The brothers Willem and Lubèrt Niestadt were press photographers for the Schager Courant from 1940 until 1980. The circulation for this local newspaper includes:

• 'old' land in the western part of West-Friesland (municipalities of Schagen, Niedorp and Harenkarspel);
• the former island of Wieringen;
• the reclaimed land of De Zijpe (1597), Wieringerwaard (1611), the Anna Paulowna polder (1845) and Wieringermeer (1930);
• the coastal villages Petten, Callantsoog and Groote Keelen (municipality of Zijpe).

This area is mostly agrarian in nature, with traditionally a large number of milking cattle and sheep farmers on mostly mixed companies and horticulture. The Wieringermeer region is mostly agricultural. Bulb cultivation has been increasingly on the rise since 1960, as has tourism.

Schagen has always been this region's town centre. The city has had market rights for cattle and goods markets since 1463. Schagen had a population of approximately 4000 in 1940, but this number grew from around 5000 in 1970 to almost 18,000 in 2004.