Why do Netherlands can be below sea level?

The Netherlands lies mostly below sea level, in fact, about twenty percent of the country lies below sea level, and a third is below one meter. The lowest point in the Netherlands is the Zuidplaspolder at -7 meters.

As the last glacial period came to an end, rising seas quickly overwhelmed the Rhine-Meuse delta, which is an area of the Netherlands that is now the province of South Holland and parts of North Holland, Utrecht and Zeeland. The Netherlands is mostly below sea level due to the combination of rising sea levels and the sinking of the land. The sinking of the land is caused by a number of factors, including the weight of the ice during the last glacial period and the extraction of natural gas from the subsoil.

The Netherlands has a long history of fighting the sea. In the 13th century, the first dikes were built to keep the sea out. Since then, the Dutch have been constantly building and improving their dikes and dams. In the 1930s, the Zuiderzee Works was completed, which is a series of dams and dikes that created the IJsselmeer, a freshwater lake. The Delta Works, completed in 1997, is a system of dams and storm surge barriers that protect the southwestern coast of the Netherlands from flooding.

Despite the Netherlands' constant battle against the sea, it is a safe and prosperous country. The Dutch have learned to live with the water, and they have even turned it into an advantage. The Netherlands is now a world leader in water management and sustainable development.