Netherlands Geography - 2024

Location

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Geographic coordinates

52 31 N, 5 46 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 41,543 sq km

land: 33,893 sq km

water: 7,650 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Area comparison map:

Land boundaries

total: 1,053 km

border countries (2): Belgium 478 km; Germany 575 km

Coastline

451 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Terrain

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

Elevation

highest point: Mount Scenery (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) 862 m

lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m

mean elevation: 30 m

note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land

Land use

agricultural land: 55.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 10.8% (2018 est.)

other: 34.1% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

2,969 sq km (2019)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rijn (Rhine) river mouth (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and France) - 1,233 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Population distribution

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

Natural hazards

flooding

volcanism: Mount Scenery (887 m), located on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, last erupted in 1640; Round Hill (601 m), a dormant volcano also known as The Quill, is located on the island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean; these islands are at the northern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends south to Grenada

Geography - note

located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine (Rijn), Meuse (Maas), and Scheldt (Schelde)); about a quarter of the country lies below sea level and only about half of the land exceeds one meter above sea level