Dutch-Belgian treaty of 1839 divided the territory into the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg.

The province’s hilly southern part, extending to Sittard, is a loess-covered rock plateau with a coalfield under some parts. Wheat, rye, sugar beets, and fruit are cultivated, and there is some dairy farming. Until the early 1970s, coal mining was important around Heerlen, Kerkrade, and Geleen; Born and Stein are river ports. Maastricht, the provincial capital, is the chief industrial centre. In the sandy regions of the rest of the province, farming is mostly mixed, although there is more arable land (mostly producing rye). Pigs and poultry production are also important, and there is market gardening around Venlo. Industry is mainly concentrated around the larger centres, such as Roermond, Sittard, Venlo, and Weert, and includes the manufacture of light metals, clothing, hosiery, and chemicals. East of the Maas, between Venlo and Roermond, is an important brick-making and tile-making district. Area 853 square miles (2,209 square km). Pop. (2008 est.) 1,123,735.