Groningen
  • Groningen is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands.
  • In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen (districts of Leer and Emsland), in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea.
  • In 2014, it had a population of 582,640 and a total area of 2,960 km2 of which 635 km2 of water.
  • The area was originally part of Frisia, the Frankish Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Dutch Republic, which is the precursor state of the Netherlands.
  • In the 14th century, the city of Groningen became a member of the Hanseatic League.
  • The capital of the province and the seat of the provincial government is the city of Groningen.
  • The province is divided into 23 municipalities.
  • The land is mainly used for agriculture. There are sea ports in Delfzijl and Eemshaven.
  • The Groningen gas field was discovered in 1959.
  • Since 1986, the exploitation of this gas field caused earthquakes in the region with magnitudes up to 3.6.