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A chain of bordering lakes
The creation of the waters around Flevoland
In the 19th century, the Dutch created land in the former Zuiderzee. The twelfth province of the Netherlands, Flevoland, was originally planned to be completely attached to the old land that surrounded it. But due to a much lower location of the new polder compared to the old land, the groundwater flowed naturally towards Flevoland. The damage the subsequent desiccation caused to the fields surrounding the Noordoostpolder led to the revision of the original plans. Flevoland was now separated from the old land by a series of bordering lakes, serving as a buffer to keep the groundwater level intact. The story of how these lakes came into being has not yet been explored, while it is a very fascinating piece of Dutch history. The bordering lakes now serve an important hydraulic function. They have also developed into a diverse recreational and natural zone right in the heart of the Netherlands.