Erica, Emmen
Erica is a village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located in Emmen, Drenthe. It has ca. 4800 inhabitants.
Erica began to form in 1863. A fuel shortage prompted large-scale efforts to drain the peats in the area and cut them for fuel. People were drawn to the area and canals were dug, both to drain the peat and to transport the cuts. Buckwheat was farmed on the drained peats. Now, the area's primary industry consists of greenhouse cultivation.
Many of the early inhabitants of Erica were Roman Catholic, and the area is still a Roman Catholic "stronghold".
