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91-407: [REDACTED] Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Cranendonck, June 2015 This North Brabant location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . North Brabant North Brabant ( Dutch : Noord-Brabant [ˌnoːrd ˈbraːbɑnt] ; Brabantian : Broabant [ˈbrɑːban] ), also unofficially called Brabant , is a province in

182-441: A federal state , the central authority is relatively weak. Decisions made by the general government in a unicameral legislature, a council of the member states, require subsequent implementation by the member states to take effect; they are not laws acting directly upon the individual but have more the character of interstate agreements. Also, decision-making in the general government usually proceeds by consensus (unanimity), not by

273-521: A single economic market , a common customs territory , (mainly) open internal borders , and a common currency among most member-states. However, unlike a federation, the EU does not have exclusive powers over foreign affairs, defence, taxation, along with the immigration and transit of non-EU nationals. Furthermore, most EU laws , which have been developed by consensus between relevant national government ministers and then scrutinised and approved or rejected by

364-409: A "kind of confederation" by, for example, Belgian Minister of State Mark Eyskens. Canada is an unusually decentralized federal state , not a confederate association of sovereign states, the usual meaning of confederation in modern terms. In Canada , the word confederation has an additional unrelated meaning. " Confederation " refers to the process of (or the event of) establishing or joining

455-499: A Brabantian dialect is spoken. The default language having been developed around this time, it therefore had mainly Brabantian influences. The early modern Dutch written language was initially influenced primarily by Brabantian, with strong influence from Hollandic emerging after the 16th century. Since the Brabantian dialect has developed faster than 16th- and 17th-century Dutch, it has become more diverse than modern Standard Dutch but

546-621: A Europe dominated by monarchies and free trade), and it ensured peace between the different cultural entities of the area. After the Sonderbund War of 1847 , when some of the Catholic cantons of Switzerland attempted to set up a separate union ( Sonderbund in German) against the Protestant majority, a vote was held and the majority of the cantons approved the new Federal Constitution which changed

637-425: A confederation retain their sovereignty, they have an implicit right of secession . The political philosopher Emmerich de Vattel said: "Several sovereign and independent states may unite themselves together by a perpetual confederacy without each, in particular, ceasing to be a perfect state.... The deliberations in common will offer no violence to the sovereignty of each member". Under a confederation, compared to

728-504: A majority of the population in the province of North Brabant. Only 1–2% of the total population of the Catholic area attend mass , and these churchgoers consist mostly of people over 65 years old. With a population density of 501/km , North Brabant is above average urbanized. The urbanization is at the center of the province at largest, where the 'kite' (the Brabantse Stedenrij Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and 's-Hertogenbosch)

819-632: A marginal role in nationwide general elections. The system in Belgium is known as consociationalism . That makes Belgium fundamentally different from federal countries like Switzerland , Canada , Germany and Australia . National parties receive over 90% of voter support in those countries. The only geographical areas comparable with Belgium within Europe are Catalonia , the Basque Country (both part of Spain ), Northern Ireland and Scotland (both part of

910-601: A modern country that traditionally refers to itself as a confederation because the official (and traditional) name of Switzerland in German ( the majority language of the Swiss ) is Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (literally "Swiss Comradeship by Oath"), an expression which was translated into the Latin Confoederatio Helvetica (Helvetic Confederation). It had been a confederacy since its inception in 1291 as

1001-546: A region in the central Andean highlands in present-day Colombia. The Hoa ruled the northern section of the confederation, while the Zipa ruled the southern portion. The Andean civilizations consisted of loose confederations, such as the Aymara kingdoms and the Diaguita , with the former being composed of distinct diarchies. In 2003, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was transformed into

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1092-483: A republican form (confederated republics) are usually called states (like states of the American Confederacy , 1861–1865) or republics (like republics of Serbia and Montenegro within the former State Union of Serbia and Montenegro , 2003–2006). Those that have a monarchical form of government (confederated monarchies) are defined by various hierarchical ranks (like kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan within

1183-441: A stew of onions , beef and a thick gravy, contain a lot of flavour and require hours to prepare. Vegetable soups are made from richly flavored stock or bouillon and typically contain small meatballs alongside a variety of different vegetables. Asparagus and witlo(o)f are highly prized and traditionally eaten with cheese and/or ham . Pastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard or fruits. Cakes, such as

1274-478: A subsequent federal law, set forth negotiating conditions for a Canadian province (though not a territory ) to leave the Canadian federal state (addressed also by a related Quebec law ). Importantly, negotiation would first need triggering by referendum and executing by constitutional amendment using a current amending mechanism of Canada's constitution—meaning that, while not legal under the current constitution, it

1365-558: A treaty or of a treaty amendment is required. Such a form may thus be described as a semi-intergovernmental confederation. However, some academic observers more usually discuss the EU in the terms of it being a federation. As the international law professor Joseph H. H. Weiler (of the Hague Academy and New York University ) wrote, "Europe has charted its own brand of constitutional federalism". Jean-Michel Josselin and Alain Marciano see

1456-509: A weak common president , ministerial council and parliament . The two constituent republics functioned separately throughout the period of its short existence, and they continued to operate under separate economic policies and to use separate currencies (the euro was and still is the only legal tender in Montenegro, and the dinar was and still is the legal tender in Serbia). On 21 May 2006,

1547-488: Is a partnership between the municipalities of Breda , Eindhoven , Helmond , 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg and the province of North Brabant. According to national rules, BrabantStad is defined as the area of Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg. Brabantian is not a minority language in the Netherlands . It can be divided in two main dialects: East Brabantian and West Brabantian  [ nl ] . Along with

1638-558: Is an area with farmlands and forests. In Heeze , also south of Eindhoven, are the heath areas the Groote Heide (333 ha) and Strabrechtse Heath (1500 ha) located. The Strabrechtse Heide holds also the largest fen of the Netherlands. The Beuven (Beu fen) measures 85 hectares. Like most of the Netherlands, North Brabant is mostly flat but nearly every part of North Brabant is above sea level; therefore, there are not as many canals as in

1729-552: Is democratically feasible without resorting to extralegal means or international involvement. Its unique nature and the political sensitivities surrounding it cause there to be no common or legal classification for the European Union (EU). However, it bears some resemblance to both a confederation (or a "new" type of confederation) and a federation. The term supranational union has also been applied. The EU operates common economic policies with hundreds of common laws, which enable

1820-593: Is elected by the inhabitants, the Commissioner is appointed by the King and the cabinet of the Netherlands. With 10 seats, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is the largest party in the council, closely followed by Christian Democratic Appeal and Socialist Party , both with 9 seats. The daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the Provincial-Executive ( Gedeputeerde Staten ), which are also headed by

1911-512: Is home to 8 professional football clubs, more than any other province in the Netherlands. Two clubs ( PSV and RKC Waalwijk ) play in the Eredivisie , the highest professional football league in the Netherlands. Six clubs ( Helmond Sport , Willem II , FC Den Bosch , FC Eindhoven , TOP Oss and NAC Breda ) play in the Eerste Divisie , the second-highest division of professional football in

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2002-417: Is influenced by both German cuisine and French cuisine , and it forms the base of most traditional Dutch restaurants including typical main courses such as Biefstuk , Varkenshaas , or Ossenhaas , which are premium cuts of meat, generally pork or beef , accompanied by various sauces and potatoes which have been double fried in the traditional Dutch (or Belgian) manner. Stews, such as hachee ,

2093-550: Is located, the rest of the province has a more rural character. The province has preserved some of its scenic nature well. National parks are found at the Loonse and Drunen Dunes , De Biesbosch and De De Groote Peel , on the marshes of the Meierij at Oisterwijk and Boxtel (within an area called Het Groene Woud ), the border park Zoom-Kalmthoutse Heide , and in the forested area around Breda . Also, south of Eindhoven named De Kempen

2184-509: Is still quite similar and very understandable. About one third of the Dutch-speaking population lives in the Brabantian dialect zone. Both in large Brabantian towns such as Breda and Eindhoven and in rural areas many people still speak the original dialect or colloquial Dutch with a typical "southern" tongue. Tilburg and 's-Hertogenbosch have a large number of people speaking the Brabantian dialect. There are many museums, especially in

2275-426: Is still the pattern in much of the region. In recent years, however, the rapid advance of industry has brought about profound changes in this agricultural region. The origins of this industrial development go back 70–100 years. The main concentrations of industry are along the southern frontier of the Netherlands, e.g., at Eindhoven , Helmond , Tilburg , Breda , 's-Hertogenbosch . In the east of Noord-Brabant, near

2366-569: Is the most successful of these clubs with many prizes, in the regular competition as well as in Europe. The most recent prizes are National Champions in 2014–2015, 2015–2016 and European Champions in 2014–2015. The States of North Brabant ( Staten van Noord-Brabant ) have 55 seats and are headed by the King's Commissioner ( Commissaris van de Koning ), currently Ina Adema . Whereas the provincial council (the States-Provincial - Provinciale Staten )

2457-528: Is theme park Efteling in Kaatsheuvel , the largest of the Benelux. Safaripark Beekse Bergen is an Safaripark located between Tilburg and Hilvarenbeek . In terms of area, it is the largest Safaripark in the Benelux. More than 150 animal species are kept, ranging from small mammals to large birds. It is best known for its diversity. You can explore the park on foot, by boat, bus or with your own car. BrabantStad

2548-503: The Moorkop and Bossche Bol from Brabant, are typical pastries. There are also savory pastries, especially the popular worstenbroodje (a roll with a sausage of ground beef ). The traditional alcoholic beverage of the region is beer. There are many local brands, ranging from Trappist to Kriek . Beer, like wine in French cuisine, is also used in cooking, often in stews. North Brabant

2639-515: The Belarusian government . The confederation was created with the objective of co-ordinating common action on economic integration and foreign affairs. However, many of the treaty's provisions have not yet been implemented. Consequently, The Times , in 2020, described it as "a mostly unimplemented confederation". On July 6, 2024, at the end of the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES),

2730-694: The EPP , the S&;D Group and Renew Europe , support a federal model for the European Union. The ECR Group argues for a reformed European Union along confederal lines. The Brothers of Italy party, led by Giorgia Meloni , campaigns for a confederal Europe. On her election as President of the ECR Party in September 2020 Meloni said, "Let us continue to fight together for a confederate Europe of free and sovereign states". In

2821-638: The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg City as being a primary force behind the building of a federal legal order for the EU, with Josselin stating that a "complete shift from a confederation to a federation would have required to straight-forwardly replace the principality of the member states vis-à-vis the Union by that of the European citizens. As a consequence, both confederate and federate features coexist in

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2912-542: The European Parliament , must be transposed into national law by national parliaments. Most collective decisions by member states are taken by weighted majorities and blocking minorities typical of upper houses in federations. On the other hand, the absolute unanimity typical of intergovernmentalism is required only in respect to the Common Foreign and Security Policy , as well as in situations when ratification of

3003-618: The Flemish (Belgians who speak Dutch or Dutch dialects) and the Walloons (Belgians who speak French or French dialects). For example, in the last several decades, over 95% of Belgians have voted for political parties that represent voters from only one community, the separatist N-VA being the party with the most voter support among the Flemish population. Parties that strongly advocate Belgian unity and appeal to voters of both communities usually play only

3094-631: The Hashemite Arab Union in 1958). Many scholars have claimed that the Kingdom of Belgium , a country with a complicated federal structure has adopted some characteristics of a confederation under the pressure of separatist movements, especially in Flanders . For example, C. E. Lagasse declared that Belgium was "near the political system of a Confederation" regarding the constitutional reform agreements between Belgian Regions and between Communities , and

3185-616: The High Tech Campus Eindhoven . In 2017, Brabantian companies applied for 3655 patents , earning a spot in the regional top 5 in Europe. Other important industries are automobile production (e.g. General Motors in Breda , Tesla in Tilburg ) and DAF in Eindhoven , textile and shoes. In the 20th century, tourism has become an important sector for North Brabant. A tourist attraction

3276-554: The Hollandic dialects it is one of the two most spoken versions of Dutch. Brabantian has, as compared to the other main Dutch dialects, had a big influence on the development of Standard Dutch. This is because Brabant was the dominant region in the Netherlands when the standardization of Dutch started in the 16th century. The first major formation of standard Dutch also took place in Antwerp , where

3367-498: The Limburgish border, is the Peel area, an expanse of moorland extending from Eindhoven to Venlo , on the border with Limburg. Southeast of Asten is a nature reserve (1,300 hectares (3,250 acres); visitor center at Ospeldijk) which has escaped destruction by peat cutting. Mostly boggy, it will appeal to nature lovers with its interesting flora and fauna. Apart from this small area almost

3458-522: The Montenegrin independence referendum was held. The final official results indicated on 31 May that 55.5% of voters voted in favor of independence. The confederation effectively came to an end after Montenegro's formal declaration of independence on 3 June 2006 and Serbia's formal declaration of independence on 5 June. Switzerland , officially known as the Swiss Confederation , is an example of

3549-662: The Netherlands , and the Effenaar in Eindhoven offer concerts by major artists. Smaller venues like Mezz Breda , W2 Concert in 's-Hertogenbosch and the smaller halls of the 013 and the Effenaar offer concerts by emerging artists and bigger names in an intimate setting. Some yearly cultural events in North Brabant are: List of museums in North Brabant Museums of the main cities: The Southern Dutch cuisine constitutes

3640-543: The Old Swiss Confederacy , which was originally created as an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps , until it became a federation in 1848 but it retains the name of Confederacy for reasons of historical tradition. The confederacy facilitated management of common interests (such as freedom from external domination especially from the Habsburg Empire , the development of republican institutions in

3731-629: The Roman Catholic State Party and its post- war successor, the Catholic People's Party , which often held around 75% of the vote. In the 1960s secularisation and the actual emancipation of the Catholic population brought about the gradual dissolution of the Catholic pillar, as church attendance decreased in North Brabant as elsewhere in Western Europe. The influence of Het Rijke Roomse Leven (The Rich Roman [Catholic] Life) remains in

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3822-624: The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro , a confederation of the Republic of Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia . The state was constituted as a loose political union , but formally functioned as a sovereign subject of international law, and member of the United Nations . As a confederation, the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro had very few shared functions, such as defense, foreign affairs and

3913-704: The Union of Utrecht was signed in 1579, Brabant became a battlefield between the Protestant Dutch Republic and Catholic Spain , which occupied the southern Netherlands. As a result of the Peace of Westphalia, the northern part of Brabant became part of the Netherlands as the territory of Staats-Brabant (Statal Brabant) under federal rule, in contrast to the founding provinces of the Dutch Republic , which were self-governing. Attempts to introduce Protestantism into

4004-485: The United Kingdom ) and parts of Italy , where a massive voter turnout for regional (and often separatist) political parties has become the rule in the last decades, and nationwide parties advocating national unity draw around half or sometimes less of the votes. The Benelux is a politico-economic union of the states of Belgium , the Netherlands , and Luxembourg bound through treaties and based on consensus between

4095-485: The Wabanaki Confederacy , Western Confederacy , Tsenacommacah , Seven Nations of Canada , Pontiac's Confederacy , Pennacook Confederacy , Illinois Confederation , Tecumseh's Confederacy , Muscogee Confederacy , Great Sioux Nation , Blackfoot Confederacy , Warm Springs Confederacy , Manahoac Confederacy , Iron Confederacy and Council of Three Fires . The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, historically known as

4186-478: The 21st century: On 1 January 2003 the municipality of Ravenstein merged into the existing municipality of Oss . On 1 January 2004 the municipalities of Geldrop and Mierlo merged into a new municipality called Geldrop-Mierlo . On 1 January 2011 the municipality of Lith merged into the existing municipality of Oss . On 1 January 2015 the municipality of Maasdonk merged into the existing municipalities of 's-Hertogenbosch and Oss . On 1 January 2017

4277-588: The Canadian federal state. In modern terminology, Canada is a federation, not a confederation. However, to contemporaries of the Constitution Act, 1867 , confederation did not have the same connotation of a weakly-centralized federation. Canadian Confederation generally refers to the Constitution Act, 1867 , which formed the Dominion of Canada from three of the colonies of British North America , and to

4368-534: The Commissioner; its members (commissioners - gedeputeerden ) can be compared with ministers. Results in North Brabant in the elections for the States-Provincial : As of 7 May the Provincial-Executive of North Brabant is composed of the following individuals. In North Brabant the inhabitants voted as follows for the House of Representatives ( Tweede Kamer ): Religion in North Brabant (2015) Traditionally

4459-478: The EU as a federal system". Thomas Risse and Tanja A. Börzel claim that the "EU only lacks two significant features of a federation. First, the Member States remain the "masters" of the treaties, i.e., they have the exclusive power to amend or change the constitutive treaties of the EU. Second, the EU lacks a real "tax and spend" capacity, in other words, there is no fiscal federalism". Valéry Giscard d'Estaing ,

4550-1059: The Iroquois League or the League of Five (later Six) Nations, is the country of Native Americans (in what is now the United States) and First Nations (in what is now Canada) that consists of six nations: the Mohawk , the Oneida , the Onondaga , the Cayuga , the Seneca and the Tuscarora . The Six Nations have a representative government known as the Grand Council which is the oldest governmental institution still maintaining its original form in North America. Each clan from

4641-452: The Netherlands were united in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands , and the province of North Brabant was established and so named to distinguish it from Central Brabant and South Brabant in present-day Belgium , which seceded from the Kingdom in 1830. This boundary between the Netherlands and Belgium is special in that it does not form a contiguous line, but leaves a handful of tiny enclaves (and enclaves inside enclaves) on both sides of

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4732-414: The Netherlands. PSV Eindhoven is the biggest club of North Brabant, and most successful with 25 Eredivisie titles , 1 European Cup and 1 UEFA Cup , among many other domestic cups, and is one of the traditional " big three " clubs in the Netherlands. North Brabant is home to 3 hockey clubs that play in the Hoofdklasse. HC Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch), Oranje Zwart (Eindhoven) and MOP (Vught). Oranje Zwart

4823-430: The Northern Protestant government until the second half of the 19th century, which had a major influence on the economic and cultural development of the southern part of the Netherlands. Present-day North Brabant ( Staats-Brabant ) was adjudicated to the Generality Lands of the Dutch Republic according to the 1648 Peace of Westphalia , while the reduced duchy remained in existence with the Southern Netherlands until it

4914-424: The border. In fact, the Dutch government generally used the pre-Napoleonic borders in 1815 to divide its provinces, in hommage to the principle of Restoration . A few of these irregularities were corrected ( Luyksgestel was exchanged for Lommel ), Huijbergen became totally Dutch, but some remain, notably Baarle-Hertog (Belgian) and Baarle-Nassau (Dutch). When the present province was instituted, its territory

5005-403: The central government being required to provide support for all its members. Confederalism represents a main form of intergovernmentalism , defined as any form of interaction around states that takes place on the basis of sovereign independence or government. The nature of the relationship among the member states constituting a confederation varies considerably. Likewise, the relationship between

5096-408: The chairman of the body of experts commissioned to elaborate a constitutional charter for the European Union, was confronted with strong opposition from the United Kingdom towards including the words "federal" or "federation" in the unratified European Constitution and the word was replaced with either "Community" or "Union". A majority of the Political Groups in the European Parliament , including

5187-585: The colony of Upper Canada ), Nova Scotia , and New Brunswick . Later participants were Manitoba , British Columbia , Prince Edward Island , Alberta and Saskatchewan (the latter two created in 1905 as federated provinces from parts of the directly federally administered Northwest Territories , first transferred to the Dominion in 1869 and now possessing devolved governments as itself, Yukon and Nunavut ), and finally Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador ) in 1949. A Canadian judicial constitutional interpretation, Reference Re Secession of Quebec , and

5278-421: The context of the history of the indigenous peoples of the Americas , a confederacy may refer to a semi-permanent political and military alliance consisting of multiple nations (or "tribes", "bands", or "villages"), which maintained their separate leadership. One of the most well-known is the Haudenosaunee (or Iroquois), but there were many others during different eras and locations across North America , such as

5369-466: The cuisine of the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Flemish Region in Belgium . It is renowned for its many rich pastries, soups, stews , and vegetable dishes and is often called " Burgundian ", which is a Dutch idiom invoking the rich Burgundian court which ruled the Low Countries in the Middle Ages and was renowned for its splendor and great feasts. It is the only Dutch culinary region which developed an haute cuisine , as it

5460-408: The director of the Centre de recherche et d'information socio-politiques (CRISP) Vincent de Coorebyter called Belgium "undoubtedly a federation...[with] some aspects of a confederation" in Le Soir . Also in Le Soir , Michel Quévit of the Catholic University of Louvain wrote that the "Belgian political system is already in dynamics of a Confederation". Nevertheless, the Belgian regions and

5551-423: The emancipatory drive of the province's disadvantaged Catholic population and was supported by a Roman Catholic pillar , which was directed by the clergy, and not only encompassed churches, but also Roman Catholic schools and hospitals, which were run by nuns and friars. In those days every village in North Brabant had a convent from which the nuns operated. Politically, the province was dominated by Catholic parties:

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5642-427: The final communiqué announced the creation of a confederation of the three countries of the AES, namely Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. it was in February 2024 that the military powers of the three countries announced the creation of the AES after their withdrawal from ECOWAS. Historical confederations (especially those predating the 20th century) may not fit the current definition of a confederation, may be proclaimed as

5733-412: The five nations sends chiefs to act as representatives and make decisions for the whole confederation. It has been operating since its foundation in 1142 despite limited international recognition today. Several of the Pre-Columbian cultures of Colombia , such as the Muisca and Tairona were composed of loose confederations. The Muisca form of government consisted of two different rulers that governed

5824-418: The form of education where some schools are still Roman Catholic (today run by professional teachers and not by nuns) and in North Brabant's culture, politics, mentality and customs , such as carnival . The interpretation of the Roman Catholic identity in North Brabant has shifted during the last 65 years from religious to cultural , but the province still has a distinct Catholic atmosphere when compared to

5915-438: The judicial landscape". Rutgers political science professor R. Daniel Kelemen said: "Those uncomfortable using the 'F' word in the EU context should feel free to refer to it as a quasi-federal or federal-like system. Nevertheless, the EU has the necessary attributes of a federal system. It is striking that while many scholars of the EU continue to resist analyzing it as a federation, most contemporary students of federalism view

6006-435: The large numbers of visitors the natural environment has remained largely unspoiled. The Biesbosch nature reserve can be reached by car only from the east (preferably via Werkendam ). The southwest part of the area, with its three large reservoirs of drinking water, is closed to road traffic. The Biesbosch can also be reached by boat from Drimmelen , Geertruidenberg or Lage Zwaluwe . The historical region of Kempen occupies

6097-411: The larger towns which include the North Brabant Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch , the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven , the Museum of the Image in Breda , Noordbrabants Natuurmuseum in Tilburg . Also a few towns have a large theater like the Chassé Theater in Breda and the Eindhoven Park Theatre. Large, reputable music venues like the 013 in Tilburg , which boasts the largest space of music venues in

6188-401: The linguistic communities do not have the autonomy to leave the Belgian state. As such, federal aspects still dominate. Also, for fiscal policy and public finances, the federal state dominates the other levels of government. The increasingly-confederal aspects of the Belgian Federal State appear to be a political reflection of the profound cultural, sociological and economic differences between

6279-444: The lower parts of The Netherlands. Although most of the population lives in urban areas, the province is scattered with villages around which most of the land is cultivated. National Parks in North Brabant are: The Biesbosch (from bies , "rushes", and bosch , "woodland") is an area southeast of Dordrecht formed when the dike on the Meuse burst and the St. Elizabeth's floods on 19 November 1421 engulfed great tracts of land in

6370-525: The majority. Historically, those features limit the union's effectiveness. Hence, political pressure tends to build over time for the transition to a federal system of government, as in the American, Swiss and German cases of regional integration . In terms of internal structure, every confederal state is composed of two or more constituent states, referred to as confederated states . Regarding their political systems , confederated states can have republican or monarchical forms of government. Those that have

6461-403: The member states and the general government and their distribution of powers varies. Some looser confederations are similar to international organisations . Other confederations with stricter rules may resemble federal systems . These elements of such confederations, the international organization and federalist perspective, has been combined as supranational unions . Since the member states of

6552-411: The municipalities of Veghel , Schijndel , and Sint-Oedenrode merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad , creating the largest municipality of the province of North Brabant in terms of land area. On 1 January 2019 the municipalities of Aalburg , Werkendam , and Woudrichem merged into a new municipality called Altena , an even larger municipality in terms of land area. On 1 January 2021

6643-423: The municipality of Haaren merged into the existing municipalities of Boxtel , Oisterwijk , Tilburg , and Vught . On 1 January 2022 the municipalities of Landerd and Uden merged into the new municipality of Maashorst , and the municipalities of Boxmeer , Cuijk , Grave , Mill en Sint Hubert , and Sint Anthonis merged into the new municipality of Land van Cuijk . The Gross domestic product (GDP) of

6734-404: The political system to one of a federation . In 1999, Russia and Belarus signed a treaty to form a confederation, which came into force on 26 January 2000. Although it was given the name Union State , and has some characteristics of a federation, it remains a confederation of two sovereign states. Its existence has been seen as an indication of Russia's political and economic support for

6825-482: The province of North Brabant has been strongly Roman Catholic , in contrast to most of the rest of the Netherlands. Following the country's independence, Catholics faced discrimination by the Protestant government until the mid-19th century. During the 1960s the relatively strong demarcation between the Catholic south on one side and the Calvinist west and north on the other side of the Netherlands started to diminish. In

6916-543: The province was 116.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 15.0% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €39,900 or 132% of the EU27 average in the same year. Employment is found in the agricultural , industrial and service sectors, with agricultural and food processing companies such as Agrifirm , Bavaria , FrieslandCampina , Mars Incorporated , Nutreco , Royal Canin all having large production sites or their headquarters located in

7007-505: The province. The main agricultural products are sweetcorn , wheat and sugar beet , while cows and pigs are held as livestock. An important economical activity is electronics industry, which developed as a spin-off from Philips . Several companies originated from Philips, such as Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), NXP (producer of semiconductors ), and the world's largest supplier of photolithography systems, ASML . There are eight 'innovation campusses' in North Brabant, including

7098-399: The provinces north of the major rivers. A cultural divide is still found between the "Catholic" south and the "Protestant" north, but with a total of 1.5 million people and 20% of the industrial production in the Netherlands the southern "Catholic" area BrabantStad has become one of the major economically important, metropolitan regions of the Netherlands. As of 2010, Catholics were no longer

7189-488: The region were largely unsuccessful; North Brabant remained strongly Catholic. For over a century, North Brabant served mainly as a military buffer zone. In 1796, when the confederate Dutch Republic became the unitary Batavian Republic , Staats-Brabant became a province as Bataafs Brabant . This status ended with the reorganisation by the invading French , and the area was united into the département of Deux-Nèthes (present province of Antwerp ). In 1815, Belgium and

7280-465: The representatives of the member states. They partially share a common foreign policy, especially in regards to their navies through the BeNeSam . The Dutch defence minister (2010–2012) Hans Hillen even said on Belgian radio that it is not impossible that the three armed forces of the member-states could be integrated into "Benelux Armed Forces" one day. Because of this the Benelux is sometimes labeled as

7371-406: The retreating glaciers. It is a typical area of sandy heathland. The infertile soil is suitable only for undemanding crops such as rye, oats, potatoes and fodder plants; this limits the profitability of agriculture. Until a few decades ago Kempen was a region of heathland and sand drifts with a sparse growth of pines, a few scattered villages subsisting on the poor soil and some small towns; and this

7462-510: The sea and subject to changing tide levels. As a result, it developed a flora which tolerated brackish water and was the home of numerous waterfowl. Since the damming of the Haringvliet there is no variation in water level, and both flora and fauna have adapted to the new environment. The Biesbosch is crisscrossed by a network of footpaths and bike paths and by rivers and streams which offer facilities for water sports (sailing, surfing). In spite of

7553-473: The second half of the 20th century a rapid secularization took place in North Brabant. Confederation List of forms of government A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league ) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty , confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issues, such as defence, foreign relations, internal trade or currency, with

7644-814: The south of the Netherlands . It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the west, and the Flemish provinces of Antwerp and Limburg to the south. The northern border follows the Meuse westward to its mouth in the Hollands Diep strait , part of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta . North Brabant had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023. Major cities in North Brabant are Eindhoven (pop. 231,642 ), Tilburg (pop. 217,259), Breda (pop. 183,873), its provincial capital 's-Hertogenbosch (pop. 154,205), and Helmond (pop. 94,967) The Duchy of Brabant

7735-459: The southern part of the province of Noord-Brabant and extends south of Eindhoven far into northern Belgium . To the east it reaches as far as the Meuse valley. The surface topography of De Kempen is very uniform. Most of it lies between 5 m (15 ft) and 35 m (115 ft) above sea level. The basement rocks are Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, which are overlaid by Ice Age gravels and sands carried here by rivers of melt-water from

7826-460: The southwestern Netherlands and altered the geography of the whole area, inundating over 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of land. More than four-fifths of the flooded land has been reclaimed since the 18th century. An area of 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) was left as it was, and now forms the Biesbosch nature reserve and bird sanctuary. Until the end of the 1960s the Biesbosch was directly connected with

7917-521: The subsequent incorporation of other colonies and territories. Beginning on 1 July 1867, it was initially a self-governing dominion of the British Empire with a federal structure , whose government was led by Sir John A. Macdonald . The initial colonies involved were the Province of Canada (becoming Quebec from Canada East, formerly the colony of Lower Canada ; and Ontario from Canada West, formerly

8008-592: The whole of the Peel has been brought into cultivation. The province is bordered by the river Meuse in the north. Its delta flows through De Biesbosch area, a national park. North Brabant has been divided into 56 municipalities since 2022. Traditionally, almost every town was a separate municipality, but their number was reduced greatly in the 1990s by incorporating smaller towns into neighbouring cities or by other mergers. The municipalities in North Brabant are: The following municipal reclassifications took place in

8099-785: Was a state of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183 or 1190. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482, until it was split up after the Dutch revolt. After the War of Independence , Catholics in the Southern Netherlands were systematically and officially discriminated against by

8190-559: Was conquered by French Revolutionary forces in 1794. Until the 17th century, the area that now makes up the province of North Brabant was mostly part of the Duchy of Brabant, of which the southern part is now in Belgium . During the 14th and 15th centuries, the area experienced a golden age—especially the now-Belgian cities of Brussels , Mechelen , Leuven and Antwerp , and the Dutch cities of Breda , Bergen op Zoom and 's-Hertogenbosch . After

8281-619: Was expanded with a part of the province of Holland and the former territory of Ravenstein , which had previously belonged to the Duchy of Cleves , as well as several small, formerly autonomous entities. In World War II the area was liberated by the allies during Operation Pheasant between October 20 to November 4, 1944. The period from 1900 until the late 1960s is called Het Rijke Roomse Leven (translated as 'the rich Roman life', with 'Roman' meaning 'Roman Catholic'), an era of strong religious belief. Het Rijke Roomse Leven came about as result of

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