Zuiderzee, Former inlet sea north of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The Zuiderzee was a sea inlet in the northwest of the Netherlands that extended from the North Sea deep into the interior. The inlet separated the northern provinces from the rest of the country and formed numerous islands and coastal towns along its shores.
The inlet formed during the medieval period through several storm surges that turned a freshwater lagoon into an open connection to the North Sea. After devastating floods in the 20th century, the government decided to build a dam that closed off the sea inlet in 1932 and turned it into an inland lake.
The name comes from the Dutch word for southern sea, referring to its position south of the Wadden Sea islands. Towns like Marken and Volendam still display old wooden houses and traditional dress that recall the time of fishing villages.
Today you can explore the area through museums and heritage sites along the IJsselmeer that show what life used to be like. Places like Enkhuizen and Urk offer information about the changes the landscape has gone through.
Some former islands like Schokland now lie in the middle of the countryside and are reached by road. The landscape still shows dikes and villages that once sat directly on open water and are now surrounded by fields.
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