Car Rental Netherland

Attraction:

To the east and south is the High Netherlands, where the land lies slightly above sea level and is flat to gently rolling. Elevations in the High Netherlands rarely exceed 50 m (164 ft), except in the extreme southeast where altitudes over 107 m (350 ft) are frequent.

The mighty river Rhine bisects the country, bringing trade and prosperity from far and wide. The Netherlands' environment is vulnerable, particularly to pollution. A number of national parks and nature reserves have been established to protect portions of the natural landscape. Conservation groups have lobbied to prevent land reclamation and the building of dykes in an effort to preserve threatened habitats. The success of their efforts was alleged to have contributed to the February 1995 flood emergency, by causing delays to the river dyke reinforcement programme. The country is also active in international efforts to clean up the waters of the River Rhine. The Netherlands' major rivers are the Rhine, flowing from Germany, and its several tributaries, including the Waal and Lek; the Maas (a branch of the Meuse) and the Schelde, both flowing from Belgium. These rivers and their tributaries flow east to west through the centre of the country; at the coast they form the delta with its many islands. Together with numerous canals, the rivers give ships access to the interior of Europe.

The intense historic cities such as Haarlem, Delft and Leiden and the lively city of Rotterdam spell wonder to the sophisticated Amsterdam and The Hague. Amidst salutary surprises, Netherlands allows you to experience all that she has to offer.

One of the greatest museums of human history at Den Haag you can enjoy the masterpieces of Rembrandt and his renaissance contemporaries. Near Arnhem, Arnoldi Villa the real awe unfolds as you discover world's finest collections of Van Gogh.

The islands of the southwestern delta region are also undergoing change. After the disastrous flood of 1953, the Delta Plan was launched to protect the region by building a series of massive dams and dykes to block off the sea inlets from the North Sea. The project, which was completed in 1986, created freshwater lakes and joined some of the islands together.

Most of the eastern half of the Netherlands consists of low-lying land covered by sandy alluvial soils deposited by glaciers and rivers. Hilly country (the foothills of the Ardennes) and loamy soils are found only in the southern part of Limburg Province in the border area with Belgium. Vaalserberg (321 m/1,053 ft), the highest point in the Netherlands, is in this area.

Land Reclamation in the Netherlands At one time, much of the land of the Netherlands lay underwater. Through the centuries, the Dutch reclaimed land from the sea by building surrounding dykes and removing the water with pumps powered by windmills. Electric pumps now do the work of draining the water. An area of reclaimed land is known as a polder.

There are many small lakes in the northern and western portions of the Netherlands. Nearly all the larger natural lakes have been pumped dry, but the delta redevelopment programme and the reclamation of the Zuider Zee have created numerous new freshwater lakes, the largest being the IJsselmeer.