Polders along the North Sea

1) In which physical region of Europe was this photo taken?
2) What purpose do the evergreen branches in the "fence" play in reclaiming the land?
3) Where are the dikes? Find the dikes on the topographic map.
4) What are polders? What are polders called in German?

  Answers:
1) North European Plain
2) The evergreen tree branches, which come from the forests of Scandinavia, are used to construct "fences" which slow down the sea water as it flows in and out with the tides depositing silt and sand which is used to gradually increase the elevation of the land.
3) The main dike is located where the land meets the sky.
Dikes are shown as on the topographic map.
4) Polders are below sea level and are protected by dikes from the sea and must be pumped to keep them from flooding -- historically with the classic Dutch windmills or now with diesel engines. In German, polders are called Koog.

Optional: a side trip to the coastal areas of the Netherlands.

 

Created by Ingolf Vogeler 1 February 1996; last revised on 09 September 2005.