Rijswijk [ˈrɛisʋɛik] (formerly known as Ryswick in English) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. (population: 47,674 in 2014) and covers an area of 14.49 km² (5.59 sq mi) of which 0.44 km² (0.17 sq mi) is covered by water. The municipality of Rijswijk also includes the villages 't Haantje and Sion. Archeological excavations indicate that this area of the coastal dunes was already inhabited some 5500 years ago. The formation of the village Rijswijk took place in the 13th century, and its history was dominated by presence of mansions and estates of the nobility and affluent.