Statistics
Geographic coordinates: ca. 51° – 53° N, 4° – 7° E
- 1 degree = 111 km NS, 68 km EW (the ratio is 0.61, the cosine of the latitude)
- 1 minute = 1,850 m NS (ca. 1 nautical mile), 1,140 m EW
- 1 second = 31 m NS, 19 m EW
The Dutch RD coordinate system (Rijksdriehoeksmeting) is also in common use; see (pdf, in Dutch; see little map on p. 1) and converter. There is a west-east coordinate between 0 and 280 km, and a south-north coordinate between 300 and 620 km.
The reference point is the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwentoren (Our Lady's Tower) in Amersfoort, with RD coordinates (155.000, 463.000) and geographic coordinates approximately 52°9′N 5°23′E / 52.15°N 5.383°E / 52.15; 5.383.
Rate of change of solar time: 1 minute per 17 km EW.
Highest altitude of the Sun varies at the center from 38.5 − 23.5 = 15 degrees in December to 38.5 + 23.5 = 62 degrees in June. This occurs, depending on east-west location, at ca. 11:40 UTC, i.e. local time 12:40 in winter and 13:40 in summer.
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 41,526 km2 (16,033 sq mi)
land: 33,883 km2 (13,082 sq mi)
water: 7,643 km2 (2,951 sq mi)
Land boundaries:
total: 1,027 km (638 mi)
border countries:
- Belgium 450 km (280 mi)
- Germany 577 km (359 mi)
Coastline: 451 km (280 mi)
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
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 (Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel) −7 m (−23 ft), below sea level.
highest point on European mainland: Vaalserberg 322.7 m (1,059 ft) above sea level.
highest point (including the Caribbean islands): Mount Scenery 877 m (2,877 ft) above sea level.
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, arable land
Land use: (1996 est.)
arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 39%
Irrigated land (1996 est.): 6,000 km2 (2,317 sq mi)
Natural hazards: flooding by sea and rivers is a constant danger. The extensive system of dikes, dams, and sand dunes protect nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded during the heavy autumn storms from the north-west.
Environment – current issues: water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and fetilisers 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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography – note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Scheldt)
Read more about this topic: Geography Of The Netherlands
Famous quotes containing the word statistics:
“We ask for no statistics of the killed,
For nothing political impinges on
This single casualty, or all those gone,
Missing or healing, sinking or dispersed,
Hundreds of thousands counted, millions lost.”
—Karl Shapiro (b. 1913)
“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts—for support rather than illumination.”
—Andrew Lang (1844–1912)
“July 4. Statistics show that we lose more fools on this day than in all the other days of the year put together. This proves, by the number left in stock, that one Fourth of July per year is now inadequate, the country has grown so.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)