Zaan
Encyclopedia
The Zaan is a small river in the province of North-Holland in The Netherlands and the name of the district through which it runs. The river was originally a side arm of the IJ
bay and travels 10 kilometers through the municipality of Zaanstad
("Zaan City") north of Amsterdam
, from West-Knollendam in the north to Zaandam
in the south, where it empties into the IJ
.
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 the Zaanse Schans
, a village with historic windmills and houses. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands.
During the Dutch Golden Age
in the 17th century, the Zaan district was dotted with windmills, which processed materials such as linseed
, used in the paint industry, and agricultural products such as mustard seed and wood. By the mid-17th century, approximately 900 windmills could be found along the river, some of them still preserved in the Zaanse Schans
.
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." Monet returned to the Zaan district to paint during visits to the Netherlands in following years.
The name of the Alkmaar
-based soccer team AZ is short for Alkmaar Zaanstreek.
IJ (bay)
The IJ is a river, formerly a bay, in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is known for being Amsterdam's waterfront. The name derives from the generic Germanic term for "water" and is similar to other Aa/Ee names for bodies of water. In Dutch, the name consists of the digraph ij, which is...
bay and travels 10 kilometers through the municipality of Zaanstad
Zaanstad
Zaanstad is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Its main town is Zaandam. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam.-Population centres:...
("Zaan City") north of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, from West-Knollendam in the north to Zaandam
Zaandam
Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811...
in the south, where it empties into the IJ
IJ (bay)
The IJ is a river, formerly a bay, in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is known for being Amsterdam's waterfront. The name derives from the generic Germanic term for "water" and is similar to other Aa/Ee names for bodies of water. In Dutch, the name consists of the digraph ij, which is...
.
The municipality of Zaanstad
Zaanstad
Zaanstad is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Its main town is Zaandam. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam.-Population centres:...
and several towns along the Zaan are named for the river: Koog aan de Zaan
Koog aan de Zaan
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....
, Westzaan, Oostzaan
Oostzaan
Oostzaan is a municipality and a town in the Zaanstreek, Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town has a population of 9.104 inhabitats in december 2010. Oostzaan has got 11.49 km² land and 4.64 km² water....
, Zaandijk
Zaandijk
Zaandijk 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.Zaandijk has a population of around 9040.- History :...
and the city of Zaandam
Zaandam
Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811...
. The river also runs past the Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans is a neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk in the municipality ofZaanstad in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It has a collection...
, a village with historic windmills and houses. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands.
The Zaan district
The name Zaan also refers to the district through which the river runs. The district is believed to be the world's first industrialized area.During the Dutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...
in the 17th century, the Zaan district was dotted with windmills, which processed materials such as linseed
Linseed oil
Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is a clear to yellowish oil obtained from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant . The oil is obtained by cold pressing, sometimes followed by solvent extraction...
, used in the paint industry, and agricultural products such as mustard seed and wood. By the mid-17th century, approximately 900 windmills could be found along the river, some of them still preserved in the Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans is a neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk in the municipality ofZaanstad in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It has a collection...
.
The Zaan district continues to be a heavily industrialized area with many factories, particularly around the city of Zaandam
Zaandam
Zaandam is a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811...
. A number of major Dutch companies, like Ahold
Ahold
Ahold is a major international supermarket operator based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ahold is listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.-History:...
and Verkade
Verkade
Verkade is a Dutch manufacturing company. The company is headquartered in Zaandam and was one of the oldest existing family companies in the Netherlands until its takeover in 1990 by British United Biscuits, which in turn was taken over in 2006 by Blackstone Group and PAI Partners...
, were founded in the Zaan district.
The dialect spoken in the Zaan area is known as Zaans
Zaans
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...
. It has some similarities with the West Frisian
West Frisian
The West Frisian can mean:* West Frisian language, the language spoken in the Friesland province of the Netherlands* West Frisian dialect, the Hollandic Dutch dialect spoken in the North Holland province of the Netherlands* West Frisians, people...
dialect.
French impressionist
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
painter Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
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
Camille Pissarro
Camille Pissarro was a French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of St Thomas . His importance resides in his contributions to both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, as he was the only artist to exhibit in both forms...
that, "there is enough here to paint for an entire lifetime." Monet returned to the Zaan district to paint during visits to the Netherlands in following years.
The name of the Alkmaar
Alkmaar
Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.-History:...
-based soccer team AZ is short for Alkmaar Zaanstreek.