Donge
Encyclopedia
The Donge is a river in the Dutch
province
of Noord-Brabant. It rises near the village Dongen
and flows north to the city of Geertruidenberg
where it's continued by the Amer
together with the Bergse Maas
.
, it was mainly used for industrial purposes in that area. Until 1952 the powerplant Dongecentrale, which provided all of Noord-Brabant with electricity was located at the river. When it was discontinued, the Amercentrale
(located at the river Amer
) took over its tasks, some of the ships with coals still use the Donge. Until 2005, 4 ship manufacturers were also located at the river.
The only big industry left at the banks of the river are in the north-east side, around Geertruidenberg.
In previous centuries, more upstream, the Donge was heavily used in the leather industry. Because of its relatively fast current, it was used to clean skins, and rinse chemicals from the processed product. Therefore, during the 20th century the Donge was one of the most polluted rivers in the Netherlands.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Noord-Brabant. It rises near the village Dongen
Dongen
Dongen is a municipality and a village in the southern Netherlands. In the past it was home to a profitable Leather industry, to which a few old shoe factories in the town's older sections still testify. The town is formed near a small river called "Donge" , the water of which was used extensively...
and flows north to the city of Geertruidenberg
Geertruidenberg
Geertruidenberg is a city and municipality in the province North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city, named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of Holland. The fortified city prospered until the 15th century.Today, the municipality of...
where it's continued by the Amer
Amer
thumb|right|[[Satellite]] [[image]] of the [[Rhine]]-[[Meuse river|Meuse]] [[river delta|delta]], showing the Amer The Amer is a river in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant...
together with the Bergse Maas
Bergse Maas
The Bergse Maas is a canal that was constructed in 1904 to be a branch of the Maas River in the Dutch province of North Brabant. The Maas splits near Heusden into the Afgedamde Maas and the Bergse Maas...
.
Use of the river
Because the Donge gets wider around the city of GeertruidenbergGeertruidenberg
Geertruidenberg is a city and municipality in the province North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city, named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of Holland. The fortified city prospered until the 15th century.Today, the municipality of...
, it was mainly used for industrial purposes in that area. Until 1952 the powerplant Dongecentrale, which provided all of Noord-Brabant with electricity was located at the river. When it was discontinued, the Amercentrale
Amercentrale
The Amercentrale is a coal-fired power plant of Essent in the municipality Geertruidenberg. The plant is named after the Amer River and is located on the left bank of this river. In 1952 Unit 1 of the first Amercentrale began generating electricity...
(located at the river Amer
Amer
thumb|right|[[Satellite]] [[image]] of the [[Rhine]]-[[Meuse river|Meuse]] [[river delta|delta]], showing the Amer The Amer is a river in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant...
) took over its tasks, some of the ships with coals still use the Donge. Until 2005, 4 ship manufacturers were also located at the river.
The only big industry left at the banks of the river are in the north-east side, around Geertruidenberg.
In previous centuries, more upstream, the Donge was heavily used in the leather industry. Because of its relatively fast current, it was used to clean skins, and rinse chemicals from the processed product. Therefore, during the 20th century the Donge was one of the most polluted rivers in the Netherlands.
Miscellanea
- Two sub-dialects of the BrabantianBrabantianBrabantian or Brabantish, also Brabantic , is a dialect group of the Dutch language. It is named after the historical Duchy of Brabant which corresponded mainly to the Dutch province of North Brabant, the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Flemish Brabant, as well as the institutional Region of...
dialect arose due to the existence of the river. Because the people on either side of the river didn't have much contact in earlier days, West-Brabantian is mainly spoken on the west side of the river, as East-Brabantian is spoken, naturally, on the east side of the river.