East Flevoland, Artificial polder in central Netherlands.
East Flevoland is a polder covering roughly 540 square kilometers of land reclaimed from the former Zuiderzee in central Netherlands. The area is surrounded by lakes and contains the cities of Lelystad, Dronten, and Biddinghuizen.
The land reclamation took place between 1950 and 1957 as the third major project of the Zuiderzee Works program. This effort followed earlier successful land reclamations in the region.
East Flevoland represents a planned landscape where new communities grew intentionally from reclaimed soil. Residents shaped this young region through their work in farming and emerging industries over generations.
The polder is easily reached by the A6 highway connecting Amsterdam to Emmeloord. Additionally, the Flevolijn and Hanzelijn railway lines offer connections to larger cities in the surrounding region.
During the drainage phase in the 1950s, photographs captured people walking on specialized shoes across the newly exposed land. These images document a fascinating moment in the history of land reclamation.
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