The Netherlands Geography and Environment

The Netherlands Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Geographic coordinates: 52 30 N, 5 45 E

Map references: Europe

The Netherlands Area: total: 41,543 sq km country comparison to the world: 134 land: 33,893 sq km water: 7,650 sq km

The Netherlands Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

The Netherlands Land boundaries: total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

The Netherlands 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: 5,650 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

The Netherlands 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

The Netherlands 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, Kyoto Protocol, 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)