Netherlands

Quick facts

Where is Netherlands?

Satellite view centred on Amsterdam (52.0°, 5.0°).

How to spot Netherlands from satellite imagery

The Netherlands is one of the most aerially distinctive countries on Earth, not because of any natural landscape but because of the extraordinary scale of human engineering applied to the land surface. Roughly 26 percent of the country is below sea level, and a further 29 percent is at risk of flooding. The Dutch response over the last 1,000 years has been to drain, embank, dyke, polder, and otherwise hydraulically engineer the country into existence. The result is a national landscape that no other country reproduces and that is unmistakable from satellite altitude.

For geography games, the Netherlands is one of the easier countries to learn because the aerial signature is so strong. This guide walks through the cues that lock it in fast and tell you where in the country you have landed.

Themed Netherlands modes

Restrict the location pool to Netherlands and pick a theme — volcanoes, capitals, coastlines. Smaller pool, sharper learning curve.