County of Zeeland

The County of Zeeland (Dutch: Graafschap Zeeland) was a county of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries and it later became one of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic. It covered an area in the Scheldt and Meuse delta roughly corresponding to the modern Dutch province of Zeeland. The County of Zeeland did not include the region of Zeelandic Flanders which was part of Flanders; conversely, the modern Province of Zeeland does not include Sommelsdijk, historically part of the County of Zeeland.

Historically the area was often under the influence of its stronger neighbors, the County of Holland, the County of Hainaut and the County of Flanders. In 1012 Emperor Henry II the Saint enfeoffed the French count Baldwin IV of Flanders with Zeeland after which both counties were ruled in personal union, contested by northern Holland from the beginning. In 1167 a war broke out between the counties, after which Count Floris III of Holland had to acknowledge the overlordship of Count Philip of Flanders in Zeeland. Count Floris IV of Holland (1222-1234) reconquered Zeeland, which from the accession of Count Floris V, the son of William II of Holland, in 1256 was ruled in personal union by Holland.

As of 1250, there was no generally recognized Zeeland county title. By the 1323 Treaty of Paris between Flanders and Hainaut-Holland, the Count of Flanders reneged from claims on Zeeland and recognized the count of Holland as Count of Zeeland. With this treaty, the County of Zeeland was now recognized as a clearly demarcated political-administrative entity.^[1] Zeeland remained a separate administrative unit, which in turn was under the administration of the counts of Holland. In 1432 it was annexed by the Burgundian duke Philip the Good and became part of the Burgundian Netherlands. After the death of Mary of Burgundy in 1482, Zeeland according to the Treaty of Senlis was one of the Seventeen Provinces held by the House of Habsburg, which in 1512 joined the Burgundian Circle.

Tras la Guerra de los Ochenta Años , Zelanda fue una de las Provincias Unidas de la República Holandesa, establecida en 1581. Tanto antes como después de la independencia holandesa, Zelanda compartió algunas instituciones con los Estados de Holanda y Frisia Occidental , como el tribunal supremo, el Consejo Supremo de Holanda, Zelanda y Frisia Occidental, después de que las provincias del norte se hubieran separado de la autoridad imperial y de la jurisdicción del Gran Consejo de Malinas.

Tras la creación de los Estados Generales de los Países Bajos en 1583, Middelburg se convirtió inicialmente en la sede de la asamblea. A partir de 1585, las asambleas se celebraron en La Haya . Como estado (teóricamente) independiente, el condado de Zelanda dejó de existir bajo la República Batava en 1795, cuando se convirtió en departamento. Junto con Flandes de Zelanda , hoy forma la provincia de Zelanda.

Ciudades con derecho a voto, en orden de importancia:

• Middelburgo (1217)
• Zierikzee (1248)
• Reimerswaal (1374) hasta 1574 votando en los estados de Zelanda,
• Va (1405)
• Tholen (1366)
• Vlissingen (1315) votando en los Estados de Zelanda desde 1574 en adelante.
• Veere (1355) votando en los Estados de Zelanda desde 1574 en adelante

Pueblos pequeños (sin sede en los Estados de Zelanda):

• Arnemuiden (1574)
• Brouwershaven (1477)
• Domburg (1223)
• Kortgene (1431)
• Sint Maartensdijk (1491)
• Capilla Oeste (1223)

• Conde de Holanda

51°40′00″N 3°50′00″E / 51.6667°N 3.8333°E / 51.6667; 3.8333