How the Dutch created The Netherlands

How
the
Dutch
created
The
Netherlands
A history lesson in maps

Hans van der Maarel
Red Geographics

Seeing a modern Dutch coastline on a map that's supposed to portray something set in the past is something that annoys me immensely. In this talk I will highlight some of the big, man-made, changes in Dutch geography.

NACIS 2014

Transcript

1. How  the  Dutch  created  The   Netherlands   A  history  lesson  in  maps     Hans  van  der  Maarel  –  Red  Geographics  
2. Why  this  presenta?on?   Source:  Digital  Atlas  of  the  Roman  Empire  
3. Why  this  presenta?on?   Source:  Wikipedia  ar?cle  on  “Roman  Empire”  
4. Why  this  presenta?on?   •  Educate  cartographers   •  Show  and  tell   •  Period  maps   •  Focus  on  20th/21st  century  
5. The  Netherlands  
6. The  Netherlands   Sea  level  line   Area  below  sea  level  contains   •   4  biggest  ci?es  (Amsterdam,     RoRerdam,  Den  Haag  &  Utrecht   •   Majority  of  popula?on   •   Majority  of  industry   •   Land  reclama?on  since  8th/9th   century.     •   Big  advances  since  17th     century.   •   4  out  of  8  UNESCO     World  Heritage  sites   related  to  land   reclama?on     Vaalserberg,  +323m   Zuidplaspolder,  -­‐7m  
7. The  Netherlands   Deltawerken   Maasvlakte   Zuiderzeewerken  
8. The  Netherlands  -­‐  1901  
9. Zuiderzee  -­‐  1901  
10. IJsselmeer  -­‐  1936   Afsluitdijk   (completed  1933)   Wieringermeer   (completed  1930)  
11. IJsselmeer  -­‐  1949   Noordoostpolder   (completed  1942)   Wieringermeer   (re-­‐flooded  in  1945,   re-­‐reclaimed)  
12. IJsselmeer  -­‐  1967   Oostelijk  Flevoland   (completed  1957)   Note  spelling!  
13. IJsselmeer  -­‐  1969   Zuidelijk  Flevoland   (completed  1968)   Houtribdijk   (completed  1975)   Markerwaard   (plans  abandoned   in  the  1980s)  
14. Urk  and  Schokland  –  former  islands  
15. 1953  flood     January  31st  1953   NW  storm  and  spring  ?de   breach  the  dikes     •   1853  people  drowned   •   70000  people  evacuated   •   1365  km2  of  land  flooded   •   30000  animals  drowned   •   47000  buildings  damaged  or   destroyed   This  disaster  was  the  cause  of  the  Deltawerken  
16. 1953  flood    
17. Zeeland  -­‐  1969  
18. Zeeland  -­‐  1988  
19. Maeslantkering  
20. Maasvlakte  -­‐  1936  
21. Maasvlakte  -­‐  1967   First  harbor  basins   almost  finished.  
22. Maasvlakte  -­‐  1988   Full  extent  reached  
23. Maasvlakte  -­‐  2014   S?ll  under  construc?on.  Full  use  not  before  2030    
24. Zandmotor   “Feeds”  sand  to  coastline  to  the  northeast,  distribu?on  via  currents  
25. Future:  a  mountain!   Just  kidding!  Or  maybe  not…?  
26. Thank  you!     hans@redgeographics.com   @redgeographics