Batavia (region)

Batavia

*Batawjō (reconstructed)
The Netherlands c. 50 CE. The river islands, one of which was Batavia, can be seen slightly below the center. The modern Betuwe region corresponds greatly with the thin island that stretches from the country's centre to the German border, and has roughly a third of its western side brown (meaning fens) and two thirds of its eastern side green (meaning river valleys).
Alternative name	Betuwe (modern region)
Location	Netherlands
Region	Gelderland
Type	Historical tribal land
Part of	Germania
History
Cultures	Batavi
Satellite of	Roman Empire (after 80 CE)
Events	Batavian Revolt

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Batavia (/bəˈteɪviə/; Dutch: Betuwe, Dutch: [ˈbeːty.və] ^ⓘ) is a historical and geographical region in the Netherlands, forming large fertile islands in the river delta formed by the waters of the Rhine (Dutch: Rijn) and Meuse (Dutch: Maas) rivers. During the Roman Empire, it was an important frontier region and source of imperial soldiers. Its name is possibly pre-Roman.

Administratively, the modern version, Betuwe, is a part of the modern province of Gelderland and although the rivers and provinces have changed over history it is roughly the same. Today it has the Waal river on the south and the Lek and Nederrijn in the north (all rivers which start in the delta itself and are branches of the Rhine or Maas). Historically, the former municipality of Rijnwaarden belonged to Betuwe, now in Zevenaar, which was cut off by the building of the Pannerdens Kanaal.

A major freight railroad, the Betuweroute, passes through the Betuwe. It was opened in 2007 after many years of controversy.

The Betuwe region is divided into nine municipalities: Lingewaard, Arnhem (southern part), Nijmegen (northern part), Overbetuwe, Neder-Betuwe, Buren, Tiel, Culemborg and West Betuwe.