Geography |
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in north-western Europe, is bordered on the north and west by the North Sea, on the east by Germany and on the south by Belgium. The Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, islands in the Caribbean, are part of the Netherlands. The European portion of the Netherlands has a total area of 37 350 km2.
Virtually all of the Netherlands is lowlands, with elevations mostly below 50 m and about half below sea level. Dunes line most of the North Sea coast. They are almost continuous in the central coast, but in the north are broken into the West Frisian Islands and in the south by the delta of the Rhine and other rivers.
Behind the dunes lie areas of flat, fertile land, called polders, that once were covered by seas, swamps, or lakes, but have been reclaimed and are now protected by a series of dikes. These are some of the country´s most productive farmlands.
In the south is an area of marshy islands and peninsulas. This is the delta is formed by the Maas and Schelde rivers and branches of the Rhine. In the eastern half of the country are sandy areas deposited by prehistoric glaciation, and in the south-east rise low hills. The highest point is Vaalserberg at 321 m.
The Netherlands shares the temperate climate moderated by marine influence common to much of northern and western Europe. It has gentle winters with moderately warm summers. With its small size and low topography, there is little variation within the country. Temperatures average from 16 to 18° C in summer and a little above -1° C in winter. Precipitation averages about 700 to 750 mm, fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.