Gelderland Facts For Kids

GDP is a way to measure how much money a place makes in a year. In 2018 Gelderland's GDP was about €78.3 billion, which means the province made around 10.1% of all the money earned in the whole Netherlands that year. When you divide the total by the number of people and adjust for what money can buy, Gelderland had about €33,000 per person in 2018, or about 110% of the average for European countries.

People in Gelderland work in lots of different kinds of jobs — on farms, in factories, in shops, museums and offices. Cities like Arnhem, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have many offices and services, while the countryside has farms and smaller businesses. How do you think people’s jobs change when a town grows?

Long ago, the area took its name from a place called Geldern and was part of the medieval world called the Holy Roman Empire. A local story tells of a brave deed long ago that gave the region a name, but that part is a legend. The region grew into the County of Guelders in the Middle Ages and became richer by controlling important rivers used for trade.

In 1339 the county became a duchy, which meant its rulers had more power. Over the centuries it was ruled by different families and joined larger kingdoms. In the 1500s it became part of Habsburg lands, then in 1579 it joined other Dutch provinces to form the Dutch Republic. It later changed hands a few more times before becoming a province of the Netherlands in 1815. In the 1900s there was fighting here during World War II, including the Battle of Arnhem, which people still remember today.

Many people in Gelderland follow different beliefs, and many do not follow any religion. In 2015 about 23.2% of people belonged to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, and about 21.6% were Roman Catholic. Around 3.6% were Muslim, and 5.3% belonged to other churches or faiths. The largest group, about 46.3%, said they were non-religious, which means they do not follow a religious group.

Even when people are not religious, places of worship like churches and mosques are still important for history and festivals. You might see old churches in town centres and notice holiday traditions that come from different beliefs. What traditions do you see in your town?

Gelderland lies in the middle‑east of the country and covers land and water that make it the largest province by land area. It borders six Dutch provinces and also Germany to the east. The land changes a lot: you can find rivers, woodland, fields, and towns within a short drive of one another.

One special area is the Veluwe, the Netherlands’ largest forest region. The Veluwe has woods, sandy heaths, and rolling hills where deer and other animals live. In the south is the Betuwe, a low, fertile region known for many fruit orchards. Big rivers such as the Rhine flow through Gelderland, helping farms and towns grow and connect to other places.

Gelderland is a province in the centre‑east of the Netherlands. It is the largest province by land area, covering about 5,136 square kilometres. Gelderland touches six other Dutch provinces and the German state of North Rhine‑Westphalia, so it sits where many roads and rivers meet.

The capital city is Arnhem, but some cities like Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more people. Other towns you may hear about are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Harderwijk, Tiel, Wageningen, Zevenaar, and Winterswijk. Gelderland has the big forest area called the Veluwe, fruit orchards in the Betuwe, and main rivers such as the Rhine. About 2.1 million people live there.

The 2001 movie A Knight's Tale makes a fun, made-up story that mentions Gelderland. In the film the main character pretends to be called Ulrich von Lichtenstein from Gelderland so he can enter tournaments and have adventures. The movie mixes real-sounding names and places with things that are not true history, so it is best seen as entertainment that borrows old-time ideas rather than as a fact book.

Can you think of a book or film that uses a real place but tells a pretend story about it?

Many visitors come to Gelderland to see its museums and special places. In Arnhem you can visit the Netherlands Open Air Museum and Museum Arnhem. Nijmegen has the Valkhof Museum. Apeldoorn is home to Het Loo Palace, and Otterlo has the Kröller-Müller Museum with lots of art. There are also big theatres and concert halls—Stadsschouwburg in Nijmegen, Stadstheater in Arnhem, Orpheus in Apeldoorn, MUSIS and Concertgebouw de Vereeniging—and music venues like Luxor Live, Doornroosje and Gigant.

Gelderland also attracts people who want to learn about history. The GelreDome hosts big sports and music events. Places linked to the World War II fighting, such as the John Frost Bridge and the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery, plus towns like Renkum and Overbetuwe, bring many visitors who come to remember and learn. Which museum would you like to visit first?

Gelderland is divided into smaller areas called municipalities. In 2020 the province’s 51 municipalities were grouped into four planning regions called COROP regions: Veluwe, South West Gelderland, Achterhoek, and Arnhem & Nijmegen. These groups help with planning for roads, nature, and services.

Each COROP region contains many towns. For example, Veluwe includes Apeldoorn, Barneveld, Ede, and Harderwijk. South West Gelderland has Buren, Culemborg, Tiel, and Zaltbommel. Achterhoek covers places like Aalten, Berkelland, Doetinchem, and Zutphen, while Arnhem & Nijmegen includes Arnhem, Nijmegen, and Zevenaar. Over the years some municipalities merged to make new ones or joined neighbours—Angerlo merged into Zevenaar, Dinxperlo into Aalten, and Bergh and Didam combined to become Montferland, among others.