among others: Horticulture is an important sector in South Holland. The province is home to around 2550 glasshouse companies, approximately half of the Netherlands' total. Specifically the Westland is well known for its intensive horticulture. The glasshouses in this region cover an area of , making it the world's largest contiguous greenhouse area. Flower bulb cultivation; Port of Rotterdam; Petrochemical industry, particularly near Rotterdam neighbourhood Pernis; (Shell's refinery there is the largest oil refinery in Europe, and one of the largest in the world); The service-oriented economy of The Hague, where many jobs are offered by the national government (of which the main administrative parts are settled in this town), international institutions and headquarters of several large international businesses; Tourism-related activities (among others in historic places like Delft, and several seaside resorts); Commercial fishing; main South Holland fishing places are Katwijk and Scheveningen; Stockbreeding, of which in this province dairy industry is the main sector. Religion In 2015, 18.2% of the population belonged to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands while 14.5% were Roman Catholic, 7.5% Muslim and 7.5% belonged to other churches or faiths. Over half (52.2%) of the population identified as non-religious. Notable residents Among the well-known scientists originating from South Holland are: Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695), mathematician, physicist, astronomer and inventor Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723), father of microbiology and developer of the microscope Desiderius Erasmus, philosopher and humanist. As far as art examined, several famous painters originate from this province; such as: Rembrandt, (Leiden) Jan Steen, (Leiden) Johannes Vermeer, (Delft) See also List of cities, towns and villages in South Holland Politics of South Holland References External links Province of South Holland website (in Dutch) English home page on Province of South Holland website (limited info in English) Deltaworks Online Website on flood protection in South Holland river delta Provinces of the Netherlands NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union 1840 establishments in the Netherlands States and territories established in 1840