The Netherlands has a total area of ??41,864 square kilometers and is located in western Europe, bordering Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. It borders the North Sea to the west and north, and is located in the deltas of the Rhine, Maas and Scheldt rivers, with a coastline of 1,075 kilometers. The entire territory is lowland, with a quarter of the land less than 1 meter above sea level and a quarter of the land below the sea level. There are more than 1,800 kilometers of dams and embankments along the coast. Rivers crisscross the territory, mainly including Rhine, Maas. There is Lake IJsselmeer on the northwest coast. When the sea tide rises, most of the land will be flooded, so it is called the country of water.