Strijen (Netherlands)

Strijen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈstrɛiə(n)] ) is a town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality, covering an area of 57.70 km2 (22.28 sq mi) of which 6.85 km2 (2.64 sq mi) is water, is located on the Hoeksche Waard island along the Hollands Diep estuary. On 1 January 2019 it was merged with the municipalities of Binnenmaas, Cromstrijen, Korendijk, and Oud-Beijerland to form the municipality of Hoeksche Waard. Strijen hosts a public library, swimming pool, a small shopping centre and a local museum. Furthermore, Strijen is home to an important and welcome resting stop for migrating birds, especially geese. During winter, the endangered Eurasian spoonbill uses this area as a foraging ground. The municipality of Strijen also includes the population centres of Cillaarshoek, De Klem, Mookhoek, Oudendijk, and Strijensas.