9781422278031

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TODAY: THE NETHERLANDS

ABOVE: The island of Ameland in Friesland is part of the Wadden Islands archipelago, a scattered group of islands along the North Sea coast of the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is bordered on the east by Germany, on the south by Belgium, and on the north and west by the North Sea. The coastline of the North Sea consists mostly of sand dunes . Many of the country’s major cities are located on these slightly elevated dunes. In the north, the sea has broken through the dunes to form the West Frisian Islands. Dike, Dams, and Polder Land In the south, rivers have broken through the dunes and created a delta of islands and waterways. Near the narrow strip of dunes is a low-lying area protected by dikes and kept dry by continuous mechanical pumping. This is

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