Below sea level. Natural risk management in the Netherlands. Miracles below sea level. Holland and Belgium

24.09.2019

This is a list of the most original countries that are specific for their natural beauties, some for demographics and some for tourist features. Only sovereign states were taken into account.

1. Country with over 3 million lakes - Canada

More than 60 percent of the world's lakes are located in Canada, there are so many of them that their exact number is not known. In some regions, for every 100 sq. km there are more than 30 lakes.

2. A country with more than 17,500 islands - Indonesia

Indonesia consists of more than 17,500 islands with a total coastline of 81,350 km. Approximately 6,000 islands are inhabited by people. The largest islands are Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Bali, Lombok and Flores. Indonesia contains 10-15 percent of the world's coral reefs.

3. "Country of the desert" - Libya

Libya is the country with the most a high percentage desert (99%). The Libyan Desert, which covers most of Libya, is one of the driest places on earth. In some places, decades can go by without rain, and even in the highlands, precipitation is rare, once every 5-10 years.

4. The country with the smallest population density - Mongolia

The country with the lowest population density in the world is Mongolia, with a population density of about 4.4 people per square mile (1.7 people / sq. km). In Mongolia, 2.5 million people occupy over 600,000 square miles of land (about 1,560,000 sq km). Most of This population lives in urban areas, as the development of pastures in the vast deserts of Mongolia is difficult, in particular due to drought and dust storms, as a result of which some parts of the country are almost as deserted as in the time of Genghis Khan.

5. "Country, in the jungle" - Suriname

The area of forests is 14.8 million hectares (57,000 square miles), which is 91% of the total land area of Suriname (16.3 million hectares, or 63,000 square miles). Suriname's vast forest and low population of about 400,000 in the capital and coastal cities give it one of the lowest deforestation rates in the world. Only 5 percent of the population lives in the rainforests, these are indigenous peoples and six tribes of blacks - descendants of runaway slaves who recreated forest communities centuries ago and today retain their traditional West African style.

6. The most endangered country is Ukraine

The country with the highest decline in fertility is Ukraine, with a natural decline. of the population 0.8% each year. Ukraine is expected to lose 28% of its population between now and 2050 (from 46.8 million now to 33.4 million in 2050).

7. Country below sea level - the Netherlands

Half of the Netherlands is below sea level. More than 60 percent of the country's population of 15.8 million lives below sea level. Only in the south of the Netherlands does the terrain rise to 30 meters or more.

8. The most not visited country - Tuvalu

It is the fourth smallest country in the world. Tuvalu is halfway between Australia and Hawaii and is predicted to be the first country to disappear underwater when global warming raises sea levels high enough. In addition, it is very difficult to get here and very expensive flights from Fiji. Tuvalu is visited by a total of 1100 tourists a year.

9. Country-continent - Australia

Australia is the only country in the world that spans an entire continent, there is more than one country on any other continent. It is the only country that is a continent, and a continent that is a country. It is the sixth largest country in the world, with with total area At 7,686,850 sq km (2,967,909 sq mi), it is slightly smaller than 48 US states and 31.5 times larger than the United Kingdom.

If you have ever climbed mountains, then you know the feeling when even with a deep breath there is not enough oxygen. But there are people in the world who live, work, and rest in such conditions. They have adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions, including towering mountains rising over two miles above sea level.

For contrast, in this article we will also talk about the three cities that are significantly below sea level.

The highest cities in the world - La Rinconada, Peru

The highest city in the world is located in the Andes near the border with Bolivia, at an altitude of more than 5100 meters above sea level. The population of the town is 30 thousand people. According to doctors, such a height is the limit for the human body.

The city was founded on a mine, where most of the inhabitants work. Despite the very harsh climate: during the day the temperature rises several degrees above zero, at night it is frosty, people are in no hurry to leave their homes in search of better conditions life. Even the lack of oxygen did not stop the population growth. In the 21st century, it has increased by 231%.

And all because of the rich reserves of gold ore. Residents work in difficult conditions. Some of them even work for free for a whole month so that on its last day they can take as much ores as they can carry on their own. The city can only be reached by one narrow mountain road.

The highest cities in the world - Namche Bazaar, Nepal

A favorite place for tourists and climbers from all over the world, because it is located on the road to Everest, and its height is 4150 meters above sea level. The town serves as the main transit point for people who are going to climb further to the camp on the mountain. This is the last refuge of civilization before the highest mountain in the world.

The city was originally built as a trading zone, where shepherds who raised herds of yaks high in the mountains could exchange the butter and cheese made from the milk of these animals for agricultural products grown in the lower regions of Nepal. Namche Bazaar is still the main shopping mall Khumbu region.

There is electricity in the town, there is an airport (more precisely, a heliport) nearby, but most tourists cannot use it due to protests local residents. For mass tourism, the Lukla airport is used, from which tourists must make a daily transition to Namche Bazaar (in the case of a very fast walk, six hours is enough). Serving tourists at this site provides employment and income for local residents.

Namche Bazaar also houses official offices, police control, a post office and a bank. At the top are the barracks of the Nepalese army. There are hotels on the territory of the city, which are equipped with special rooms that help people adapt to the rarefied mountain air.

The highest cities in the world - El Alto, Bolivia

Despite being located at 4150 meters above sea level, the city of El Alto ranks second in terms of the number of inhabitants in Bolivia - 1 million 700 thousand people.

This town was founded during the construction railway connecting La Paz and Lake Titicaca. El Alto is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. In 1992, 424 thousand people lived here, in 2001 - 647 thousand people, in 2010 - already 992 thousand, in 2011 the number of citizens of El Alto exceeded 1 million.

According to the residents of the city, accommodation below sea level does not interfere with their lives. Although there were some problems. For example, during the construction of the city subway: all the tunnels that the authorities tried to build were soon flooded. And then a way out was found - now most of the metro system runs along an overpass or on the surface of the earth.

Cities Below Sea Level - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, and as of January 1, 2012, the population of the municipality of Amsterdam is 790,000 people.

Amsterdam is located five meters below sea level. Because of this, the city is built entirely on stilts, with huge stakes driven into the ground (in modern times, many stilts "ride" and the houses warp one way or another). Still, environmentalists warn that this city will not save. If due to global warming If the water level rises, then Amsterdam will be the first city to go under water.

Cities below sea level - New Orleans, USA

New Orleans - The largest city Louisiana, is four meters below sea level. Because of this location, the city suffers greatly. Constant hurricanes, typhoons are trying to wipe New Orleans off the face of the earth. Every year it becomes more and more difficult to pump water from the territory, which is much lower than the ocean. The authorities are struggling with this disaster as best they can, but they are powerless before nature.

What it took to survive the terrible hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans in 2005.

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Any tourist traveling to new countries will be interested in how cities located below sea level exist, and why it is not necessary to take rubber boots to stay with dry feet.

Low sections or the so-called depressions are formed at the boundaries of tectonic plates. The formation of depressions occurs when the plates converge or diverge. Most of these sites are located in the northern hemisphere. But heat and evaporation just prevent the filling of depressions with water.

The first country that many people remember is Netherlands. Arriving at Schiphol Airport, located 4.5 meters below sea level, it becomes terribly interesting how the Dutch manage to keep such a restless sea. The lowest dry point in Europe is the city Rotterdam located 7 meters below sea level. Next comes Nieuwe Kerk, 6.74 meters below sea level, followed by Amsterdam, built on stilts. Still don't know

If you go to the USA in the state of Louisiana, you should definitely visit New Orleans located 4 meters below sea level. Many people remember the year 2005 and the invasion of Hurricane Katrina, which claimed the lives of thousands of people, left families homeless, and destroyed everything in its path.

Going to Israel and visiting The Dead Sea, do not forget that it is located 422 meters below sea level. It's hard to believe, but it's true. But since we have already started talking about cities, we will immediately recall a small settlement in southern Israel called Neve Zohar. There are few tourists passing through here, with the exception of those who travel here purposefully, there are not many luxury hotels, but it is here that you can find a lot of historical treasures, for example, Roman-Byzantine fortifications, ruins from the time of the Jewish kings, as well as caves where burials are located Byzantine period. Not everyone knows that Neve Zohar is one of the lowest settlements, located even lower than the coast Dead Sea. Indigenous people are represented by 30 families.

But in the Republic of Djibouti ( East Africa) there is lake Assal located a 155 below sea level. The concentration of salt in the water reaches 34.8%, which is even more than in the Dead Sea. The main industry here, of course, is the extraction of salt, which is transported to Sudan.

The lowest city is Jericho located on the territory of the partially recognized state of Palestine. This is one of ancient cities mentioned in the Bible. The city is known not only as the oldest with the first traces of people here, but also the lowest, located at an altitude of -275 meters. You can go on an excursion to Jericho together with a group of tourists, while it is desirable that the guide coordinate everything with the Ministry of Tourism, because, as you know, the situation in Palestine on the border with Israel is unstable. In case you don't know where to stay, we are at your service.

And now let's go to Absheron Peninsula, where the height of the plain is -26 meters below sea level. Oil and gas production takes place here, and besides, this place is unique for its historical monuments, for example, the Nardaran fortress built in the 14th century, the round castle of the 11th century and the temple of fire, which was built in the 17th-18th centuries. And Baku itself, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is located two meters below the plain and, without exaggeration, there is something to do not only for a tourist, but also for a traveler who wants to spend a few days here.

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The engineering history of the Netherlands, spanning over 2,000 years, is one of relentless struggle against hydrogeological threats. For centuries, the sea has been advancing on the territory of the Kingdom, and from the mainland, river floods have “washed away” the country's economy. This article examines the chronicle of engineering surveys and solutions in the issue of flood protection, describes the most significant projects, traces the path from spontaneous bank protection to an integral approach to working with water resources in the XX - XXI century, when the issues of economic development of territories, residential construction, ecology and tourism became inseparably linked.

Geography

The Netherlands is located in the lower reaches of three major European river basins: the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt. The area of the European part of the country (without dependent territories in the Caribbean region) is 41.5 thousand km², the population is 16.5 million people. About 30% of the surface of the Netherlands is located below sea level and is protected from the west and north by a complex of dunes and water barriers.

The Netherlands is an ancient center of high-intensity agriculture and a key transport hub, supplying the countries of Central Europe with goods arriving by sea. The need to protect the land from sea tides and, as well as a long tradition of draining shallow sea zones, led to the development of a highly complex hydraulic infrastructure in the country. The combination of physical conditions and purposeful human actions has led to the creation of a unique water management system: the water level in almost every reservoir is under human control.

With a fairly high amount of precipitation (769 mm per year), in the summer in the Netherlands there is a shortage of water resources. About 10% of the country's territory is subject to frequent decline in groundwater levels, which makes water depletion a serious problem for agriculture and conservation. environment. The situation is complicated by the need for large-scale use of groundwater for irrigation and drinking water. Since 1950 alone, the supply of water to agricultural areas has led to an increase in areas suffering from water shortages by 25%.

Two thirds of the population of the Netherlands live in areas with high risk floods: areas below sea level require constant protection, as do higher areas subject to periodic floods.

The Netherlands faces not only a significant shortage of drinking and agricultural water, but also a shortage of territory. The space around rivers is necessary not only for flood safety, but also for maintaining environmental sustainability and maintaining river basins for their transport functions.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of 12 provinces divided into 647 municipalities (hereinafter we do not consider the possessions of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean). In the field of water resources management, there are 55 water committees that manage the territories of various municipalities. Water management in the Netherlands is carried out at the national, provincial and water committee levels.

Story

early stage

The first dams in the Netherlands appeared more than 2 thousand years ago. At that time, the sea level was about one and a half meters lower than today. Its gradual steady increase led to the constant construction and destruction of protective structures along the sea and river banks. Active Agriculture, drainage of swamps and the development of peat deposits have led to changes in water regime territories and caused intensification and frequency of floods, which regularly damaged protective dams.

Between 800 and 1250 much of the territory of the North and South-East Netherlands was lost to the advance of the sea, aided by active peat mining in the coastal zones and a series of strong storm surges.

In the 12th century, river floods were relatively rare in the Netherlands, but the tides significantly changed the shape of the coast. The number of floods gradually increased during the 13th century, and in the 14th century they became a serious problem.

The medieval climatic optimum stimulated active population growth and the urban craft and trade economy of the Netherlands. Rising water tables have led to the shift of arable land to higher areas inland and the conversion of coastal areas to grazing land. Irrigation of new arable land, together with the deforestation of neighboring German territories, led to an increased risk of flooding. Rising land values, active urbanization and a general increase in the welfare of the population formed the need for the development of flood protection.

High and Late Middle Ages

In the 13th century, the first modern dam system was created in Holland and Utrecht. The first water committees (Dutch "waterschap") were formed, with responsibility for providing drainage, building and maintaining protective dams. The oldest (before 1250) water committees appeared in the southern part of Utrecht, southern Gorinchem and northern Leiden. Many of the old water committees are still functioning.

The Water Committees were relatively independent village bodies, reporting to the Count of Holland and the Bishop of Utrecht. The formation of water committees in the 13th century was the first manifestation of the influence of natural risks on the formation of central bodies state power in the Netherlands. Since 1273, laws, regulations and distribution of responsibilities for the maintenance of protective dams have been codified in "dam charters" (Dutch "dijkbriefis").

The beginning of the fourteenth century was a time of great disaster throughout Europe. The Netherlands was no exception: in 1313 and 1315 the country was hit by major floods, and in 1314-1317 serious crop failures led to starvation of every tenth inhabitant of the country. The reaction to the destruction of 1313-1315 was the creation of a system of protective dams in the deltas of all major Dutch rivers by 1350. Organizational structure management of hydrogeological risks, based on local authorities, remained unchanged until the middle of the 18th century, when the position of Inspector General of the Rhine Delta was created.

The Little Ice Age (since 1480) also led to the deterioration of natural conditions throughout Western Europe. Since the second half of the 15th century, ice jams have become a frequent occurrence in the Netherlands, which the inhabitants of the region encountered for the first time. Sandbanks and protective dams along the banks of the rivers interfered with the flow of ice - as a result, huge ice dams formed that blocked the rivers.

A series of major storm surges in the 15th and 17th centuries led to a massive loss of coastal land and a change in the structure of the Rhine Delta. Storm surges from the sea were accompanied by major floods. Gradual shoaling led to a decrease bandwidth rivers and an overall increase in hydrological risks. The subsidence of soils protected by dams, especially after the introduction of new drainage technologies, has necessitated strengthening of protective structures through the construction of additional small dams and diversion channels.

new time

AT XVI-XVII centuries The United Provinces have become the world's largest economic center. There were several reasons for this. The Netherlands took over leadership in intermediary ocean trade from Portugal, which allowed the Dutch to receive huge incomes due to price inequality in different regions of the world. For a long time, the Netherlands had a monopoly on the trade in Indonesian spices, an extremely expensive commodity of the time. The Netherlands was also a leader in many industries, in particular in shipbuilding. The urban population of the country is already XVII century made up about 60% of the population.

Until the 17th century, the fight against water threats in the low-lying territory of the Netherlands was purely defensive. If the dam collapsed, a new one was built in its place. In some cases, additional dams have been required to be built behind previously constructed structures, with residents having to leave reclaimed land between the two dams. Sometimes, due to the advance of the sea or changes in river beds, entire villages had to be abandoned.

However, after the invention windmill capable of pumping water for more than high level, as well as a series of improvements in the design of protective dams, it became possible to reverse this process and go into an “offensive at sea”. Economic growth and the increase in the population of the United Provinces stimulated the expansion of agricultural land. Due to the investments of Amsterdam merchants, the coastal strip was drained and developed. By the end of the 18th century, a significant part of the coastal territory was turned into highly productive agricultural areas. The construction of dams and polders on the territory of the most economically developed provinces - Holland and West Frisia - for relatively a short time significantly changed appearance these lands. Cities were connected by a dense network of communications within the framework of single market agricultural products. The drainage of coastal zones was carried out through the construction of polders - areas surrounded by dams, in which the control over the level of groundwater was carried out due to the operation of pumping stations.

In 1795, the highly decentralized Republic of the United Provinces ended its existence, replaced first by the Batavian Republic (1795 - 1806), and later by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The country came under significant influence of French centrism, which also affected the area of water risk management. The first organ appeared in 1798 central control water risks – Water Management Council (Rijkswaterstaat). In the 19th century, significant changes were made to the legislation, which allowed the central authorities to intervene in the construction and maintenance of protective structures on the ground.

Steam engines spreading across the European continent were introduced into the water management system almost immediately after their appearance: in 1820, by order of King William I, the Zuidplaspolder was drained using steam energy, which became the lowest point in the Netherlands (7 meters below sea level). ). From the 1820s to the 1850s, the former artisanal dike specialists were replaced by professionals trained in the Corps of Engineers, which had been given the function of overseeing the defences since 1849.

The spread of the use of steam energy in the second half of the 19th century allowed for more precise control over the level of groundwater at a depth of 0.5 - 1 meter, which significantly increased land productivity. Subsequently, diesel and electric pumping stations made it possible to control the groundwater level at a depth of more than one meter, which made it possible to move towards more productive agriculture.

20th century

The 20th century was the time for the implementation of huge transport, energy and engineering projects in all regions of the world. This trend has not bypassed the Netherlands, in which, since 1920, many major engineering solutions have been implemented in the field of engineering protection of territories and water management.

South Sea Project (Zuiderzee).

In 1891 minister Cornelis Lely proposed between the provinces of North Holland and Friesland. According to the project, the inland South Sea was turned into the IJsselmeer.

Lely's plan included the creation of numerous polders. A significant impetus to the project was given by a major flood in 1916, as well as the experience of the Netherlands' overdependence on food imports during the First World War. The new polders were to provide the necessary expansion of agricultural land and increase food production.

The construction of the dam began in 1920 and was completed in 1932. By that time, the large Wehringermeer polder in the northern part of the future lake had been functioning for two years. Subsequently, the remaining planned polders were built: North-East (48 thousand hectares, 1942), East Flevoland (54 thousand hectares, 1957) and South Flevoland (43 thousand hectares, 1968).

Project Delta

The second important and symbolically significant project in the field of water management was the Delta project - a set of works to protect the South-Eastern part of the Netherlands from floods and soil salinization.

After several decades of research and preparatory design, in 1940 a state commission concluded that the condition of the dykes in Zeeland and other provinces was poor. On January 29, 1953, two design concepts of work were presented. In just two days heavy storm led to flooding in the province of Zeeland, which killed more than 1,800 people. The need for new construction became apparent and the start of the grandiose project was accelerated.

An important part of the project was fundamental research Flood problem, which resulted in the creation of the Delta Norm concept, describing the basic principles : Instead of analyzing in detail the experience of previous floods and designing remedies for the threats of the past, the specialists of the Delta Project team released a breakthrough concept describing the process of investing in flood protection.

The framework was called the Delta Norm and included the following principles:

The main areas in need of flood protection were identified; they were given the name "zones of circular dam protection".
A statistical model was developed that calculated the cost of a possible flood, including damage to private property, loss of industrial production, and the cost of human life. Within this model, the cost human life, lost due to flooding, is estimated at 2.2 million euros (for 2008).
For all areas of the country, the risk of river floods and sea storms was calculated on the Deltar computer (Delta Getij Analogon Rekenmachine).

The most important area of circular dam protection was the coast of South Holland, which has a population of more than four million people. Most of them live below sea level. In this region, the loss of life in the event of catastrophic flooding could become exceptionally high due to the extremely short time for warning of storms in the North Sea. In this case, it would be impossible for the coast of Holland and a full-scale evacuation of the population.

Initially, the commission set the level of acceptable risk of a breakthrough for all "zones of circular dam protection" as 1 time in 125 thousand years. But this level of protection meant the construction of cyclopean structures that even the fairly wealthy Netherlands could not afford. Therefore, the following acceptable risks have been established for different regions:

North and South Holland - 1 breakthrough every 10 thousand years
Other coastal flood risk areas - 1 outburst every 4 thousand years
The rest of the territories that are at risk of flooding - 1 breakthrough every 2 thousand years

Areas prone to river flooding received a higher level of tolerable risk, due to longer warning times and the ability to carry out large-scale evacuations of the population:

Areas of South Holland that are at risk of river flooding - 1 outburst every 1250 years
Other areas at risk of river flooding - 1 outburst every 250 years

The level of acceptable flood risk was enshrined in the "Delta Laws", according to which it became the responsibility of the Dutch government to comply with the set parameters, maintain in order and, if necessary, update the protective structures. Risk levels have also been included in the latest version of the Water Laws in force since 2009.

From 1953 to 1997, 13 huge dams were erected, greatly increasing the security of the entire region. In total, more than 2.4 thousand km of main dams and 14 thousand km of auxiliary dams were built. This scale of work makes the Delta project one of the largest in the world.

New concepts of water management in the 21st century

In the late 1990s, the Committee on Water Resources Management in the 21st Century was organized, which issued a report in 2001 entitled “A Different Approach to Water Resources Management”. The key innovative idea of the report was the emphasis on creating additional space for the movement of water masses during floods, and not on the mechanical strengthening of the banks. According to the authors, this would lead to a reduction in the likelihood of destruction due to floods, flooding of the area during heavy rains and would become a way to store water for a period of drought. Overall, the new document marked a shift from a "pump and drain as fast as possible" approach to a "retain, store and drain" strategy.

Examples of a new water management strategy are the development of regional reservoirs, the Maas project and the national project Space for Rivers.

Maas project

In 2006, the Directorate-General for Civil Engineering and Water Management and the regional authorities of Limburg embarked on a major infrastructure project that became known as the "Project Maas" (Maaswerken). The aim of the project was to reduce the risks of flooding in the regions of Limburg, North Brabant and Gelderland.

To this end, the Meuse River was planned to be widened and deepened, which would not only reduce the risk of flooding, but also increase the navigability of the rivers for 150 kilometers and meet the demand for gravel. The project included the creation of hundreds of hectares of new farmland and the creation of two shipping channels in North Limburg. Also, not far from Roermond, the development of a water retention zone with two reservoirs and a fortified embankment 40 km long began. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2015-2017. The total budget for the work amounted to 500 million euros.

Project "Space for Rivers"

The areas immediately adjacent to the river dams are becoming more and more populated and saturated with agricultural and industrial facilities, which significantly increases the amount of damage if the protective structures fail to cope with the flood. In order to significantly reduce the risk of flooding in these areas, as well as increase their population and investment attractiveness, in 2006 the Government of the Netherlands launched the Space for Rivers project.

The project has three key goals:

By 2015, all channels of the Rhine must pass 16 thousand m3 of water per second
The quality of the adjacent space should be improved
Additional space needs to be saved for future river expansion

Work on the project began in 2007 and included a number of measures:

creation of special floodplains filled with water in case of floods;
dredging;
creation of new reservoirs;
construction of spare river channels;
distance of dams from the riverbed;
deepening of breakwaters;
reduction in the area of polders;
removing obstacles to water flow;
strengthening of dams;

Completion of the project is scheduled for 2015.

The value of the Dutch experience

For eight centuries the Netherlands. During the same period, 520 thousand hectares were reclaimed from the sea. Accordingly, the territory of the country has decreased by 50 thousand hectares compared to 1200. The project that could bring this balance to zero - the Markerwaard polder - was closed in 1991 due to a slowdown in the country's population growth, a decrease in the need for agricultural land and high environmental risks. Many of the old methods of dealing with hydrogeological risks have now faded into the background.

An important aspect of the new approach to the construction of engineering protection systems in the Netherlands is to give them a significant aesthetic function. Many dams and other protective structures are becoming boulevards and parks. Water risk management has come to be seen as an element of spatial planning. As a result of the symbiosis of the latest scientific achievements in the field of hydrogeological risk management and latest developments of modern design, the creation of safe spaces for economic activity and living is perceived not only as an engineering project, but also as an architectural project. Programs of national importance, such as Space for Rivers, explicitly state that it is water that makes the Netherlands beautiful. The priority was an integral approach to working with water resources - not shared with the issues of economic development of territories, housing construction, ecology and tourism. When creating new protective structures, not only direct financial costs are taken into account, but the social cost of construction.

The Dutch history of the interaction between man and water is extremely interesting in many respects. Few countries in the world have been as closely connected to water as the Netherlands. And the fact that a country that has experience in both local, decentralized work with natural risks, and experience in public construction of colossal protective structures, in this moment moves to non-trivial, integral approaches, indicates to engineers and planners around the world what is the most breakthrough direction.

In its pure form, the Dutch experience is certainly not possible to reproduce anywhere, especially on the territory of such large countries as Russia. However, the currently existing projects for the development of new economic zones in the coastal regions of Russia make the Dutch practices obligatory for studying for domestic specialists.

Reference

The tradition of approvals

One of typical features The Netherlands has a long tradition of government consultations with various groups in society. The roots of this tradition lie in the period 1917 - 1967, when the state was required to implement a regime of the so-called "democracy of appeasement" in order to achieve agreement between various factions in Dutch society (although it should be noted that the method of collective decision-making was the main method for the Republic of the United Provinces and centuries ago ). During this period, Dutch society consisted of Catholics, Protestants, Socialists and Liberals - each group having a strong corporate structure and its own media, schools, sports clubs, etc. The coexistence in political and public life of several organizations with similar goals, but different ideologies, has led to the need for mutual consultations and the constant development of consensus. Despite the fact that the rigid division of Dutch society into groups eased somewhat after 1967, the tradition of constant coordination remained unchanged.

So the name of the country of the Netherlands, which is also called Holland, is literally translated, and this name, in turn, is translated as “land without a solid foundation”. These two translations represent natural features this wonderful country, but in fact, this is not entirely true.

Geographic location and climate

The Netherlands consists of the Western European region and the Antilles. This country borders on Germany and Belgium, the borders between these countries pass through flat terrain. The Netherlands is washed by the North Sea, the coastline stretches over 450 kilometers. It is a flat country, with almost half of its territory below sea level. The most high point The Netherlands is located at an altitude of 320 meters - this is Mount Waalserberg, and the lowest is at an altitude of 6.5 meters below sea level. More than half of the country is an anthropogenic territory, natural landscapes few and all of them are carefully guarded.

The climate of the country is determined by the Northern Tradewind current, it is maritime and temperate. It's never too cold in winter, and it's never too hot in summer. The most comfortable time of the year is spring. The sky turns azure blue, the grass becomes emerald green and everything around blooms and smells. It does not rain often in spring, summer is also warm, but rains are not uncommon. If the weather permits, in the summer you can have a great time on the beach. But autumn is a period of rains and storms. The winter is mild, it mostly rains instead of snow, the temperature in winter rarely drops below +2 degrees. The best time to travel around the country is from June to October. But there are travelers who come in March or April to admire the blooming tulips and hyacinths.

Netherlands Hotels

In Amsterdam there is a wonderful hotel Golden Tulip Amsterdam Center 5 *. This hotel is extremely conveniently located - you can walk to the main attractions in just ten minutes, and in five minutes you will reach the central station. The hotel staff is very polite and friendly, the breakfasts are delicious and varied, there are also hot dishes. The rooms are very spacious and fully meet the value for money. The rooms have air conditioning, safe, shower, minibar, computer and fax. For children and disabled people special conditions. The hotel has a sauna, a restaurant, a fitness center and a conference room. In addition, you will be allowed to check into the room with your small pet.

We also recommend The Convent 4* hotel in the capital of the Netherlands. Its location is also quite convenient, as it is located a five-minute walk from Dam Square and ten minutes from the railway station. The rooms are comfortable and with soundproof walls. The room has air conditioning, blackout curtains, excellent carpeting, everything for making coffee and tea, the bathroom has a variety of shampoos, bath foams, hair conditioners and more. Rooms are cleaned daily, towels are also changed every day. Breakfast is standard but always fresh and tasty.

The Blue Tower 4 * hotel is located on the border of the city center. In twenty minutes you can drive to it from the airport. The hotel is clean and beautiful, the rooms are furnished in a classic style, the bathroom has all the amenities, the hotel has free Internet. There are rooms for non-smokers.

Attractions

Amsterdam has collected a huge number of attractions of the country. This is the Westerkerk church - a famous Protestant temple, and the cathedral, where the symbolic grave of Rembrandt is located, and the Van Gogh Museum, where you will find the largest and most famous collection of masterpieces of the great master. In Amsterdam, there is the Stedelijk museum, where art lovers will see paintings by Malevich, Picasso, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Chagall, Monet. If you want to get acquainted with Dutch painting, then you will certainly be interested in visiting the Rijksmuseum gallery. The Dutch Center for Crafts and Art is also an attraction, where you will see glassblowers, diamond grinders and other craftsmen at work. The Museum of Tattoos, the Museum of Hashish and Marijuana and the Museum of Sex, which is the temple of the goddess Venus, are very interesting and popular.

There are also a lot of castles in the Netherlands. The majestic Ammersoen Castle was built in the 14th century and is located next to the city of 's-Hertogenbosch, Lo Castle was built in the 17th century by order English king William III, a large number of generations of the royal family lived there, it is located near Apeldoorn. Of great interest are the cathedrals and churches of the country - concerts are often held in the church of Sint Bavo, which are not complete without an organ, which was created in the 18th century by Christian Muller, the church of St. John, which was built in the 16th century, is very interesting. In the city of Utrecht, there is a very beautiful Domkerk Cathedral, which began to be built in the 13th century and was completed in the 16th.

Excursions

For those who want romance, a tour of the most beautiful corners of the city will certainly be interesting. This excursion is carried out on a comfortable pleasure boat, during the walk you will get amazing impressions and get to know the city better. Many people call Amsterdam the “Venice of the North” because the total length water arteries the city is more than a hundred kilometers, the city is divided into parts, connected to each other by bridges, of which there are more than a thousand in Amsterdam.

You can go on a tour of the city's clubs, oddly enough they are few in the city. They are all located close to each other and it is very convenient - you can always change the situation and go to another club. Amsterdam clubs are frank entertainment and wild fun, which, in fact, is characteristic of this city.

Well, if you love nature, then you should definitely book an excursion to the Keukenhof flower park, as well as get to the Flower Parade. In the 15th century, Countess Jaakoba van Bayeren often collected herbs in this park to add them to dishes and even hunted game. In the middle of the last century, the first flower exhibition was held in the park, and now this exhibition is held annually. On an area of 30 hectares, several million tulip bulbs are planted every year, so in spring it is unusually beautiful here.

Entertainment in the Netherlands

If you want to take part in club parties, then you should definitely go to Amsterdam. This city is famous all over the world for its nightlife and clubs. The oldest and most popular of them is the club, which is located on the Rembarndtplein, it is called Escape. Mostly night life The city is concentrated on the central streets of Amsterdam - Leidseplein, Rebrandtplein and Red Light Street. The last street occupies the largest area of the old city. Soft drugs are legally sold there, many coffeeshops and sex shops. Walking along this street, you will see scantily clad girls in the windows, but we do not recommend taking pictures of them - troubles may arise.

shopping

In Amsterdam you can buy things from all over the world. It is most convenient to go shopping at the Beienkorf department store. There are many boutiques in the city, the most famous brands you will find on the Kalverstraat. Shops are open every day until six in the evening, on Saturday they close at five. Sunday is a day off.

Kitchen

Dutch cuisine uses seemingly foods that don't go well together. It's basically "country" cuisine. Also, the Dutch cook excellent seafood. Most favorite dish- salted herring with pickled cucumber and onion. Also very popular are fried herring fillets, pike perch stewed with vegetables, smoked eel, served with eggs and lemon as a side dish. interesting dish- fish meatballs. The dishes are most often served with salad or potato wedges. There are a lot of vegetables on the menu, as well as a lot of dairy products. Pancakes, it turns out, is also a Dutch national dish.

The Dutch do not eat much meat, but they use everything - trimmings, offal, etc., and they cook all this with a great deal of imagination. Most popular meat dish- boiled or stewed meat with mashed potatoes. We also recommend not to refuse mashed potatoes with cabbage, which is served with smoked meats. Very tasty beans with cracklings. The Dutch also love soups and know how to cook. Try pea and smoked sausage soup or celery soup.

Hot sandwiches are also very Dutch. The most famous is a three-layer sandwich with fried egg, ham and bacon. Be sure to try cheese tarts, balls with various fillings, apple sandwiches and sandwiches with tomatoes and lard. In all sandwiches, cheese is the main ingredient - this is the pride of Holland. Cheese will be served to you even as a snack - cut into cubes with fruits, vegetables or meat. Cheese is always added to all Dutch salads.

As for drinks, the Dutch drink vodka and beer. They also love liqueurs, especially Orange Bitter.

The Netherlands is a country that has provided big influence throughout world culture. The sights of this extraordinary country are known to absolutely everyone. And her natural resources have not left indifferent even a single traveler.