Land reclamation in the Netherlands in the context of "Netherlands"

⭐ In the context of the Netherlands, land reclamation is considered a historically significant practice primarily because it…

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⭐ Core Definition: Land reclamation in the Netherlands

Land reclamation in the Netherlands has a long history. As early as in the 14th century, the first reclaimed land had been settled. Much of the modern land reclamation has been done as a part of the Zuiderzee Works since 1919. Land reclamation in the 20th century added an additional 1,650 square kilometres (640 sq mi) to the country's land area.

It is estimated that about 65% of the country would be under water at high tide if it were not for the existence and the country's use of dikes, dunes and pumps. 26% of the Netherlands by area, and 21% by population, is located below the mean sea level.

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👉 Land reclamation in the Netherlands in the context of Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, with overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces; it borders Germany to the east and Belgium to the south, with a North Sea coastline to the north and west. It shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium. The official language is Dutch, with West Frisian as a secondary official language in the province of Friesland. Dutch, English, and Papiamento are official in the Caribbean territories. People from the Netherlands are referred to as Dutch.

Netherlands literally means "lower countries", in reference to its low elevation and flat topography, 26% of which is below sea level. Most of the areas below sea level, known as polders, are the result of land reclamation that began in the 14th century. In the Republican period, which began in 1588, the Netherlands entered a unique era of political, economic, and cultural greatness, ranked among the most powerful and influential in Europe and the world; this period is known as the Dutch Golden Age. During this time, its trading companies, the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, established colonies and trading posts all over the world. While neutral in the First World War, the Netherlands was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940 during the Second World War, which lasted until the end of the war in 1945.

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Land reclamation in the Netherlands in the context of Flevoland

Flevoland (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfleːvoːlɑnt] ) is the twelfth and newest province of the Netherlands, established in 1986, when the southern and eastern Flevopolders, together with the Noordoostpolder, were merged into one provincial entity. It is in the centre of the country in the former Zuiderzee, which was turned into the freshwater IJsselmeer by the closure of the Afsluitdijk in 1932. Almost all of the land belonging to Flevoland was reclaimed in the 1950s and 1960s while splitting the Markermeer and bordering lakes from the IJsselmeer. As to dry land, it is the smallest province of the Netherlands at 1,410 km (540 sq mi), but not gross land as that includes much of the waters of the fresh water lakes (meres) mentioned.

The province had a population of about 445,000 as of January 2023 and consists of six municipalities. Its capital is Lelystad and its most populous city is Almere, which forms part of the Randstad and has grown to become the seventh largest city of the country. Flevoland is bordered in the extreme north by Friesland, in the northeast by Overijssel, and in the northwest by the lakes Markermeer and IJsselmeer. In the southeast, the province borders on Gelderland; in the southwest on Utrecht and North Holland. Outside urban areas, the land in Flevoland is predominantly used for agriculture.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Netherlands ← Flevoland ← The Netherlands
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
William II of Holland → Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland → Land reclamation → Zuiderzee Works → Levee →