Netherlands

Geography

The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The name "Netherlands" literally means ‘low lands’, not surprising, because approximately 27 percent of the country lies below sea level. It is located in North Western Europe, West and North-West coastline the North Sea, borders with Belgium from the South and Germany from the East and Northeast. .The Geographical coordinates are 52 30 N, 5 45 E.It has the total area of 41,526 sq km including water of 7,643 sq km and land area of 33,883 sq km. A large part of the Netherlands is covered with Main rivers: Maas, Rhine.The highest point is the Vaalserberg, at 321 meters above sea level. So you can imagine you will not find real mountains in this little country. Most of the country shows endless stretches of green grass and straight canals. The coastlines to the west and north of the country are especially nice in summer. The Waddenzee that lies to the north of the Netherlands is one of the biggest nature reserves in Europe. At low tide big parts of this sea run dry and you can walk from the main land to one of the many islands.About 16 million people live in an area of approximately 37,000 km2. 60 % of the population lives in the western part of the country, which is called Holland. This name is often used to refer to the Netherlands as a whole.

Mostly coastal lowland and the land reclaimed from sea (polders); low and flat; about half of the surface of the Netherlands is less than 1 m above sea level, and large parts of it (ca 24%) are actually below sea level. Some hills are only in southeast of the country.

Capital    Amsterdam 

Languages   Dutch, Achterhoeks, Drents, Western Frisian, Gronings, Limburgisch, Sinte Romani, Vlax Romani, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Veluws, Western Yiddish

Currency   Euro

Climate

The Netherlands has a mild, maritime climate, similar to England. The Netherlands is a country with four seasons. The weather is tempered by the sea's proximity, with temperatures ranging from -13 degrees Celsius in winter, to 29 degrees in summer. The weather can change from one day to another, making weather one of the favourite topics for small talk and especially complaint.

Summers are usually not that hot, but it does get sunny and warm and many families will take out their garden furniture and enjoy sitting out in the sun. The smell of barbecues starts filling the air. Every summer there’s a few days when the weather gets quite hot and you’ll find people swimming in the many lakes, rivers and canals.

Summers are generally warm with colder, rainy periods, and excessively hot weather is rare, but last years happens more and more often. Winters can be fairly cold, windy, with rain and some snow. The possibility of extreme cold is rare. Rain occurs throughout the whole year, spring being the driest seThe climate is typical of a marine west coast: changeable but moderate, with mild winters and cool summers. Days with temperatures below 0 or above 25 C unusual. Clouds and wind are common features. The annual rainfall is moderate but unpredictable, so a raincoat and an umbrella are essential.