The most populated areas of the Netherlands lie below sea level, which means that dikes must be built and maintained to protect the land from the sea and water must be pumped out by windmills originally and now electric- and diesel-operated pumps to keep the land dry enough for pasture, cropland, and settlements. Reclamation of land from the sea is an ancient practice of the Dutch, which they have carried with them to many countries. The photos of the places included here are designed to illustrate these characteristics.

The Dutch love biking and boating, and have the highest density of bikes and boats per capita in the world.