VELSEN

gemeente (commune), Noord-Holland provincie, western Netherlands. Velsen lies along the North Sea Canal, which connects Amsterdam with the North Sea. The commune embraces IJmuiden (the foreport of Amsterdam), Santpoort, Driehuis, and Velsen-Noord. A major centre of the Dutch steel industry, using raw materials imported by ship, it has blast furnaces and coke ovens, as well as metallurgical, chemical, and paper industries. It was considerably damaged in World War II, and reconstruction included a new town hall (1965). Pop. (1992 est.) 61,506; Velsen-Beverwijk metropolitan area, 130,628.