Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Geographic coordinates:
52 30 N, 5 45 E
Map references:
Europe
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Population - distribution: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 41,543 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 33,893 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 7,650 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 135
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
total: 1,053 km
border countries (2): Belgium 478 km, Germany 575 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
451 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
mean elevation: 30 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles)
note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m
natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
agricultural land: 55.1%
arable land 29.8%; permanent crops 1.1%; permanent pasture 24.2%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 10.8%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 34.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
4,860 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region; the north tends to be less dense, though sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country
flooding
water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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 of the selected agreements
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)
