This amazing country inspires the most famous painters with its magnificent boundless lowland landscapes that cause genuine admiration for many. This is the Netherlands. Cities, vast fields and many other objects fascinate with their special beauty.
What is the Netherlands?
This is a country of delicious tulips and wonderful cheese. This is a country whose territories are cut through by dense network of canals with numerous drawbridges.
Where else can you see landscapes with elements that have long been commonplace in the Dutch landscape - windmills, some of which used to be used for pumping water from canals, and some for the production of clean electricity? In this country there is even a holiday - Windmill Day, which is celebrated annually on May 12.
Gorgeous bike paths and motorways cut through Holland. The beautiful cities of the Netherlands attract a huge number of tourists.
This is a country of contrasts. It is in this state that euthanasia is allowed, and even here marijuana and hashish are rather freely sold.
Administrative division of the Netherlands, population
Most (89%) of the Dutch population live in cities. The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces: South and North Holland, Gelderland, Utrecht, Flevoland, Limburg, Groningen, Drenthe, Friesland, Zealand, Overijssel and North Brabant. These provinces, in turn, are composed of communities.
And what kind of people inhabit the Netherlands? Cities are populated nationally rather unevenly - almost ½ of the Dutch live in the settlements of the south-western zone of the country. This area is called Ranstad - conurbation (according to other agglomeration, which has several cities of approximately the same size and importance), unites Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, and a number of slightly smaller cities (Delft, Dor-Drecht, Leiden and Haarlem) .
The state of the Netherlands is multinational, but 96% of the population are Dutch, and the remaining 4% are Flemish, Frieze, Germans and immigrants from Turkey, Morocco, Indonesia and Suriname.
Country Location
The average heights of the Dutch lowlands range from 7 to 10 meters. The state is located on the western territory of the Central European Plain. On the south side it borders with Belgium, in the east - with Germany. The belt of dunes, whose height reaches 56 m in some places, stretches along the coast of the North Sea, where numerous dams and dams have been built to protect the lowlands of these places from flooding. The lowest point of the relief is 6.3 meters below sea level.
The eastern part of the country is represented by more hilly plains (moraines), and the southern - ancient river terraces covered with forest. The highest point (321 m) rises in the spurs of the Ardennes (southeast of the country), where the border with Germany and Belgium passes. Today the coastline is 750 km long.
An interesting fact is that almost 40% of the Netherlands is located below sea level, and above 50 meters is only 2% of the area.
The eternal struggle with the sea
Before we talk about where the cities of the Netherlands are and what they are, let's see how people in this country live in rather difficult climatic conditions.
For centuries, there has been a struggle with the sea. People for 3 decades (1930-1969) were still able to win 4000 square meters from the North Sea. km area. How? In 1932, a 33-km-long dam was built, separating the Zuider See from the sea. Subsequently, most of the resulting IJsselmeer lake was drained and transformed into polders (in the Netherlands it is called a dyke from the sea, drained low-lying and cultivated sections of the coast).
In addition to the above-described event, after severe flooding in these places, in 1958-86, the largest hydrotechnical project was implemented, which provided for the separation of the mouths of the rivers Meuse, Rhine and Scheldt from the sea, while preserving navigation in the country through canals passing through the whole country .
Cities of the Netherlands alphabetically
- Amsterdam is a city of canals and drawbridges.
- The Hague is the seat of government.
- Groningen is a student city and the "world capital of cyclists."
- Delft is a kind of museum under the sky with the preserved historical center of the 17th century.
- Leiden is a city (XVI-XVIII centuries) with old windmills and Gothic cathedrals.
- Nijmegen is the oldest city with rolling hills.
- Rotterdam is the most modern town.
- Utrecht is one of the oldest settlements, once destroyed and rebuilt.
- Haarlem is a small provincial town.
- Harlingen is a port city.
- Hertogenbosch is the center of industry, culture and education.
Largest cities in the Netherlands: short description
Amsterdam is the capital of the country. The city is rich in its history, magnificent cultural attractions.
Its peculiarity is that a huge number of bridges are thrown over numerous channels (more than 600!). The most beautiful of them are Mahera Brug (translated “Skinny Bridge”) and Blauburg.
It should be noted that Amsterdam, like the whole country, is a city of freedom of morals. Here, in many cafes, they are free to smoke weed.
The next major city is The Hague (the center of South Holland), the seat of government, the royal court and parliament. It is the 3rd largest and one of the oldest cities in the country. Here is the famous Peace Palace, where the sessions of the International Court of Justice are held.
In terms of architecture, the city is famous for its stunning mix of different styles: Baroque, Classicism and Renaissance. All this coexists perfectly with skyscrapers.
This is the country of the Netherlands. Its cities are unique and peculiar. Almost all of them attract attention with an amazing combination of antiquity with modern architectural ensembles. But there is a city mesmerizing with the beauty of its modern architecture. Rotterdam (the heart of South Holland), being the largest port in Europe, is also one of the most modern cities with numerous architectural structures. Majestic, amazingly beautiful buildings attract the attention of tourists. The city was erected on the dam of the Rotta River. From here its name arose.
The city of Utrecht (the capital of the province of the same name) is one of the oldest Dutch cities. Its amazingly beautiful center is surrounded by unique bunk channels (13th century buildings). The city, like the whole province, is home to luxurious mansions.
Conclusion
The country of Netherlands is beautiful! Cities and national parks fascinate her with originality and splendor.
The most beautiful place is Keukenhof Park in the small town of Liss, which is located between The Hague and Amsterdam. 8 million flowers grow in this delightful corner! Here you can see huge glades with tulips and greenhouses with lilacs, daffodils, lilies, orchids, gerberas, roses and other flowers of various shades.