Geography
Population
The national population of
The Netherlands is nearly 16.5 million. With only 41,785 square kilometres of land, that makes us one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
Conveniently located on the edge of
Western Europe, The Netherlands neighbours Germany to the east,
Belgium to the south and the
North Sea to its north and west.
60 per cent of the population live in the urban west Holland area - the Randstad. This includes the vibrant main cities of
The Hague,
Amsterdam,
Rotterdam and
Utrecht. In the Randstad
, there are more than 1,000 people for each square kilometre.
Landscape
The Netherlands literally means 'the low countries'. In fact, about 60 per cent of the population lives below sea level. An intricate system of dikes and
dams protects the low-lying reclaimed land, or ‘
polders’, from flooding. The
windmills dotting the landscape originally provided power to regulate water levels. Nowadays, pumping stations do this work.
That being said, The Netherlands
, contrary to myth, isn’t all flat. The southeastern corner of the country is a hilly area. The highest point here is the
Vaalserberg, 322.7 metres above sea level, part of the Ardennes mountain range.
The Netherlands is located at the mouth of three rivers - the Rhine (Rijn),
Meuse (Maas) and
Scheldt (Schelde), which fan out as they make their journey into the North Sea .
But perhaps our best-kept secret are the sandy beaches and dunes that line the 451km of the North Sea , the perfect place for a mini break from city life.
Natural resources
The Netherlands holds large reserves of natural gas.
Petroleum,
peat, limestone,
salt,
sand and gravel production are also important industries.
The flat landscape provides a rich, fertile environment for farming - over a quarter of our land is used for arable farming.
Climate
The changeable weather is a popular topic of discussion in The Netherlands. The warm North Atlantic Gulf Stream creates a temperate, maritime climate with mild winters and cool summers. The temperatures rarely push below freezing point or above 25 degrees and windy, cloudy days are common. The Netherlands experiences moderate but sporadic rainfall (between 620mm and 850mm).
