Utrecht is a province of the Netherlands. It is located in the centre of the country, bordering the Eemmeer in the north, the province of Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, the province of South Holland in the west and the province of North Holland in the north-west. With an area of approximately , it is the smallest of the twelve provinces. Apart from its eponymous capital, major cities in the province are Amersfoort, Houten, Nieuwegein, Veenendaal and Zeist.