ZEELAND (or

See also:

• ZEALAND (also SEALAND Or SEELAND; Danish Sjaelland)

ZEALAND)  , a province of Holland, bounded S.E. and S. by Belgium, W. by the North Sea, N. by South Holland, and E. by North Brabant . It has an area of 690 sq. m. and a population (1905) of 227,292 . Zeeland consists of the delta islands formed about the estuaries of the Maas and Scheldt with its two arms, the Honte or Western Scheldt, and the Ooster Scheldt, together with a strip of mainland called Zeeland—Flanders . The names of the islands are Schouwen and Duiveland, St Filipsland, Tolen, North Beveland, South Beveland and Walcheren . The history of these islands is in every case one of varying loss and gain in the struggle with the sea . They were built up by the gradual accumulation of mud deposits in a shallow bay, separated by dunes from the North Sea . As late as the 12th and 13th centuries each of these islands consisted of several smaller islands, many of whose names are still preserved in the fertile polders which have taken their place . Lying for the most part below sea-level, the islands are protected by a continuous line of artificial dikes, which hide them from view on the seaward side, whence only an occasional church steeple is seen . The islands of Schouwen and Duiveland are united owing to the damming of the Dykwater; St Filipsland, or Philipsland, and South Beveland are connected with the mainland of North Brabant by naturally formed mud banks . The soil of Zeeland consists of a fertile sea clay which especially favours the production of wheat; rye, barley (for malting), beans and peas, and flax are also cultivated . Cattle and swine are reared, a.nd dairy produce is largely exported; but the sheep of the province are small and their wool indifferent . The industries (linen, yarn-spinning, distilling, brewing, salt-refining, shipbuilding) are comparatively unimportant .

The inhabitants, who retain many

quaint and archaic peculiarities of manner and dress, speak the variety of Dutch known as Low Frankish . The chief towns on the island of Schouwen are the ports of Zieriksee and Brouwershaven . On the well-wooded fringe of the dunes on the west side of the island are the two villages of Renesse and Haamstede, the seats in former days of the two powerful lordships of the same name . St Maartensdyk on the adjoining island of Tolen was formerly the seat of a lordship which belonged successively to the families of Van Borssele, Burren and Orange-Nassau . There is a monument of the Van Borsseles in the Reformed church . The castle built here in the first half of the 14th century was demolished in 1819 . The island of South Beveland frequently suffered from inundations and experienced a particularly disastrous one in 1530 . In the same century the flourishing walled town of Reimenswaal and the island of Borsele or Borssele disappeared beneath the waves; but the last-named was gradually recovered during the 17th century . This island gave its name to the powerful lord-ship of the same name . Goes is the chief town on South Beveland . Oyster-breeding is practised on the north coast of the island, especially at Wemeldinge and lerseke or Yerseke . Ierseke was once a town of importance and the seat of a lord-ship, while at Wemeldinge there was formerly an establishment of the Templars .

In 1866 South Beveland and Walcheren were joined by a heavy railway

dam, a canal being cut through the middle of the former island to restore the connexion between the East and West Scheldt . South Beveland is sometimes called the " granary " and Walcheren the " garden " of Zeeland . The principal towns in Walcheren are Middelburg, the chief town of the province, Flushing and Veere; all three connected by a canal (1867—72) which divides the island in two . The fishing village of Arnemuiden flourished as a harbour in the 16th century, but decayed owing to the silting up of the sand . Domburg is pleasantly situated at the foot of the dunes on the west side of the island, and in modern times has become a popular but primitive watering-place . It is a very old town, ZEI<TUN (=" olive "), the name of several places in Turkey and Egypt, but principally an Armenian town in the Aleppo vilayet, altitude about 4000 ft., situated in the heart of Mt . Taurus, about 20 M . N.N.W. of Marash . The inhabitants, about 1o,000, all Christians, are of a singularly fine physical type, though too much inbred, and are interesting from their character and historical position as a remnant of the kingdom of Lesser Armenia . The importance of Zeitun dates from the capture of Leo VI. by the Egyptians in 1375, and it probably became then a refuge for the more active and irreconcilable Armenians; but nothing certain is known of the place till, 300 years later . It long maintained practical independence as a nest of freebooters, and it was only in 1878 that the Turks, after a long conflict, were enabled to station troops in a fort above the town . In 1890 there was a serious revolt, from the worst consequences of which the town was saved by the inter-cession of the British consul at Aleppo warned in time by the devoted energy of T .

Christie, American missionary at Marash; and in 1895, after the Armenian massacres had commenced elsewhere, the people again rose, seized the fort, and, after holding out for more than three months against a large Turkish force, secured honourable terms of peace on the mediation of the consuls of the Powers at Aleppo . The inhabitants seem to be abandoning their robber customs and devoting themselves to oil and silk culture . In consequence transit trade through the passes of eastern Taurus (see MARASH), long almost annihilated by fear of the Zeitunli marauders, revived considerably . The governor must be a Christian, and certain other privileges are secured to the Zeitunlis during their good behaviour . (D .