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.
