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Introduction to Geography of the Netherlands

Netherlands, or Kingdom of the Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe. Frequently it is called Holland, a name that more properly applies to the two coastal provinces of Noord (North) and Zuid (South) Holland. The people are called the Dutch, from their language. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg together make up the Low Countries; they are also known as the Benelux nations.

The Netherlands is bounded on the east by Germany, on the south by Belgium, and on the west and north by the North Sea, an age-old enemy that constantly threatens the land with flooding. The area is 16,033 square miles (41, 526 km2). Unlike most nations, the Netherlands increases in area from time to time. This increase results mainly from submerged land being reclaimed by drainage and land-reclamation programs. Maximum dimensions are roughly 120 miles (190 km) east-west and 200 miles (320 km) north-south.

Netherlands in briefGeneral informationCapital: Amsterdam.Seat of government: The Hague.Official language: Dutch.Official name: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (Kingdom of the Netherlands).National anthem: "Wilhelmus can Nassouwe" ("William of Nassau").Largest cities: (2004 official estimates) Amsterdam (739,104); Rotterdam (598,923; The Hague (469,059); Utrecht (270,244).Largest metropolitan areas: (2004 official estimates) Amsterdam (1,017,049); Rotterdam (1,001,447); The Hague (616,090); Utrecht (405,467).Flag and coat of arms: The Dutch flag, adopted about 1630, has three horizontal stripes—red, white, and blue (top to bottom). Before 1630, an orange stripe was at the top instead of a red one. The coat of arms has old symbols of the Dutch royal family. The sword and arrows represent strength in unity.Land and climateLand: The Netherlands is on the North Sea in northwestern Europe. It is bordered by Belgium and Germany. Most of the Netherlands is flat, though it has some uplands. Part of the country is made up of polders, land below sea level that was once covered by water. The Dutch built dikes around these areas and drained the water.Area: 16,034 mi2 (41,528 km2), including 2,929 mi2 (7,587 km2) of inland water. Greatest distances--north-south, 196 mi (315 km); east-west, 167 mi (269 km). Coastline--228 mi (367 km).Elevation: Highest--Vaalserberg, 1,053 ft (321 m) above sea level. Lowest--Prins Alexander Polder, 22 ft (6.7 m) below sea level.Climate: The Netherlands has a mild, damp climate, with moderately warm summers and gentle winters. Temperatures average from 60 to 65 degrees F (16 to 18 degrees C) in summer, and a little above 30 degrees F (–1 degree C) in winter. Extremely hot or cold temperatures are rare. Summer is the wettest season, though precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Most regions of the country receive about 25 to 30 inches (63 to 76 centimeters) of precipitation a year.GovernmentForm of government: Constitutional monarchy.Ceremonial head of state: Monarch (king or queen).Head of government: Prime minister.Legislature: States-General of two houses: 75-member First Chamber and 150-member Second Chamber.Executive: Prime minister and Cabinet.Political subdivisions: 12 provinces.PeoplePopulation: Current estimate--16,513,000. 2006 official estimate--16,335,509.Population density: 1,030 per mi2 (398 per km2).Distribution: 67 percent urban, 33 percent rural.Major ethnic/national groups: Almost entirely Dutch. Largest non-Dutch groups include people from Indonesia, Morocco, Suriname, and Turkey.Major religions: About 30 percent Roman Catholic, about 30 percent Protestant (mostly Dutch Reformed Church), small percentage Muslim. Nearly half of the Dutch are not members of any church.EconomyChief products: Agriculture--barley, beef and dairy cattle, flowers and flower bulbs, hogs, milk, potatoes, poultry, sheep, sugar beets, vegetables, wheat. Fishing--eels, herring, mackerel, mussels, plaice, shrimp, sole. Manufacturing--chemicals, dairy products, electronic equipment, machinery, processed meats, transportation equipment. Mining--natural gas, petroleum, salt.Money: Basic unit--euro. One hundred cents equal one euro. The Dutch guilder was taken out of circulation in 2002.Foreign trade: Major exported goods--automobiles, chemicals, dairy products, electric machinery, flowers, meat, petroleum, plastics, precision instruments, vegetables. Major imported goods--automobiles, chemicals, clothing, electric machinery, iron and steel, paper and paper products, petroleum, plastics, and precision instruments. Main trading partners--Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, United States.

Physical Geography

The Netherlands is a country on the North Sea in northwestern Europe.

Land. The Netherlands occupies part of the Great European Plain and is predominantly flat. In most places, the surface consists either of glacier-deposited sand, gravel, and clay; or of silt laid down by rivers since the last Ice Age. Roughly half the land lies below sea level; the rest rises only slightly above the sea, rarely to more than 300 feet (90 m). Large parts of the country consists of land that has been reclaimed from the sea.

Sand dunes fringe the North Sea coast. In places, this sandy belt is breached and broken into islands—the West Frisians in the north and the delta islands of Zeeland in the southwest. Behind the dunes lie lowlands and polders (drained land lying below sea level). With its dikes, canals, and windmills, this is the area that many people picture when they think of the Netherlands.

Eastern Holland is a flat to gently rolling region. Most of the higher parts are morainic ridges and mounds left by glaciers. In the extreme south, in a tongue of land wedged between Germany and Belgium, is the plateau area of Limburg. Here Vaalserberg, the highest point in the Netherlands, rises to 1,056 feet (322 m).

Water

Crisscrossing the land are many rivers, canals, and drainage channels that interconnect. In some areas, waterways flow in embanked channels above the level of the adjacent land.

The Rhine (Rijn, in Dutch), Meuse (Maas), and Schelde, Holland's three chief rivers, flow to the North Sea through a delta area in the south. They reach the sea by numerous distributaries, or branches. Among them are the Waal, Neder Rijn, and Lek for the Rhine; the Bergsche Maas for the Maas; and the Wester Schelde for the Schelde. The delta area, which extends into Belgium, is one of the world's great hubs of international commerce.

To protect against disastrous flooding, such as that of 1953, enormous concrete barriers with movable gates to control sea and river water levels were built in the delta channels as part of the Delta Project. After nearly 30 years of construction, the project was completed in 1986.

The largest lake is IJsselmeer, created in 1932 by construction of an enclosing dam that blocked out the North Sea's salty water, making it into a freshwater lake. Into it flow numerous small rivers and the IJssel, which carries water diverted from the Rhine. The dam was built as part of a land-reclamation project. Four polders—Wieringermeer Polder, Noordoost (Northeast) Polder, Oostelijk (Eastern) Flevoland, and Zuidelijk (Southern) Flevoland—have been drained. One more, called Markerwaard, is being developed.

Climate

The Netherlands has a maritime type of climate similar to that of the coastal areas of Washington and Oregon. As in most of northwestern Europe, weather is conditioned mainly by westerly winds that bring inland the tempering effects of the North Atlantic Current. Summers are cool, winters are normally mild. Average temperatures range from about 62° F. (17° C.) in July to about 35° F. (2° C) in January. There is much foggy, damp, and rainy weather, especially during fall and winter. Average annual precipitation is about 35 inches (890 mm).

Economy

Its location at one of the main transportation crossroads of Europe is probably the Netherlands' chief economic asset. Rotterdam and Amsterdam are international centers of shipping and commerce. In addition to being a leader in commerce, the Netherlands is also an advanced industrial and agricultural nation.

Although the government has substantial control over economic matters, the economy is based largely on private enterprise. The Netherlands, a founding member of what is now the European Union, is a strong supporter of European economic cooperation.

Manufacturing

Holland's industrial development dates from the 16th century, when the nation first became a leader in world trade. Products were brought from many parts of the world to be processed in the Netherlands. Industries that date back to this period, and continue today, include diamond cutting, shipbuilding, and porcelain-making. Newer manufacturing industries include the production of iron and steel, machinery, transportation equipment, electrical goods, refined petroleum, and chemicals, fertilizers, and drugs. Of lesser importance are textiles and clothing, building materials, and paper and paper products.

Processed agricultural goods are also important. Leading industries based on agriculture are dairy processing, meat packing, food canning and packaging, and the brewing of beer. About 20 per cent of the nation's workers are employed in manufacturing.

Agriculture

Although agriculture employs only 6 per cent of the nation's workers, it accounts for a significant portion of the Netherlands' exports. Almost three-fourths of the land area is in crops and pastures. The chief crops are wheat and barley; potatoes, for food and industrial uses; sugar beets, for animal feed and refined sugar; and flower bulbs (mainly tulips). In a number of areas, fruits, vegetables, and flowers are grown.

Farming is highly mechanized, and crop yields are large and of excellent quality. Much of the soil in the Netherlands is poor, and must be heavily fertilized.

The raising of livestock, especially cattle, hogs, and poultry, has long been an important part of the economy. Dutch cheese, butter, hams, eggs, and other animal products have gained worldwide markets because of their high quality.

Mining and Fishing

Natural gas is by far the most important mineral resource of the Netherlands. One of Europe's largest deposits was discovered in Groningen province in 1959, and domestic resources now supply a substantial amount of the nation's fuel. An important share of the nation's export earnings comes from the sale of natural gas to other European countries. Some petroleum is also produced.

The North Sea provides the Netherlands with good fishing grounds. The main catch is herring. From inland waters, primarily the IJsselmeer, comes a much smaller catch. The chief fishing ports are Scheveningen and IJmuiden.

Trade and Transportation

Many international concerns have offices and factories in the Netherlands, Most of the nation's trade is with Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Great Britain. Until 1949, when it was granted independence by the Netherlands, Indonesia was important as a market for Dutch goods and a source of raw materials. Major imports are machinery, foods, chemicals, motor vehicles, and petroleum and petroleum products. Leading exports are chemicals, foods, machinery, and petroleum products.

The Netherlands is a member of two economic unions—Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and the European Union.

The Dutch merchant marine is an important earner of foreign exchange. It is also a major customer of the domestic shipbuilding industry.

The Netherlands has a well-developed transportation system with highways and railways reaching all parts of the country. An extensive network of navigable rivers and canals supplements rail and road transport. The principal Dutch ports are Rotterdam and Amsterdam; both accommodate seagoing and inland traffic. Rotterdam, including its facilities at Europoort near the Hook of Holland, handles more ocean-borne freight than any other port in the world. Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) serves major cities throughout the world. The leading international airports are at Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Currency

The basic currency unit of the Netherlands is the euro.

The People

Most of the people are Dutch. There is a small nonwhite population, mainly from Indonesia. There are also small minorities of Germans and Belgians.

Population

The population of the Netherlands in 2005 was 16,292,353. With a population density of 1,016 persons per square mile (392 per km2), the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated nations in the world. Thousands of Dutch citizens have emigrated to other countries, mainly Canada and Australia.

Language

The official languages of the nation are Frisian, a Germanic language with English influences, and Dutch, a Low German language.

Religion

There is complete religious freedom but the constitution requires the sovereign to be a member of the Netherland Reformed Church. Roman Catholics make up about 30 per cent of the population, Protestants about 20 per cent. By far the largest Protestant group is the Netherland Reformed Church, a Calvinist church akin to the Presbyterian. There are two other Reformed (Calvinist) bodies and many small sects. Persons without religious affiliation make up about 40 per cent of the population.

Many nonreligious activities are organized on a religious basis. Most of the youth attend denominational schools, which are financed by the government. There are Protestant and Catholic political parties and trade unions. Denominational division is carried over into universities, libraries, social welfare work, broadcasting stations, and sports clubs.

Education

School attendance is compulsory from 5 to 16 years of age. All primary and secondary schools, public and private, are supported by the national government. Less than 1 per cent of the population is illiterate.

Preschool is available for children aged three to seven. Primary education lasts eight years and is followed by three basic kinds of secondary education. Pre-university schools have a six-year curriculum that prepares students for higher education. General secondary schools operate on two levels—middle, providing three or four years of instruction, and higher, providing five additional years. Vocational schools, which also have two levels, offer various vocational, technical, and agricultural courses.

The leading government-operated institutions of higher learning are the University of Amsterdam (founded 1877), State University at Groningen (1614), State University at Leiden (1575), State University at Limburg (1975), and State University at Utrecht (1636). State institutions of technology are at Delft, Eindhoven, and Enschede. A state-operated agricultural university is at Wageningen. Leading private institutions of higher learning are Free University (Protestant affiliated), which is in Amsterdam; Catholic University Nijmegen; Erasmus University of Rotterdam; and Tilburg University.

Adult education is offered in several dozen state-subsidized high school and educational centers, as well as numerous local and regional institutions.

Culture

The 17th century was the golden age of intellectual and artistic achievement for the newly formed Dutch republic. The jurist and writer Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) was one of Holland's greatest scholars and is considered the founder of international law. Scholars and philosophers from all Europe came to Holland to work at the universities and to visit the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza.

Preeminence in painting, held by the Flemish of the Spanish Netherlands in the early part of the century, shifted to Holland with the rise of Frans Hals and Rembrandt. Dutch was given stature as a literary language by such writers as the poet Joost van den Vondel.

Dutch scientists were stimulated by the two-decades residence of René Descartes in their country. Pioneer biologists Anton van Leeuwenhoek and Jan Swammerdam and astronomer-physicist Christian Huygens made major discoveries.

With the decline of commerce and prosperity at the end of the century, Dutch culture became dormant. A revival of arts and sciences in the mid-19th century produced the painter Vincent van Gogh and the author Nikolaas Beets. In the 20th century several Nobel Prize winners, including Johannes van der Waals and Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, were Dutch.

The Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra gained a worldwide reputation under conductors Willem Mengelberg and Eduard van Beinum. It is one of a number of orchestras that receive subsidies from the national government as well as from municipal authorities. Chamber music ensembles, choral societies, operas, ballet, and the theater also receive government financial aid. The Holland Festival is a nationwide event, held annually from mid-June to mid-July, featuring music, dance, and drama. Main centers for performances are Scheveningen, The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Delft.

Sports and Recreation

Soccer is by far the most popular organized sport in the Netherlands, with gymnastics second. Ice skating, the traditional Dutch winter pastime, remains a national favorite in which nearly everyone participates. Canals and lakes are swept of snow, booths are set up to serve hot drinks (cocoa and saffron-milk) and baked goods, and straw is put down (to protect skate blades) where a road must be crossed from one canal to another. In warm weather swimming, sailing, and fishing take the place of skating. Bicycling is a popular recreation as well as a standard means of transportation.

Government

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy, governed under the 1814 constitution with its many revisions. The kingdom is composed of the Netherlands proper and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, in the West Indies. Although the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba are considered integral parts of the kingdom, they have autonomy in local affairs.

The official capital is Amsterdam; the investiture of the monarch and other official ceremonies take place there. The actual seat of government, however, is The Hague, site of the royal residence and the meeting place of the legislature.

Executive power is vested in the crown, and legislative power is vested in the crown and legislature, called States-General. The sovereign is assisted by the council of state, a permanent advisory body appointed by the sovereign. Real executive power rests with the council of ministers, or cabinet, responsible to the States-General Members of the States-General give up their seats on becoming ministers.

The States-General is composed of two houses: the upper, or First Chamber, and the lower, or Second Chamber. The First Chamber consists of 75 members elected for four years by the provincial legislatures. The Second Chamber consists of 150 members elected to four-year terms by the people under proportional representation. There is universal suffrage for citizens aged 18 and over.

The First Chamber votes on bills passed by the Second Chamber, and must approve or reject them without making amendments. The monarch signs all bills passed by the States-General.

The judiciary consists of the High Court of the Netherlands (five judges), 5 courts of appeal, 19 district courts, and 62 cantonal courts, judges are appointed for life.

There are 12 provinces. Each has a legislative body and a six-member executive commission. A commissioner of the sovereign presides over both bodies. All provincial ordinances must be approved by the crown.

There are more than 750 municipalities, varying from rural areas to the great cities. Each municipality has a council elected by the people and a burgomaster (mayor) appointed by the crown.

Monarchs of the NetherlandsWilliam I1815-1840William II1840-1849William III1849-1890Wilhelmina1890-1948Juliana1948-1980Beatrix1980-