▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁which ▁also ▁contained ▁( then ) ▁South ▁B rab ant , ▁a ▁province ▁now ▁in ▁Belg ium . ▁This ▁new ▁un ified ▁state ▁featured ▁the ▁provinces ▁in ▁their ▁modern ▁form , ▁as ▁non - aut onom ous ▁sub div isions ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁state , ▁and ▁again ▁number ing ▁ 1 7 , ▁though ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁all ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁ones . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 9 , ▁following ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁Belg ium , ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁Lim burg ▁was ▁divided ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁countries , ▁each ▁now ▁having ▁a ▁province ▁called ▁Lim burg . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁Holland , ▁the ▁largest ▁and ▁most ▁popul ous ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁provinces , ▁was ▁also ▁split ▁into ▁two ▁provinces , ▁for ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 1 . ▁The ▁ 1 2 th ▁province ▁to ▁be ▁created ▁was ▁Fle vol and , ▁consisting ▁almost ▁entirely ▁of ▁rec laimed ▁land , ▁established ▁on ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁ ▁French ▁period ▁During ▁the ▁Bat av ian ▁Republic , ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁was ▁from ▁ 1 7 9 8 ▁to ▁ 1 8 0 1 ▁completely ▁re organ ised ▁into ▁eight ▁new ▁depart ments , ▁most ▁named ▁after ▁rivers , ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁revolution ary ▁example , ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁do ▁away ▁with ▁the ▁old ▁semi - aut onom ous ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁provinces