Germany and The Netherlands
Germany is situated in the middle of Europe and borders nine different countries. To the west, there is the 567 kilometres long border with the Netherlands,. To the north, between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Germany lies only just above sea level. 900 kilometers to the south, it borders the Alps. Another 650 kilometres to the east, and Germany borders Poland and the Czech Republic. Due to the magnitude of this area, Germany has many geographical, climatic and culturally diverse regions just waiting to be discovered.
The Federal Republic of Germany was founded in 1949 and consists of 16 federal states since the unification in 1990.
The most densely populated state is the capital of Berlin, followed by the metropolises Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. The Ruhr Valley, only half an hour’s drive from the Dutch border, has a population density similar to that of the Netherlands: more than five million inhabitants and 528 people per km².
The Netherlands is situated in the middle of Europe, bordering Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. The north and west of the Netherlands lies on the North Sea coast which is very important to the economy and tourism.
As the name suggests the Netherlands is a flat country that lies for the most part below sea level. Its location on the North Sea coast means that the Dutch have always had to fight rising sea levels. Because of this constant battle, the Netherlands is well-known for its innovations in the field of water management, such as floating houses, making life on the coast safer and more liveable. In terms of landscape, the Netherlands is mainly known for its many canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycle paths. But culturally, there is also a great deal to experience in the Netherlands.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of 12 provinces and 3 Caribbean islands which have been designated ‘special municipalities‘: Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, while the parliament and seat of government are in The Hague. Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands, with 873,000 inhabitants, closely followed by Rotterdam and The Hague.
Germany
Inhabitants
83.2 million
Capital
Berlin
Language
German
Form of government
Federal Parliamentary Republic
Area
357.580 km²
Population density
235 inhabitants per km²
Degree of urbanisation
77,4 %
Average age
45,7 years
The Netherlands
Inhabitants
17,5 million
Capital
Amsterdam
Language
Dutch
Form of government
Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Area
41.543 km²
Population density
511 inhabitants per km²
Degree of urbanisation
92,2 %
Average age
43,3 years
Population density and urbanisation
Berlin is the largest city in Germany and is roughly four times the size of the largest city in the Netherlands – Amsterdam. Both cities are more or less equally densely populated, with just under 4,100 inhabitants per square kilometre, placing them firmly around the middle of the list of the 50 largest cities in Europe.
By comparison, after Malta, the Netherlands is the most densely populated country in Europe.
The degree of urbanisation – the percentage of the population that lives in cities – is significantly higher in the Netherlands (92.4%) than it is in Germany (77.4%).
Source: statista
Almere/Amsterdam
Almere is the eighth largest municipality of the Netherlands and is situated in the east of Amsterdam, in the province of Flevoland. The city stands on the largest artificial island of the Netherlands, between two and five metres below sea level.
The first pole was hammered into this polder forty years ago, and the first inhabitants settled in this new city. Now, there are more than 215,000 people living in Almere and the numbers are rapidly increasing because it is the fastest growing municipality in the Netherlands.
Dykes, locks and pumps protect the reclaimed land against encroaching water. These waters connect Almere with Amsterdam, the world-famous capital of the Netherlands which attracts more than 17 million tourists a year. The region of Amsterdam, which also includes Almere, has a total of more than two million inhabitants.
The German twin city of Almere is Rendsburg in Schleswig -Holstein.
