Editing Geography of the Netherlands (section)

==Landscape==
The country can be split into two areas: the low and flat lands in the west and north, and the higher lands with minor hills in the east and south. The former, including the reclaimed [[polder]]s and [[river delta]]s, make up about half of its surface area and are less than {{convert|1|m|ft}} above sea level, much of it actually below sea level. An extensive range of [[seawall]]s and coastal [[dune]]s protect the Netherlands from the sea, and levees and dikes along the rivers protect against river flooding. A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 1,025&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of tidal flats in the Netherlands, making it the 31st ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=N.J. |last2=Phinn |first2=S.R. |last3=DeWitt |first3=M. |last4=Ferrari |first4=R. |last5=Johnston |first5=R. |last6=Lyons |first6=M.B. |last7=Clinton |first7=N. |last8=Thau |first8=D. |last9=Fuller |first9=R.A. |title=The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats |journal=Nature |date=2019 |volume=565 |issue=7738 |pages=222–225 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8 |pmid=30568300 |s2cid=56481043 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0805-8}}</ref> The rest of the country is mostly flat; only in the extreme south of the country does the land rise to any significant extent, in the foothills of the [[Ardennes]] mountains. This is where [[Vaalserberg]] is located, the highest point on the European part of the Netherlands at {{convert|322.7|m|ft}}<!-- good reason for [[using Template:convert]] --> above sea level. The highest point of the entire country is [[Mount Scenery]] (887 metres or 2,910&nbsp;ft), which is located outside the European part of the Netherlands, on the island of [[Saba (island)|Saba]] in the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]]. The Netherlands is located at mouths of three major European rivers ([[Rhine]], [[Meuse (river)|Maas]] or Meuse, and [[Scheldt]]).

In November 2016, the Netherlands and [[Belgium]] agreed to cede small, uninhabited parcels of land to reflect a change in course of the river [[Meuse]] (or Maas, in Dutch). The land swap is to take effect as of 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/29/belgium-and-the-netherlands-agree-to-swap-land-to-restore-border|title=Belgium and Netherlands agree to swap land to simplify border|agency=Reuters|date=2016-11-29|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-08-04|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>