Question

Which of the following is/are called the Low Countries of Europe?
A) Belgium
B) Netherlands
C) Luxembourg City
D) All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: The Low Countries get their name from the fact that most of their land along the North Sea coast and for a short distance inland is either below or only slightly above sea level. For example, more than a quarter of the Netherlands' total land area is below sea level. The polders are protected from floods by natural sand dunes and a system of man-made seawalls and dikes.

Complete answer:
Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg make up the Low Countries, also known as the Benelux countries, a coastal area of northwestern Europe. From the initial letters of their names, these countries are known as the Benelux countries. The Low Countries are bordered to the east by Germany and to the south by France. The three countries established the Benelux Customs Union in 1947, which grew over time into the Benelux Economic Union, which was confirmed by a treaty in 1960.

Now, let us look at the given options:
A) Belgium: This option is incorrect because although Belgium is one of the low countries, the other countries are also called the low countries of Europe so, the answer is all of these.
B) Netherland: Although The term "Low Countries" is commonly used to refer to the territories of what is now the Netherlands but other countries are also included in it. So, this option is incorrect.
C) Luxembourg City: Luxembourg City is a part of low countries of Europe along with Belgium and the Netherlands, therefore, this option is incorrect
D) All of the above: This is the correct answer. Today, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg are collectively known as the Low Countries.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘D’.

Note: The Zuidplaspolder, northeast of Rotterdam, is the lowest point in the Low Countries, with a depth of 22 feet (6.76 metres). The Schelde, Meuse (Maas), and lower Rhine branches are the main rivers of the Low Countries. The major rivers are linked by a vast network of shipping canals and waterways. More than 3,000 square miles (8,000 square kilometres) of fertile farmland has been recovered from the Schelde, Meuse, and Rhine river deltas, as well as the Zuiderzee, a shallow arm of the North Sea that once cut deep into the Netherlands' northwestern shore.