Blue: Areas below sea level or vulnerable to flooding, either by sea or by rivers.

The Netherlands has been struggling against floods since the first people settled here. Over 60% of the country lies beneath mean sea-level. Countless people have lost their homes and their lives to by floods from the sea or the rivers that could not be held by the flood-defences. The importance of the protection has led the Dutch to dedicate a Ministry solely to the protection against floods. Furthermore, local waterboards are an extra layer of government specially dedicated to protection against floods and water management. This has resulted in a very high level of flood-protection. Flood-protection remains a continuous point of interest due to the vulnerability of the Dutch economy with regard to flooding. Image File history File links Netherlandsbelowsea. ... Image File history File links Netherlandsbelowsea. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Picture of flooding in Amphoe Sena, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand For other uses, see Flood (disambiguation). ...

Vliedberg Gapinge

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 626 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Flood control in... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 626 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Flood control in... Gapinge () is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. ...

History

At first the inhabitants of the flood-affected areas built artificial mounds called terpen. On these mounds villages and farms were build. The first terpen were build around 500 BC. Terp building ended with the coming of the dike somewhere around 1200. Some artificial mounds in the Netherlands are called vliedbergen (singular vliedberg, meaning "refuge mountain") or "dobbes" or "stellen". These were made in the Middle Ages, to provide refuge from rising waters. They are found in large numbers in the south and west of the Netherlands. They were not intended for permanent habitation, but provided temporary refuge for local people and livestock. The role of the Dutch in land-reclamation has resulted in the Dutch words being now common usage internationally:- Terp (plural terpen) is a Frisian term for a hillock, mound or knoll used for refuge from floods. ... Afsluitdijk, a 32 km dike in the Netherlands. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

• Dike (also spelled dyke) (Dutch dijk). A dike, in Dutch usage, is an embankment or wall built to keep water from flooding land.
• Polder. This is an area of land thus defended from flooding.
• Sluice (Dutch sluis or zijl). Often such a sluice gate had a loose flap which let water through at low tide but shut at high tide.
• Dam. A artificial barrier in an estuary, lake or river .

Afsluitdijk, a 32 km dike in the Netherlands. ... Satellite image of Noordoostpolder, Netherlands (595. ... Sluice gates near Henley, on the River Thames A small wooden sluice in Magome, Japan, used to power a waterwheel. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Drainage Methods

The windmills of Kinderdijk, the Netherlands

The earliest Dutch polders date from the middle ages. These polders were drained by sluices that opened at low tide to let out water. At the end of the Middle Ages the Dutch started using wind power to drain the land. Windmills pumped water by use of a water wheel or (starting from 1634) the Archimedes' screw. Land below the water level was thus drained. The height at which a single windmill can pump the water is limited. By combining mills, each mill pumps water into a higher reservoir, with the last pumping it out to the river or lake. In the 18th century several molendriegangen (runs of 3 mills), and molenviergangen (runs of 4 mills), were built. The windmills were crucial and essential in reclaiming and preserving the land until the arrival of steam and especially diesel powered pumps. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... The windmills of Kinderdijk Kinderdijk is a village in the Netherlands, partly in the municipality Nieuw-Lekkerland, partly in the municipality of Alblasserdam. ... It has been suggested that Earth tides be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that windpump be merged into this article or section. ... Events Moses Amyrauts Traite de la predestination is published Curaçao captured by the Dutch Treaty of Polianovska First meeting of the Académie française The witchcraft affair at Loudun Jean Nicolet lands at Green Bay, Wisconsin Opening of Covent Garden Market in London English establish a settlement... Archimedes screw, Archimedean screw, or screwpump, is a machine historically used for transferring water from a low-lying body of water into irrigation ditches. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled steam and water vapor, accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (1858-1913), inventor of the diesel engine. ... A pump is a mechanical device used to move liquids or gases. ...

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (857x364, 6 KB) Summary Sander 12:00, 23 April 2006 (UTC) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...

Modern developments

The aforementioned steam and diesel pumps led to new developments. Furthermore, mechanization meant that larger projects could be undertaken. The most important are the Zuiderzee Works and the Delta Works The 32 km long Afsluitdijk separates the IJsselmeer from the North Sea, protecting thousands of km² of land. ... // The Delta Works are a number of constructions that were build between 1950 and 1997 in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land from the sea. ...

Zuiderzee Works

Main article: Zuiderzee Works

The Zuiderzee Works turned the Zuiderzee into a fresh water lake IJsselmeer, and created 1650 km² of land.

The Zuiderzee Works (Zuiderzeewerken) are a man-made system of dams, land reclamation and water drainage works. The basis of the project was the damming off of the Zuiderzee, a large shallow inlet of the North Sea. This dam is called the Afsluitdijk. It was built in 1932-1933. The dam closed the Zuiderzee and separated it from the North Sea. As result, the Zuider sea became the IJsselmeer — IJssel lake. It is said that during the North Sea flood of 1953 the Afsluitdijk paid for itself in one night, by preventing flooding on the Zuiderzee coast. Following the damming, large areas of land were reclaimed in the newly freshwater lake body by means of polders. The works were performed in several steps from 1920 to 1975. The 32 km long Afsluitdijk separates the IJsselmeer from the North Sea, protecting thousands of km² of land. ... Image File history File links Zuiderzeeworks. ... Image File history File links Zuiderzeeworks. ... Landsat photo The Zuider Zee (Dutch: Zuiderzee, pronounced ZIGH-der-zee) was a former shallow inlet of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands, extending about 100 km inland and at most 50 km wide, with an overall depth of about 4 to 5 meters and a coastline... Traditional boat on the IJsselmeer Landsat photo The IJsselmeer (or Lake IJssel) is a shallow lake of some 1250 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Landsat photo The Zuider Zee (Dutch: Zuiderzee, pronounced ZIGH-der-zee) was a former shallow inlet of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands, extending about 100 km inland and at most 50 km wide, with an overall depth of about 4 to 5 meters and a coastline... Afsluitdijk The Afsluitdijk (Closure-dike) is a major dam in the Netherlands, constructed between 1927 and 1933 and running from Den Oever on Wieringen in North Holland province, to the village of Zurich (mun. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... Traditional boat on the IJsselmeer Landsat photo The IJsselmeer (or Lake IJssel) is a shallow lake of some 1250 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. ... North Sea flood of 1953 in the Netherlands The North Sea flood of 1953 and the associated storm combined to create a major natural disaster which affected the coastlines of the Netherlands and England on the night of 31 January 1953 – 1 February 1953. ... Satellite image of Noordoostpolder, Netherlands (595. ...

Delta Works

Main article: Delta Works

Oosterscheldekering, the largest of 13 Delta Works' dams.

In the south-west of the Netherlands a flood defense system was built, called the Delta Works. The Delta Works consist of a series of dams and storm surge barriers. The Delta Works were executed between 1950 and 1997. // The Delta Works are a number of constructions that were build between 1950 and 1997 in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land from the sea. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x760, 201 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Delta Works ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x760, 201 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Delta Works ... It has been suggested that Flood control in the Netherlands#Oosterscheldekering (1987) be merged into this article or section. ... // The Delta Works are a number of constructions that were build between 1950 and 1997 in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land from the sea. ...

Currently

Flood protection remains an important issue with the Dutch due to relative sea level rise and land subsidence.

Notorious floods

Among the flood disasters that the Netherlands suffered down the centuries were:-

• St. Lucia's flood (Sint-Luciavloed) in 1287. This permanently lost much land in what is now the Waddenzee and IJsselmeer and enlarged the inland lake Almere into the Zuiderzee.
• St. Elizabeth's flood (1421) (Sint Elisabethsvloed) in 1421. This lost much land in Zeeland. Some of it has been reclaimed since.
• All Saints' flood (Allerheiligenvloed) on 1 November 1 1570. It affected Egmond and Bergen op Zoom and Saeftinghe and permanently drowned land in Zeeland.
• Christmas flood 1717 (Kerstvloed 1717). It was the last large flood in the north of the Netherlands.
• North Sea flood of 1953: On the night of 31 January/1 February 1953 a storm tide surge broke many dikes in the provinces of Zeeland and Zuidholland and Noord-Brabant and caused much flooding and death. This pushed the Dutch government into ordering the Delta Works.
  • Also see Floods in the Netherlands.

St. ... The Wadden Sea (Wattenmeer in German, Waddenzee in Dutch, Waadsee in Frisian, Wattensee in Low Saxon, Vadehavet in Danish) is the name for a body of water and its associated coastal wetlands lying between a section of the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the North Sea. ... Traditional boat on the IJsselmeer Landsat photo The IJsselmeer (or Lake IJssel) is a shallow lake of some 1250 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. ... Almere can mean: A large lake that in early times was in the area of the southern part of the Zuiderzee, - see for more information. ... Landsat photo The Zuider Zee (pronounced , Dutch: Zuiderzee, pronounced ) was a shallow inlet of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands, extending about 100 km inland and at most 50 km wide, with an overall depth of about 4 to 5 meters and a coastline of about 300... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Capital Middelburg Queens Commissioner drs. ... The All Saints Flood (Allerheiligenvloed) was a disaster which happened on November 1, 1570 on the Dutch coast. ... Egmond is a former municipality in the in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. ... Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands. ... Saeftinghe was a place in eastern Zeeuws-Vlaanderen near Nieuw-Namen. ... Capital Middelburg Queens Commissioner drs. ... The Christmas Flood 1717 (Kerstvloed 1717) was the result of a northwesterly storm, which hit the coast area of the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia on Christmas night of 1717. ... North Sea flood of 1953 in the Netherlands The North Sea flood of 1953 and the associated storm combined to create a major natural disaster which affected the coastlines of the Netherlands and England on the night of 31 January 1953 – 1 February 1953. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Capital Middelburg Queens Commissioner drs. ... This article is about the province of the Netherlands. ... North Brabant (Dutch: Noord-Brabant) is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River (Maas) in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west. ... // The Delta Works are a number of constructions that were build between 1950 and 1997 in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land from the sea. ... 838 December 26: A large part of the northwest of the Netherlands was flooded by a storm. ...

Drowned villages

"Drowned village" is the term used in the Netherlands for settlements which have been destroyed by water, either with a natural or human cause, and were not rebuilt but completely destroyed or abandoned by its inhabitants. Thanks to a remarkable amount of Dutch records reaching as far back as the Dark ages much information about these villages is preserved today ranging from the entire story of their destruction to just their name. The last 2 villages to be "drowned by the water" were Schuring and Capelle in the North Sea flood of 1953. See List of settlements lost to floods in the Netherlands. ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... North Sea flood of 1953 in the Netherlands The North Sea flood of 1953 and the associated storm combined to create a major natural disaster which affected the coastlines of the Netherlands and England on the night of 31 January 1953 – 1 February 1953. ... This list is an adapted translation of this list from Dutch, plus some additions from other sources. ...

External links

• DeltaWorks.Org - Website about the flood of 1953 and the construction of the DeltaWorks.