The Netherlands is located on the North
Sea at 52º21' north latitude and 4º54' east. It is often
called Holland after the old traders region. Germany lies to the
east and Belgium to the south. The West Frisian Islands lie offshore
in the north. The Netherlands is Europe's most densely populated
country. Mainly trade and distribution, but also industry and agriculture
provide for a high standard of living. The country's name is derived from the Dutch word 'neder' meaning
'low'. The term Low Countries is used collectively for Belgium, Luxembourg,
and the Netherlands, a reference to their low-lying lands. Amsterdam
is the nation's capital, but the seat of government is Den Haag (The
Hague), officially 's-Gravenhage. The Netherlands Antilles in the
Caribbean is an integral part of the Kingdom. LandSmall differences in elevation distinguish the "Low Netherland"
in the north and west at less than one meter above sea level, from
the more elevated "High Netherlands" in the south and east,
which reaches an altitude of 321 m in the southeast. Approximately
a third of the entire country lies below sea level at high tide. Another
25 percent is so low-lying that it would be subject to inundation
if it were not for the surrounding dunes and dikes and the regular
pumping of excess water. An area surrounded by dikes where the water
table can be controlled is called a polder. The lowest point is 6.7
m below mean sea level, immediately to the northeast of Rotterdam.
The Wadden Sea is a world-renowned bird sanctuary.
ClimateThe Netherlands shares with the rest of northwestern Europe a northern
maritime climate. Prevailing southerly and westerly winds exercise
a moderating marine influence. Because of its small size and low elevations,
the country's regional climatic differences are negligible. Temperatures
average 17 degrees Celsius (63F) in July and 2 degrees (35F) in January.
Precipitation averages 762 mm a year, is evenly distributed, and
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year to year. Frontal storms can bring rapid weather
changes at any time, but occur most frequently in the fall. DrainageThree of Europe's most important waterways – the Maas (Meuse),
Rijn (Rhine) and Schelde (Scheldt) – enter the sea through a
common delta in the southwest. Here, the Rhine divides into three
major distributaries: the Waal, Lek, and IJssel. A number of small
lakes dot the polder lands, filling hollows from which peat was once
removed for fuel. A network of canals and dikes crisscrosses the flat
polder lands to provide an artificial drainage system that keeps the
land dry.
In ancient times floodwaters regularly invaded the lowlands, forcing
people to build their homes on artificial mounds called terpen. During
the Middle Ages, dikes were built, enclosing lower-lying polders
in which groundwater levels could be controlled. In the 16th and
17th centuries windmills were used to pump excess water from the
polders, and many small western lakes were transformed into dry land.
Steam, and later diesel and electric, pumps made possible the reclamation
of larger areas. In 1853 the Haarlemmermeer polder was drained to create 162 square
kilometers of new land. The Zuiderzee Plan, begun in 1920 with a
dike that closed off the former Zuiderzee, provides 2,050 square
km of new land in five polders – Wieringermeer (completed in
1930), the Northeast (1945), East Flevoland (1957), | | South Flevoland (1968), and Markerwaard
(begun 1978). The freshwater IJsselmeer was
meanwhile also formed and a new province, Flevoland (consisting of
east and south Flevoland together with the northeastern polder),
was created in 1986. The same year marked the completion of
the Delta Plan, a massive flood-control project begun in 1958 to
protect the province of Zeeland from the tidal waves, which has frequently
inundated it. To achieve this, a series of dams and barriers were
built, closing off from the sea the estuaries of the Rhine, Meuse,
and Eastern Scheldt rivers, and creating the freshwater lakes Haringvliet
and Grevelingen. Surplus water from the rivers exits via the Nieuwe
Waterweg (New Waterway) and through sluices in the Haringvliet dam.
Only the Western Scheldt and the New Waterway remain open for access
to Rotterdam and Antwerp in Belgium. ResourcesNatural gas,
discovered at Slochteren in the north in 1959, is the
leading natural resource. Some petroleum also occurs in the north
and west, but production satisfies less than 5 percent of the nation's
petroleum needs. Coal underlies Limburg province, but production is
unprofitable. Other mineral resources are salt, marl, peat, gravel,
sand, and clay. To satisfy the needs of cities and industries, surface
water must now be purified and mixed with groundwater. The newly created
freshwater IJsselmeer, Haringvliet, and Grevelingen lakes add significantly
to the supply.
PeopleThe Dutch are a homogeneous people
of ancient Germanic origin, with
some Celtic admixture. The most distinctive indigenous subgroup are
the Frisians in the north. Principal immigrant subgroups include South
Moluccans, Surinamese, Turks and Moroccans. Since the 1980s the number
of asylum seekers has increased dramatically. In some parts of the
cities, the majority is now of foreign descent. The official language
is Dutch, a Germanic tongue. Frisian, a separate Germanic language,
is taught along with Dutch in all schools of Friesland province.
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