The province of Gelderland lies in the east of the centre of the Netherlands.

In terms of area (5,137 km2) it is the largest of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands.

Gelderland’s 51 municipalities are home to 2 million inhabitants.

The region has a varied landscape with forests, large rivers and rural areas.

You will also find modern urban hubs such as Arnhem, Nijmegen and Wageningen with international secondary schools and universities supporting the knowledge-based economy.

The province of Gelderland occupies a strategic location.

Bordering Germany and the European hinterland, the province acts as an important portal for the Randstad (the conurbation encompassing the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht), Schiphol Airport and the Port of Rotterdam.

Just like the other Dutch provinces, the province of Gelderland has its own administration.

The provincial government has its seat at Arnhem, which is also the capital of the province.

From there the province carries out its core duties and in doing so occupies an intermediate position between national government and local municipalities.

The province coordinates, monitors and makes decisions on matters such as traffic and transport, urban and country planning and the environment.

This mid-level position makes the province especially suited to making assessments from a broader perspective, which are nonetheless geared towards its own municipalities and region.

Due to the fact that as a relatively small region Gelderland itself does not have much clout within Europe, it seeks partnerships with other regions through membership of European networks like the Association of European Regions, the Association of European Border Regions and Partenalia.

Through the GO programme in conjunction with the province of Overijssel, Gelderland is investing 164 million euros of European money in the regional economy between 2007 and 2013.

Gelderland is active in Europe and Europe is active in Gelderland.