Geography of the Netherlands

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Map of the Netherlands
Map of the Netherlands
The Netherlands without dikes, or: above sea level
The Netherlands without dikes, or: above sea level

The geography of the Netherlands is unusual in that much of its land has been reclaimed from the sea and is below sea level, protected by dikes. Another factor that has influenced its physical appearance [1] is that the country is among the most densely populated on earth. It is ranked 15th overall on that scale, but is behind only three countries having a population over 10 million. Unsurprisingly, the Netherlands is highly urbanised.

Contents

[edit] Landscape

The country can be divided into 2 areas [2]:

  • the low and flat lands in the west and north. These lands, including the reclaimed polders and river deltas, make up about half of its surface area and are less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) above sea level, much of it actually below sea level. An extensive range of seawalls and coastal dunes protect the Netherlands from the sea, and levees and dikes along the rivers protect against river flooding.
  • the higher lands with minor hills in the east and south. Even this portion is mostly flat; only in the extreme south of the country does the land rise to any significant extent, in the foothills of the Ardennes mountains. This is where Vaalserberg is located, the country's highest point at 322.7 metres (1,053 ft) above sea level.

[edit] Statistics

Geographic coordinates: ca. 51° - 53° N, 4° - 7° E

  • 1 degree = 111 km NS, 68 km EW (the ratio is 0.61, the cosine of the latitude)
  • 1 minute = 1,850 m NS (ca. 1 nautical mile), 1,140 m EW
  • 1 second = 31 m NS, 19 m EW

The Dutch RD coordinate system (Rijksdriehoeksmeting) is also in common use; see [1] (pdf, in Dutch; see little map on p.1) and converter. There is a west-east coordinate between 0 and 280 km, and a south-north coordinate between 300 and 620 km.

The reference point is the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwentoren (Our Lady's Tower) in Amersfoort, with RD coordinates (155.000, 463.000) and geographic coordinates approximately 52°9′N, 5°23′E.

Rate of change of solar time: 1 minute per 17 km EW.

Highest altitude of the Sun varies at the center from 38.5 - 23.5 = 15 degrees in December to 38.5 + 23.5 = 62 degrees in June. This occurs, depending on east-west location, at ca. 11:40 UTC, i.e. local time 12:40 in winter and 13:40 in summer.

The coastal dunes are vital to the existence of the Netherlands.
The coastal dunes are vital to the existence of the Netherlands.
Satellite overview of the Netherlands.
Satellite overview of the Netherlands.

Map references: Europe

Area:
total: 41,526 km² (16,033 mile²)
land: 33,883 km² (13,082 mile²)
water: 7,643 km² (2951 mile²)

Land boundaries:
total: 1,027 km (638 miles)
border countries:

Coastline: 451 km (280 miles)

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km / 230 miles)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km / 14 miles)

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Zuidplaspolder (Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel) 7 m (23 ft) below sea level.
highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m (1053 ft) above sea level.

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, arable land

Land use: (1996 est.)
arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 39%

Irrigated land (1996 est.): 6,000 km² (2300 miles²)

Natural hazards: flooding by sea and rivers is a constant danger. The extensive system of dikes, dams, and sand dunes protect nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded during the heavy autumn storms from the north-west.

Environment - current issues: water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and fetilisers such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Scheldt)

[edit] Urbanisation

[edit] Largest cities

Sources are CBS based

see [2]; and [3]

with their provinces in 2006:

1 Amsterdam (North Holland) 744,740 inhabitants
2 Rotterdam (South Holland) 581,615 inh.
3 The Hague ('s-Gravenhage) (South Holland) 474,245 inh.
4 Utrecht (Utrecht) 290,529 inh.
5 Eindhoven (North Brabant) 209,601 inh.
6 Tilburg (North Brabant) 200,975 inh.
7 Almere (Flevoland) 181,990 inh.
8 Groningen (Groningen) 180,824 inh.
9 Breda (North Brabant) 170,451 inh.
10 Nijmegen (Gelderland) 160,732 inh.
11 Apeldoorn (Gelderland) 155,328 inh.
12 Enschede (Overijssel) 154,311 inh.
13 Haarlem (North Holland) 147,179 inh.
14 Arnhem (Gelderland) 142,638 inh.
15 Zaanstad (North Holland) 141,829 inh.
16 Amersfoort (Utrecht) 139,914 inh.
17 Haarlemmermeer (capital city: Hoofddorp) (North Holland) 139,396 inh.
18 's-Hertogenbosch (North Brabant) 135,787 inh.
19 Zoetermeer (South Holland) 118,534 inh.
20 Dordrecht (South Holland) 118,443 inh.
21 Maastricht (Limburg) 118,378 inh.
22 Leiden (South Holland) 117,363 inh.
23 Zwolle (Overijssel) 115,144 inh.
24 Emmen (Drenthe) 108,929 inh.
25 Ede (Gelderland) 107,528 inh.
26 Westland (capital city: Naaldwijk) (South Holland) 99,067 inh.
27 Deventer (Overijssel) 96,958 inh.
28 Sittard-Geleen (capital city: Sittard) (Limburg) 96,024 inh.
29 Delft (South Holland) 95,237 inh.
30 Alkmaar (North Holland) 93,986 inh.

[edit] Largest agglomerations

Sources are CBS based

see [3] and [4]

- Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Diemen, Landsmeer, Oostzaan, Wormerland, Zaanstad)
- Rotterdam (Rotterdam, Barendrecht, Capelle aan den IJssel, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Spijkenisse, Schiedam, Vlaardingen, Maasland, Maassluis, Rozenburg)
- The Hague ('s-Gravenhage, Rijswijk, Wateringen, Voorburg, Leidschendam, Wassenaar)
- Utrecht (Utrecht, Nieuwegein, IJsselstein, Maarssen)
- Eindhoven (Eindhoven, Veldhoven, Geldrop, Son en Breugel, Waalre)
- Tilburg (Tilburg, Goirle)
- Haarlem (Haarlem, Heemstede, Bloemendaal)
- Groningen (Groningen, Haren)
- Arnhem (Arnhem, Rozendaal)
- Leiden (Leiden, Katwijk, Voorschoten, Leiderdorp, Oegstgeest, Rijnsburg, Valkenburg, Warmond)
- Dordrecht (Dordrecht, 's-Gravendeel, Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Papendrecht, Sliedrecht, Zwijndrecht)
- Heerlen (Heerlen, Kerkrade, Landgraaf, Brunssum)
- 's-Hertogenbosch ('s-Hertogenbosch, Vught)
- Sittard-Geleen (Sittard-Geleen, Beek, Stein)
- Amersfoort (Amersfoort, Leusden)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Welschen, Ad: Course Dutch Society and Culture, International School for Humanities and Social Studies ISHSS, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2000-2005.
  2. ^ Welschen, Ad: Course Dutch Society and Culture, International School for Humanities and Social Studies ISHSS, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2000-2005.
  3. ^ {{2006bevolkingskerneninnederlandart.pdf
    2005grootstedelijkeagglomeratiesstadsgewestenafgebakendart.pdf
    2004k4v4p037art.pdf}}
  4. ^ {{2006bevolkingskerneninnederlandart.pdf
    - 2005grootstedelijkeagglomeratiesstadsgewestenafgebakendart.pdf
    - 2004k4v4p037art.pdf}}

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] Maps

For public transport maps see Transportation in the Netherlands#External links.

Beach locations are defined by km-pole numbers, indicated on wooden poles every 250 m. See map (zip-file) with beach from Den Helder to Hoek van Holland, showing these numbers and also public transport info.

[edit] Satellite images and aerial photograps

Google Maps [6] has aerial photographs of the entire country, combined with a full map with town and street names. This is also available through Google Earth.

[edit] Miscellaneous

[edit] Footnotes and References

↑ [1][2]: Welschen, Ad: Course Dutch Society and Culture, International School for Humanities and Social Studies ISHSS, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2000-2005.

↑ [3][4]:

  • 2006bevolkingskerneninnederlandart.pdf (pdf, in Dutch) on: [7], look for stedelijke agglomeraties
  • 2005grootstedelijkeagglomeratiesstadsgewestenafgebakendart.pdf (pdf, in Dutch)
    from: [cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/dossiers/nederland-regionaal/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2005/2005-grootstedelijke-agglomeraties-en-stadsgewesten-afgebakend-art.htm] on: [8]
  • 2004k4v4p037art.pdf (pdf, in Dutch) on: [9]; look for stedelijke agglomeraties
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