The Netherlands Geography

The Netherlands are situated in the western part of Europe, between Belgium and Germany. On the west and north the Netherlands is washed by the North Sea The official name of the country is the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it consists of the Netherlands itself and six islands, situated in the Carribean Sea. The country is sometimes called Holland, but this name is more appropriate for two coastal provinces of northern Noord and southern Zuid. The Netherlands together with Belgium and Luxembourg make up the Low Countries, usually called the Benelux nations.

The Netherlands is surrounded by three major European rivers: the Rhine, the Maas or Meuse, and the Scheldt. Most of the Netherlands is plain; there are some hills in southeast. Part of the country is made up of polders. The constant problem threatening the country is flood because the half of the Netherlands lies at or below sea level. The highest peak of the country, situated in the province of Limburg, is the Vaalserberg.