Geography of the Netherlands

File:Netherlands pol87.jpg

Map of the Netherlands in Europe

File:2012-NL-prov-relief-3000.jpg

Relief map of the Netherlands in Europe

The geography of the European Netherlands is unusual in that much of its land has been reclaimed from the sea and is below sea level, protected by dikes. It is a small country with a total area of Template:Convert and ranked 131st. With a population of 17.4 million and density of Template:Convert makes it the second most densely populated member of the European Union after Malta, and the 12th most densely populated country in the world, behind only three countries with a population over 16 million. Consequently, the Netherlands is highly urbanized, concentrated in the so-called Randstad which makes up 20% of the land area but almost half of the total population.

Statistics

Geographic coordinates: Template:Coord

The Dutch RD coordinate system (Rijksdriehoeksmeting) is also in common use. For transformation to and from geographical coordinates there is an official procedure RDNAPTRANS and approximate as well as precise tools available. The west–east coordinate is between 0 and 280 km, and the south–north coordinate between 300 and 620 km.

The central point is the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwentoren (Our Lady's Tower) in Amersfoort, with RD coordinates (155,000.00, 463,000.00 m) and geographic coordinates approximately Template:Coord.

Area:
total: Template:Convert
land: Template:Convert
water: Template:Convert

Land boundaries:
total: Template:Convert
border countries:

• Belgium Template:Convert
• Germany Template:Convert

Coastline: Template:Convert

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: Template:Convert
contiguous zone: Template:Convert
exclusive economic zone: Template:Convert with Template:Convert

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters (European mainland), tropical (Caribbean islands)

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

File:Hypsometric curve of the Netherlands.svg

Hypsometric curve of the Netherlands in Europe. The land is unusually low and significant portions lie below mean sea level.

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Zuidplaspolder (Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel) Template:Convert, below sea level.
highest point on European mainland: Vaalserberg Template:Convert above sea level.
highest point (including the Caribbean islands): Mount Scenery on Saba Template:Convert above sea level.

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, iodised salt, sand and gravel, arable land

Land use: (2011)
arable land: 25.08%
permanent crops: 0.88%
other: 74.04%

Irrigated land (2007): Template:Convert

Total renewable water resources (2011): Template:Convert

File:Nordholland SchoorlAnZee 2004 022a.jpg

The coastal dunes are vital to the existence of areas of the Netherlands.

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 fertilisers 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none

Landscape

The country can be split into two areas: the low and flat lands in the west and north, and the higher lands with minor hills in the east and south. The former, including the reclaimed polders and river deltas, make up about half of its surface area and are less than Template:Convert 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. A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 1,025 km² of tidal flats in the Netherlands, making it the 31st ranked country in terms of tidal flat area. The rest of the country 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 highest point on the European part of the Netherlands at Template:Convert above sea level. The highest point of the entire country is Mount Scenery (870 metres or 2,854 ft), which is located outside the European part of the Netherlands, on the island of Saba in the Caribbean.

File:NL-Nationaleparken.svg

National parks in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Scheldt).

In November 2016, the Netherlands and Belgium agreed to cede small, uninhabited parcels of land to reflect a change in course of the river Meuse (or Maas, in Dutch). The land swap is to take effect as of 2018.

Urbanization

The Netherlands does not have a single large metropolis, but the four largest cities are concentrated in the western provinces of North Holland, South Holland, and Utrecht. Between and around these lies a ring of medium-sized towns, which together form the so-called Randstad. About 45% of the Dutch population is concentrated here in this small area (makes up 20% of the total land), around a relatively open space, the so-called Groene Hart (Green Heart). This area is highly densely populated with over 1000 inhabitants per km². The rest of the country is much less dense. Between 70-85% of the Netherlands total land area is described as rural (Dutch: platteland, landelijk).

Largest cities

With their provinces in November 2019:

1. Amsterdam (North Holland) 872,680 inhabitants
2. Rotterdam (South Holland) 650,711
3. The Hague ('s-Gravenhage) (South Holland) 544,766
4. Utrecht (Utrecht) 357,179
5. Eindhoven (North Brabant) 234,235

List of metropolitan areas of European Netherlands

Metropolitan area	Core city	Population
Randstad	Amsterdam	8,366,078
Template:Ill	Rotterdam	2,392,289
Template:Ill	Amsterdam	1,484,893
Template:Ill	Utrecht	650,000
Template:Ill	Eindhoven	2,145,390
Template:Ill	Heerlen	255,000
Template:Ill	Arnhem	738,700
Template:Ill	Enschede	620,000
Template:Ill	Groningen	500,000
Template:Ill	Tilburg	530,557
Template:Ill	Eindhoven	784,369
Template:Ill	Roosendaal	164,838
Amersfoort	Amersfoort	286,053
Apeldoorn	Apeldoorn	212,808
Dordrecht	Dordrecht	283,906
Haarlem	Haarlem	414,491
's-Hertogenbosch	's-Hertogenbosch	194,730
Leeuwarden	Leeuwarden	162,078
Leiden	Leiden	338,356
Maastricht	Maastricht	181,153
Sittard-Geleen	Sittard-Geleen	150,448
Zwolle	Zwolle	178,021

Ecosystems per province

This table describes the size and distributions of ecosystems in the Netherlands in 2021, broken down into 10 ecosystem types and by province. (Source: CBS).

Province	Groningen	Friesland	Drenthe	Overijssel	Flevoland	Gelderland	Utrecht	North-Holland	South-Holland	Zeeland	North-Brabant	Limburg	Total Netherlands
Nature	5,3%	5,6%	24,4%	18,2%	9,7%	25,4%	18,1%	5,6%	8,7%	6,9%	21,0%	22,2%	14,1%
Water and coast	22,4%	45,1%	1,4%	3,1%	41,4%	3,5%	5,3%	38,5%	20,9%	40,9%	3,5%	2,7%	20,1%
Agricultural	55,6%	39,4%	55,7%	56,9%	37,0%	45,5%	45,5%	32,2%	37,5%	40,7%	46,5%	44,5%	44,2%
Built-up	16,7%	9,9%	18,4%	21,9%	12,0%	25,7%	31,2%	23,8%	32,8%	11,6%	29,1%	30,6%	21,5%

Broken down (with surface area (km2))
Province	Groningen	Friesland	Drenthe	Overijssel	Flevoland	Gelderland	Utrecht	North-Holland	South-Holland	Zeeland	North-Brabant	Limburg	Total Netherlands
Forest	2,1% (61 km2)	2,1% (122 km2)	12,5% (336 km2)	10,6% (361 km2)	5,6% (136 km2)	17,6% (905 km2)	11,9% (185 km2)	3,2% (131 km2)	2,8% (94 km2)	1,5% (45 km2)	13,1% (667 km2)	14,7% (324 km2)	8,1% (3367 km2)
Open nature	2,2% (66 km2)	1,9% (112 km2)	7,5% (202 km2)	4,7% (161 km2)	3,1% (74 km2)	7,1% (366 km2)	5,3% (83 km2)	1,7% (68 km2)	4,3% (143 km2)	5,1% (149 km2)	5,9% (299 km2)	5,9% (130 km2)	4,5% (1853 km2)
Wet areas	1,0% (30 km2)	1,6% (91 km2)	4,3% (115 km2)	2,9% (100 km2)	1,0% (23 km2)	0,6% (32 km2)	0,9% (14 km2)	0,7% (29 km2)	1,6% (52 km2)	0,2% (7 km2)	1,9% (99 km2)	1,7% (37 km2)	1,5% (629 km2)
Dunes and beaches	1,2% (36 km2)	3,1% (177 km2)	0,0% (0 km2)	0,0% (0 km2)	0,0% (0 km2)	0,0% (0 km2)	0.0% (0 km2)	3,3% (136 km2)	2,2% (73 km2)	2,1% (62 km2)	0,0% (1 km2)	0.0% (0 km2)	1,2% (485 km2)
Water	21,2% (627 km2)	42,1% (2420 km2)	1,4% (38 km2)	3,1% (105 km2)	41,4% (998 km2)	3,5% (181 km2)	5,3% (83 km2)	35,2% (1439 km2)	18,7% (619 km2)	38,8% (1137 km2)	3,4% (175 km2)	2,7% (59 km2)	19,0% (7880 km2)
Arable farming	33,3% (983 km2)	7,1% (409 km2)	31,2% (835 km2)	15,0% (513 km2)	31,1% (749 km2)	14,0% (720 km2)	6,6% (103 km2)	13,7% (560 km2)	14,6% (483 km2)	32,6% (957 km2)	27,0% (1370 km2)	29,4% (649 km2)	20,0% (8328 km2)
Grassland	22,3% (659 km2)	32,2% (1853 km2)	24,4% (655 km2)	41,8% (1429 km2)	5,7% (137 km2)	31,2% (1601 km2)	38,7% (604 km2)	17,9% (731 km2)	20,4% (676 km2)	7,9% (231 km2)	18,9% (961 km2)	14,3% (315 km2)	23,7% (9851 km2)
Intensive horticulture	0,0% (1 km2)	0,0% (2 km2)	0,1% (4 km2)	0,1% (3 km2)	0,2% (6 km2)	0,3% (15 km2)	0,2% (3 km2)	0,6% (26 km2)	2,5% (83 km2)	0,2% (5 km2)	0,6% (31 km2)	0,9% (19 km2)	0,5% (198 km2)
Living, economy and infrastructure	14,5% (429 km2)	9,1% (524 km2)	16,9% (452 km2)	20,3% (695 km2)	9,9% (238 km2)	23,1% (1186 km2)	27,9% (436 km2)	20,7% (845 km2)	28,5% (942 km2)	10,5% (307 km2)	26,3% (1338 km2)	28,6% (632 km2)	19,3% (8023 km2)
Public green areas	2,2% (64 km2)	0,7% (43 km2)	1,6% (42 km2)	1,6% (54 km2)	2,2% (52 km2)	2,6% (132 km2)	3,3% (51 km2)	3,1% (127 km2)	4,3% (143 km2)	1,2% (34 km2)	2,8% (141 km2)	2,0% (45 km2)	2,2% (927 km2)

Climate

The predominant wind direction in the European Netherlands is southwest, which causes a mild maritime climate, with moderately warm summers and cool winters, and typically high humidity. This is especially true close to the Dutch coastline, where the difference in temperature between summer and winter, as well as between day and night is noticeably smaller than it is in the southeast of the country.

Ice days—maximum temperature below Template:Convert—usually occur from December until February, with the occasional rare ice day prior to or after that period. Freezing days—minimum temperature below Template:Convert—occur much more often, usually ranging from mid-November to late March, but not rarely measured as early as mid-October and as late as mid-May. If one chooses the height of measurement to be Template:Convert above ground instead of Template:Convert, one may even find such temperatures in the middle of the summer. On average, snow can occur from November to April but sometimes occurs in May or October too.

Warm days—maximum temperature above Template:Convert—are usually found in April to October, but in some parts of the country these warm days can also occur in March, or even sometimes in November or February (usually not in Template:Not a typo, however). Summer days—maximum temperature above Template:Convert—are usually measured in Template:Not a typo from May until September, tropical days—maximum temperature above Template:Convert—are rare and usually occur only in June to August.

Precipitation throughout the year is distributed relatively equally each month. Summer and autumn months tend to gather a little more precipitation than the other months, mainly because of the intensity of the rainfall rather than the frequency of rain days (this is especially the case in summer when lightning is also much more frequent).

The number of sunshine hours is affected by the fact that because of the geographical latitude, the length of the days varies between barely eight hours in December and nearly 17 hours in June.

The following table is based on mean measurements by the KNMI weather station in De Bilt between 1991 and 2020. The highest recorded temperature was Template:Convert, reached on 25 July 2019 in Gilze-Rijen. The lowest temperature in the Netherlands was recorded at Winterswijk on 27 January 1942, when the temperature dropped to Template:Convert.

See also

• List of islands of the Netherlands
• List of places in the Netherlands
• List of mountains and hills in the Netherlands
• List of volcanoes in the Netherlands
• Extreme points of the Netherlands

External links

• Map showing first two digits of postal codes (see List of postal codes in the Netherlands), ditto
• Locate town or village; find municipality it is part of, range of postal codes, and some other basic data
• Lists of "places" (towns, villages, and various smaller entities), with municipality: alphabetical (ca. 4,800) – by province (extended, ca. 7,000)

Maps

• Routenet.nl Most used website for maps and directions in the Netherlands, also gives address range for a full postal code, and shows the four-digit parts of the postal codes on the maps.
• Multimap – shows geographic coordinates and allows a direct link to a map for a given location and with a given zoom level
• http://route.anwb.nl/zoek_plattegrond.html
• Michelin
• https://web.archive.org/web/20031202194742/http://www.landkaartenindex.nl/nederland/nederland.htm (In Dutch)