page_title: Groningen (province)
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Groningen (province) / Geography
caption_attribution_description: Image:Wadlopen bij Pieterburen 02.jpg, rotated 2 degrees and cropped
context_page_description: Groningen is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. It borders on Friesland to the west, Drenthe to the south, the German state of Lower Saxony to the east, and the Wadden Sea to the north. As of November 2019, Groningen had a population of 585,881 and a total area of 2,960 km².
  The area was subsequently 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 provincial capital and the largest city in the province is the city of Groningen. Since 2016, René Paas has been the King's Commissioner in the province. A coalition of the Labour Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66, and ChristianUnion forms the executive branch. The province is divided into 23 municipalities.
  The land is mainly used for agriculture. There are seaports in Delfzijl and Eemshaven. The Groningen gas field was discovered in 1959. The province is home to the University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences.
context_section_description: Groningen is situated at 53°15′N 6°44′E in the northeast of the Netherlands. To the west is the province Friesland, to the south is the province Drenthe, to the east the German districts are Leer and Emsland in the state Lower Saxony, and to the north the North Sea, Ems, and Dollart. The northernmost point of the Netherlands is on Rottumerplaat at 53°33′18″N 6°28′41″E; the easternmost point of the Netherlands is in Bad Nieuweschans at 53°10′49″N 7°13′40″E.
  Groningen is the 7th largest province of the Netherlands. It has a total area of 2,960 km² (1,140 sq mi), with 2,325 km² (898 sq mi) of land and 635 km² (245 sq mi) of water. About 80% of the land or 1,876 km² (724 sq mi) is used for agriculture. The rest of the land is: 9% or 158 km² (61 sq mi) of built-up or semi built-up area, 6% or 144 km² (56 sq mi) of nature, 3% or 66 km² (25 sq mi) of infrastructure, and 2% or 43 km² (17 sq mi) of recreational area.
  The land in Groningen is flat. A large area of the province is below sea level. The Hasseberg near Sellingen of 14.6 m (48 ft) above sea level is the highest point.
  The Groningen gas field near Slochteren is the 8th largest natural gas field in the world. Since 1986, the exploitation of this gas field has caused earthquakes in the region with magnitudes up to 3.6.
  In the Wadden Sea of Groningen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, are the sandbank Simonszand and the natural reserve Rottum consisting of the three uninhabited islands Rottumeroog, Rottumerplaat, and Zuiderduintjes. The national park Lauwersmeer (IUCN category II) is located on the border between Groningen and Friesland.
caption: Mudflat hikers during low tide on the Wadden Sea near Pieterburen
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