The flag

This is the flag of Netherlands. It's red, white and blue.

Territory

Rivers

The country is divided into two main parts by three large rivers, the Rhine (Rijn). The river Amstel in the city's centre of the Dutch capital Amsterdam.

The south-western part of the Netherlands is actually a massive river delta. Only one significant branch of the Rhine flows northeastwards, the IJssel river, discharging into the IJsselmeer, the former Zuiderzee ('southern sea'). This river also happens to form a linguistic divide.

Floods

The areas of the Netherlands that are above sea level. Over the centuries, the Dutch coastline has changed considerably as a result of human intervention and natural disasters. Most notable in terms of land loss is the 1134 storm, which created the archipelago of Zeeland in the south west.

Climate

The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is south-west, which causes a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. The following tables are based on mean measurements by the weather station in De Bilt between 1971 and 2000.

Nature

The Netherlands has 20 national parks and hundreds of other nature reserves. Most are owned by Staatsbosbeheer and Natuurmonumenten and include lakes, heathland, woods, dunes and other habitats.

Phytogeographically, the Netherlands are shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. The territory of the Netherlands belongs to the ecoregion of Atlantic mixed forests.