Ruigoord | |
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Coordinates: 52°24′34″N 4°44′56″E / 52.4095°N 4.7490°E | |
Country | Netherlands |
Province | North Holland |
Municipality | Amsterdam |
Ruigoord (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrœyx.oːrt]) is a village in the Houtrak polder in North Holland, Netherlands, situated within the municipality of Amsterdam. Until the 1880s, it was an island in the IJ bay, which was turned into a polder. In the 1960s, the municipality planned to extend the Port of Amsterdam. From 1972 onwards squatters occupied buildings and started a free zone. After resisting eviction in 1997, the area was legalized in 2000. The village is nowadays partially closed in by the port, and lies about 8 km (5 miles) east of Haarlem.[1]