Zuiderzee Works Zuiderzee Works The Zuiderzee Works () is a man-made system of dams and dikes, land reclamation and water drainage work, in total the largest hydraulic engineering project undertaken by the Netherlands during the twentieth century. The project involved the damming of the Zuiderzee, a large, shallow inlet of the North Sea, and the reclamation of land in the newly enclosed water using polders. Its main purposes are to improve flood protection and create additional land for agriculture. The American Society of Civil Engineers declared these works, together with the Delta Works in the South-West of the Netherlands, as among the
Geography of the European Netherlands (Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel) , "below" sea level. "highest point on European mainland:" Vaalserberg above sea level. "highest point (including the Caribbean islands):" Mount Scenery on Saba above sea level. Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land Land use: (2011) "arable land:" 25.08% "permanent crops:" 0.88% "other:" 74.04% Irrigated land (2007): Total renewable water resources (2011): Natural hazards: flooding by sea and rivers is a constant danger. The extensive system of dikes, dams, and sand dunes protect nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded during the heavy autumn storms from the north-west.