German section Downstream of Bonn, the river
meanders through the
Lower Rhine Bay (), passing through the city of
Cologne (), and continues through the
Lower Rhine Plain (). The German term
Niederrhein refers both to the German section of the Lower Rhine as well as to parts of the surrounding
Lower Rhine region.
Netherlands section Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into numerous branches. The main branch is called the
Waal which flows from
Nijmegen to meet the
Meuse; after which it is called
Merwede. Near
Rotterdam the river is known as
Nieuwe Maas, and becomes the
Nieuwe Waterweg flowing into the North Sea at Hook of Holland. The downstream Lower Rhine is a low-lying land. Up to the beginning of
industrialization roughly one fifth of the land area could only be used as pasture: an endless meadow, which could not be farmed because of flooding and a high ground-water level. However, the remaining soils of the Lower Rhine were always very fertile. That can also be seen in the farmsteads. The houses are relatively large, with the intention of accommodating a plentiful harvest and many cattle. The Nederrijn refers to the more northern former main branch of the Rhine, which flows past
Arnhem; splits off the
IJssel which flows into the
IJsselmeer and then splits into the
Lek and the
Kromme Rijn at
Wijk bij Duurstede. The Lek flows into the Merwede. The Kromme Rijn continues past
Utrecht, becomes the
Leidse Rijn, then
Oude Rijn and flows into the North Sea at
Katwijk. There are other minor branches such as the
Vecht,
Hollandse IJssel and the
Noord. ==See also==