GRONINGEN, the most northerly,. province of Holland. bounded south by Drente, west by Friesland and the Lauwers Zee, north and north-east by the North Sea and the mouth of the Ems with the Dollart, and on the south-east by the Prussian province of Hanover. It includes the islands of Boschplaat and Rottumer oog, belonging to the group of Frisian islands (q.v.). Area, 883 sq.m.; pop. density per sq.m. 44o. The sandy tongue of the Hondsrug extends from the Drente plateau almost up to the capital. West, north and north-east of this the province is flat and consists of sea-clay or sand and clay mixed, except where patches of low and high fen occur on the Frisian borders. Low fen predominates to the east of the capital. The south-east of the province is of high fen resting on diluvial sand largely re claimed. The morass on the Prussian border was long considered as the natural protection of the eastern frontier, and with the view of preserving its impassable condition neither agriculture nor cattle-rearing was permitted until 1824, and it was only in 1868 that the work of reclamation begun. The gradual extension of the seaward boundaries of the province owing to the process of littoral deposits may be traced by a triple line of sea-dikes mark ing the successive stages in this advance. The rivers of Groningen descending from the Drente plateau meet at the capital, whence they are continued by the Reitdiep to the Lauwers Zee (being dis charged through a lock), and by the Ems canal (1876) to Delfzyl. The south-eastern corner of the province is traversed by the West erwolde Aa, which discharges into the Dollart. The railways belong to the northern section of the State railways, and afford communication with Germany via Winschoten. Agriculture is the main industry and the proportion of landowners is a very large one. The ancient custom called the beklem-recht, or lease-right, doubtless accounts for this. By this custom a tenant-farmer is able to bequeath his farm, as he holds his lease in perpetuity.
The chief agricultural products are barley, oats, wheat, and in the north-east flax is also grown, and exported to South Holland and Belgium. On the higher clay grounds cattle-rearing and horse breeding are also practised, together with butter and cheese mak ing. Potatoes are cultivated. Coast fisheries are considerable. Groningen (q.v.) is the only large town. Delfzyl, formerly an important fortress for the protection of the ancient sluices on the river Delf, has benefited by the construction of the Ems (Eems) ship-canal connecting it with Groningen, and has a harbour, im porting wood. Appingedam and Winschoten are very old towns with cattle and horse markets.