AREA AND POPULATION

1067

years directly, by the same voters as for the Provincial States, provided they inhabit the commune ; one-third of the Council retiring every two years. All the male Dutch inhabitants 23 years of age are eligible, the number of members varying from 7 to 45, according to the population. The Council has a right of making and enforcing by-laws concerning the communal welfare. The Council may raise taxes according to rules prescribed by common law ; besides, each commune receives from the State Treasury an allowance pro- portioned to the total number of its inhabitants and to the share which its non-contributing inhabitants have failed to pay towards local taxes. All by-laws may be vetoed by the Sovereign. The Municipal Budget and the resolutions to alienate municipal property require the approbation of the Deputed States of the province. The Council meets in public as often as may be necessary, and is presided over by a Mayor, appointed by the Sovereign for 6 years. The executive power is vested in a college formed by the Mayor and 2 — 6 Aldermen (wethouders), elected by and from the Council ; this college is also charged with the execution of the public law. The Municipal Police is under the authority of the Mayor ; as a State functionary the Mayor supervises the actions of the Council ; he may suspend their resolutions for 30 days, but is bound to inform the Deputed States of the province.

Area and Population.

I. Progress and Present Condition, Population at various census periods :

1829. . 2,013,487 j 1869 , 3,579,529 I 1909 . 5,P5S,175 1849. . 3,05(i,879 I 1SS9 . 4,511,415 |

Area and the population, according to the census of December 31 1909, and the communal population lists for December 31, 1911 : —

Area :

Population

Provinces

English square miles

Dec. 31, 1911

Dec. 31, 1910

Per sq. mile 1911

North Brabant

1,980

639,507

633,155

323

Guelders ....

1,905

654,319

647,567

333

South Holland

1,160

1,443,867

1,418,097

1,239

North Holland

1,070

1,138,421

1,122,996

1,064

Zealand ....

690

235,007

234,191

341

Utrecht ....

534

294,930

292.131

552

Friesland

1,282

364,415

362,293

2S4

Overvssel

1,291

391,741

387,381

303

Groningen

790

333,217

331,248

422

Drenthe ....

1,030

178,561

176,043

173

Liraburg , . . •

850 12,648

348,467

340,053 5,945,155

410

Total.

6,022,452

475

The rate of increase in each year has been

In 1880 . .0-6 1 In 1900 . . 1-47 I In 1908 . . 1-36

„ 1890 . . 1-18 I „ 1905 . . 1-49 | ,, 1911 . . l'^'^* ^ ^^^

Of the total population in 1911 there were 2,983,397 males and 3,039,055 females. _____

Year

Dec. 31, 1889 „ „ 1899 .. ,. 1911

Population of

the principal

Towns 1

1,411.584 2,002,083 2,446,270

Percentage of the whole Population

31-2

38-95

40-62

Rural Population

3,099,831 3,137,482 3,576,182

Percentage

of the whole

Population

68-7

61-05

59-38

The towns with a population of more than 20,000 inhabitants.