Noord-Holland or North Holland, province of the central western Netherlands, bounded on the west by the North Sea, on the north by the Waddenzee Sea, on the east by the Ijsselmeer Sea, and on the south by the provinces of Utrecht and South Holland (Zuid-Holland). North Holland has an area of 2,660 sq km (1,027 sq mi), much of which is below sea level. The lowest point of North Holland, a reclaimed section of the Ijsselmeer Sea, is 7 m (23 ft) below sea level. In the south the land rises to 36 m (119 ft), and in the dune section on the North Sea near Overveen it rises to 60 m (198 ft). Near the city of IJmuiden these dunes are cut by the North Sea Canal from Amsterdam, and between Petten and Kemp, where the sea has destroyed the dunes, a dike has been built to protect the land.

Until 1940, North Holland province was a part of the old province of Holland, which included South Holland. During the Republic of the United Netherlands (1579-1795), this old province was the richest in the republic. It was a county in the Middle Ages and was one of the 17 provinces inherited by Philip II (of Spain). In the Eighty Years' War of Independence (1568-1648) it was the strongest and most influential region to revolt against Spain.

North Holland has an extensive transportation network, including the North Sea Canal, the North Holland Canal, the Merwede Canal, the Zaan, and waterways between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Amsterdam is the center of a rail system whose lines connect it with all the other important cities of the country. There is also an airport at the northeastern corner of Haarlemmermeer. The most important city in the province is Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands; the capital of the province is Haarlem. The soil of North Holland is clayey and, aside from horticulture, the chief rural activity is cattle raising. The province has about 150 dairies. There are many fisheries at IJmuiden and elsewhere along the coast. The province also has a great number of industrial activities, including sugar refining, shipbuilding, manufacturing of clothing, and automobiles. Population 2,573,120 (2003).