Editing Urk (section)

== Geography ==
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2017}}
Towards the north, the [[IJsselmeer]] is enclosed by an arc of [[boulder clay]] high areas of land which formed during an [[ice age]] glaciations of the [[Pleistocene]] epoch: [[Texel]], [[Wieringen]], Urk, de [[Voorst]], and [[Gaasterland]]. To the south of that arc a lake formed as a result of meltwater, which became known as [[Almere (lake)|Almere]]. North of the boulder clay highland of Urk, the [[Vechte|Vecht]] river flowed into the Almere, while the river [[IJssel]] with tributaries flowed into the south of Urk. As the climate became warmer during the Middle Ages, the sea level rose whilst the surrounding areas have been slowly steadily [[forebulge sinking|sinking because of forebulge effect]] since the end of the Ice Age. During the 13th century (and especially after a large storm in 1287) the [[Zuiderzee]] formed, and the water round Urk suddenly became a tidal sea. Because there was no sea defense, over time large pieces of the island eroded. The southwest side of Urk, which rose perpendicularly out of the sea, was called ''het Hoge Klif'' ("the High Cliff"). Around 1700 the [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] of [[Amsterdam]] donated sea defenses to Urk. The town contains the highest point in the province of [[Flevoland]].