NETHERLANDS

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: The North Sea coastline of The Netherlands consists mostly of sand dunes. Many of the country’s major cities are located on these slightly elevated dunes. To the north the sea has broken through the dunes to form the West Frisian Islands. To the south rivers have made gaps in the dunes and created a delta of islands and waterways. Adjacent to the narrow strip of dunes is a low-lying area protected by dikes and kept dry by continuous mechanical pumping. This is polderland that the Dutch have reclaimed from the sea and turned into productive farmland. Dikes were built around sections of this swampy or flooded land and the water was pumped out, at first by windmills and later by steam and electric pumps. Reinforcing dikes were also built along the lower courses of The Netherlands’ major rivers, which flow above the land between banks of sediment deposited when they flood. The work of reclaiming the Zuider Zee, a large arm of the North Sea, began in 1927. By 1932 a 29-km dike had been built across the entrance to the Zuider Zee. The dike turned the waters behind it into a freshwater lake within five years. By the early 1980s about three-quarters of the area had been drained, but the project to reclaim the last polder was canceled by the early 1980s. The freshwater lake left behind is called the IJsselmeer. In 1953 the spring tide severely flooded the delta region in the southwest and about 1,800 people died. The Delta Plan, launched in 1958 and completed in 1986, was implemented to prevent such flooding. Under the plan, the Dutch shortened the coastline by about 700 km; developed a system of dikes; and built dams, bridges, locks, and a major canal. The dikes created freshwater lakes and joined some islands. The polders, which are used almost entirely for agriculture, are composed chiefly of clay soils and peat. Most of the eastern half of The Netherlands is covered by sandy soil deposited by glaciers, wind, and rivers. Hilly country and fertile loamy soil is found only in the southern part of Limburg Province, an area of rich farmland. Vaalserberg, the nation’s highest point, is in this area. The major rivers of The Netherlands are the Rhine, flowing from Germany, and its several arms, such as the Waal and Nederrijn rivers; and the Maas and the Schelde, flowing from Belgium. These rivers and their arms form the delta with its many islands. Together with numerous canals, the rivers give ships access to the interior of Europe. In the northern and western portions of The Netherlands are many small lakes. Nearly all the larger natural lakes have been pumped dry. However, land reclamation projects have created numerous new freshwater lakes, the largest being the IJsselmeer. The Netherlands was long thought to be poor in mineral resources. Peat, used as fuel, was dug in several regions, and southern Limburg Province contained coal deposits. The last coal mine closed 1976, and peat extraction stopped somewhat later. Salt is still produced. In the 1950s and 1960s great natural-gas reserves were discovered in Groningen Province. The extraction of natural gas is still of major economic significance. The Dutch also exploit petroleum and gas reserves in the North Sea. Smaller deposits of crude petroleum and natural gas are located in the northeastern and western parts of the country.
AGRICULTURE: Despite the small size and dense population of The Netherlands, agriculture is highly productive and a major source of exports. Cultivated fields cover 27 percent of the land. Most farms are small—less than 10 hectares—but every hectare is utilized to the utmost. The Dutch rely heavily on machinery and fertilizers, allowing Dutch farms to achieve some of the highest yields per hectare in the world. Most Dutch farmers are members of cooperatives through which they purchase equipment and supplies. Dutch farmers also market much of their produce through cooperatives. The Netherlands’ leading agricultural activity is dairy farming. The principal dairy regions are in central and northern Holland. Two famous cheese-market cities are Gouda and Edam, for which cheeses are respectively named. Crop production includes cereals, principally wheat; roots and tubers such as potatoes and sugar beets; vegetables; fruits; and flowers. The Netherlands became famous for its tulip breeders in the 18th century, and flowers and bulbs remain important exports. The center of flower production is located between Haarlem and Leiden. Poultry is raised throughout The Netherlands, especially in areas with poor, sandy soils. Beef and pork are important agricultural exports.
ENERGY: The industrial structure of The Netherlands is closely related to the country’s sources of energy. Because the land is flat, rivers in The Netherlands cannot be used for waterpower. For centuries the Dutch relied heavily on windmills and peat for energy. As these became outmoded, coal increased in importance. Deposits in Limburg Province supplied a part of Dutch needs, but most coal was imported. Petroleum and natural gas became increasingly important after World War II; these fuels also were imported, and the port of Rotterdam became a leading center for receiving and refining petroleum. In the 1950s and 1960s the Dutch discovered large reserves of natural gas in Groningen Province. Production rose rapidly, permitting the last domestic coal mines to be closed in 1973 and making The Netherlands a major exporter of natural gas. In 2004 the output of crude petroleum was 17.1 million barrels, and of natural gas, 73.1 billion cu m, making The Netherlands one of the world’s largest producers. The output of electricity totaled 91 billion kilowatt-hours in 2003, 90 of which was produced in thermal plants burning fossil fuels.