Page last updated on February 23,

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

Geographic coordinates:
52 30 N, 5 45 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 41,543 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 135
land: 33,893 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 7,650 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

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

Land boundaries:
total: 1,027 km
border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
451 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
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)
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]
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%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.77%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 77.27% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
4,600 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
89.7 cu km (2005)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.86 cu km/yr (6%/60%/34%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 544 cu m/yr (2001)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
flooding

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

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)