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A Province from Nothing, How Flevoland Was Created

Where the wild waters of the Zuiderzee once rolled, there is now a province called Flevoland. It is the largest artificial land reclamation project in the world. And it began with a simple goal: keeping dry feet.
The driving force was not ambition, but necessity. For centuries, the Zuiderzee threatened inland communities with flooding. After repeated disasters, including the devastating storm surge of 1916, political determination grew to tame the water once and for all.

Engineer and minister Cornelis Lely had already proposed a bold solution decades earlier: close off the Zuiderzee with a massive dam and create new polders in the reclaimed seabed.

In 1918, the Zuiderzee Act was passed. It marked the beginning of one of the largest hydraulic engineering projects ever undertaken.

The first major step was the construction of the Afsluitdijk, completed in 1932. This 32-kilometer (20-mile) dam sealed the Zuiderzee off from the North Sea. Gradually, the saltwater basin transformed into freshwater: the IJsselmeer was born.

This was crucial. Freshwater is easier to manage and far more suitable for agriculture. Only after securing the outer boundary could the real work begin: creating land.

How Do You Make Land?

A polder does not appear simply by “pumping out water.” First, engineers construct a ring dike around the area to be reclaimed. That dike must be strong enough to withstand storms and constant water pressure. Next, powerful pumping stations remove the water within the enclosed area, a process that could take months or even years for a single polder.
But even then, the job is not finished. The former seabed consists of wet clay and silt. It must settle, dry, and compact before it becomes usable. Roads can sink, houses often need to be built on deep piles, and farmland requires careful preparation. Making land is one thing. Making it livable is another.
The first reclaimed polder was the Wieringermeer (1930). It was followed by the Noordoostpolder (1942), Eastern Flevoland (1957), and Southern Flevoland (1968). Together, these areas form what we now know as Flevoland.

In 1986, Flevoland officially became the twelfth province of the Netherlands and its youngest. The capital city, Lelystad, was named after Cornelis Lely. Meanwhile, Almere grew within just a few decades into one of the fastest-growing cities in the country.
What makes Flevoland unique is that it was entirely designed before people moved in. Roads, villages, and cities were planned on drawing boards long before the first residents arrived. Architects and urban planners experimented with modern housing concepts, spacious layouts, and greenery.

Why Was It Done?

Agriculture was for a long time a key motivation. After the Second World War, food security was vital. The fertile marine clay of the reclaimed polders proved ideal for arable farming. Large, rationally organized plots allowed for highly efficient agriculture.

There was also a pressing need for space. The Netherlands was growing rapidly, cities were becoming crowded, and the Randstad region needed room to expand. Flevoland quite literally became breathing space.

Living Below Sea Level

Ironically, much of Flevoland lies below sea level. The water has never truly disappeared, it is constantly managed. Pumping stations operate day and night to remove rainwater and groundwater seepage. Without continuous technical intervention, large parts of the province would flood again.
Flevoland is therefore not a victory over water, but an ongoing partnership with it.

Perhaps most fascinating of all: Flevoland has almost no “ancient” history. No medieval town centers, no centuries-old farmhouses. Everything is new, or at least young. Yet traditions, stories, and communities are steadily taking root.

What was once seabed is now home.