Get to know the 9 Thoolse residential cores

Unity through diversity

Island of Tholen and Sint Philipsland is the land of wind and water. Endless polder landscapes. Peace and space. That's Tholen! The municipality of Tholen, formed in 1971, and the municipality of Sint Philipsland were merged into one municipality in 1995. The nine residential centers are spread out in a vast agricultural area of ​​dyke polders. The cores each have their own character and their own historical past. Tholen is authentic, clear and hospitable. And offers something for everyone. There is plenty to do all year round. Tholen is a special experience for the holiday maker, the resident, as well as the employee and entrepreneur. We are happy to tell you more about our beautiful municipality.

Population numbers (as of January 1, 2024)

Tholen 8.421

St. Annaland 4.092

Sint-Maartensdijk 3.567

Oud-Vossemeer 2.742

Sint Philipsland and Anna Jacobapolder 2.702

Scherpenisse 1.853

Poortvliet 1.780

Stavenisse 1.697

A total of 26.854

Individuality

Residents of the island of Tholen feel connected to their own village or city. After that they are Tholenaar and then Zeeuw. You could assume that there is hardly any cohesion between all Tholenaren on Tholen. But the opposite is true. The small communities on Tholen need each other and know where to find each other. But of course nothing beats their own trusted core. The panoramic landscape of the island of Tholen feels all-encompassing. Croplands flow into nature reserves and almost everywhere you have the horizon as a view.

“The people here are friendly and still greet each other”

Elna Boon Sint Philipsland

In the past, the islands of Tholen and Sint Philipsland were only accessible via ferry services, later via bridges and nowadays also via dams. The Zeeland Delta Works in particular – as a response to the flood disaster of 1953 – have connected the two islands and save the traveler a lot of time. Since Tholen borders directly on the province of North Brabant, there has traditionally been a strong orientation towards the Brabant cities of Steenbergen and Bergen op Zoom. The Philipsdam makes Middelharnis a popular destination for shopping and secondary education. And thanks to the construction of the Oesterdam, Tholen is now connected to the rest of Zeeland and cities such as Goes, Middelburg and Vlissingen are easily accessible.

Associations and organizations that operate municipality-wide