National Landscape conservation areas cover one fifth of the Netherlands

The 20 National Landscape conservation areas in the Netherlands cover nearly 900 thousand hectares, i.e. more than 20 percent of the total Dutch land area. Approximately two thirds of the National Landscape areas is used for agricultural purposes versus nearly 55 percent for the Netherlands as a whole.

Percentage in the National Landscape area used for agricultural purposes

Green Heart largest National Landscape area

The Green Heart is the largest National Landscape covering more than 20 percent of the total National Landscape area. The smallest National Landscape area is Middag-Humsterland (0.6 percent) situated to the north-west of the municipality of Groningen; 95 percent is used for agricultural purposes (the highest percentage of all National Landscapes.

With 44 percent, the Veluwe has the largest area covered with woods and the IJsseldelta has the largest wet natural area (4 percent). With nearly 37 percent, the Stelling van Amsterdam has the largest body of water (e.g. the circle around the islet of Pampus). Recreational accommodations are rare. The south-west of the province of Zeeland has the highest proportion of recreational accommodations (1.5 percent) and the south of the province of Limburg accounts for the highest percentage of residential area (more than 7 percent).

 National Landscape areas

Building activities above-average

In seven National Landscape areas, building activities exceeded the national average in the period 2006-2008 (nearly 1.9 percent). The three areas with the highest level of building activities were the IJsseldelta, Arkemheen-Eemland and south-west Friesland with 4.9, 4.8 and 4.1 percent respectively. Building activities declined marginally in the Stelling van Amsterdam, Graafschap and Middag-Humsterland. The increase in the IJsseldelta is mainly due to expansion of the business area in the municipality of Genemuiden and the residential area in the municipality of Kampen.

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