Geography
Netherlands is located in north-western Europe bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany. The country is quite small with a surface area of 41,528 square kilometres. It is one of the most low-lying countries in the world.
Official capital as stated by the constitution is the city of Amsterdam. The city of The Hague is the administrative capital, the home of the Queen, host to the International Court of Justice and the location for most of the embassies. Other important cities are Rotterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven.
A remarkable aspect of the Netherlands is its flatness. Hilly landscapes can be found only in the south-eastern tip of the country.
Most of the country is low-lying with half of the Netherlands below sea level. More than two-fifth of the country’s land was once covered by the sea. The netherland “created” this land by pumping out water. Dikes (dams) have been built along the coast and the land drained. In these drained areas, called polders, are the richest farmlands of the country. The main rivers are Rhine, Waal and the Maas.
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