Netherlands Geography Profile 2013

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

52 30 N, 5 45 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

Land boundaries

total: 1,027 km
border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 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 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 resources

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

Land use

arable land: 21.96%
permanent crops: 0.77%
other: 77.27% (2005)

Irrigated land

4,600 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

89.7 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 8.86 cu km/yr (6%/60%/34%)
per capita: 544 cu m/yr (2001)

Natural hazards

flooding

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)