North Sea
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A contemporary transnational Euroregion encompasses the North Sea countries. |
The
North Sea (historically also known as the
German Ocean) is a
sea of the
Atlantic Ocean, located between
Norway and
Denmark in the east, the
UK (
England and
Scotland) in the west, and
Germany, the
Netherlands,
Belgium and
France in the south. An offshoot of the North Sea is the
Skagerrak, between Denmark, Norway, and
Sweden, which connects to the
Baltic Sea through the
Kattegat,
Öresund, the
Great Belt and the
Little Belt. In the south, the North Sea connects with the rest of the Atlantic through the
Strait of Dover into the
English Channel and in the north through the
Norwegian Sea.
Major rivers that drain into the North Sea include the
Forth (at
Edinburgh),
Elbe (at
Cuxhaven), the
Weser (at
Bremerhaven), the
Ems at
Emden, the
Rhine and
Meuse (at
Rotterdam), the
Scheldt (at
Flushing), the
Thames, and the
Humber (at
Hull). The
Kiel Canal, one of the world's busiest artificial waterways, connects the North Sea with the Baltic.
Its name originates from its relationship to the land of the
Frisians. They live directly to the south of the
North Sea, and to the west of the
East Sea (
Oostzee, the Baltic Sea), the former
South Sea (
Zuiderzee, today's
IJsselmeer) and the today reclaimed
Middle Sea (
Middelzee).
In classical times this body of water was also referred to as the
Oceanum- or
Mare Germanicum, meaning German Ocean or Sea. This name was commonly used in English and other languages along with the name
North Sea, until the early
eighteenth century. By the late
nineteenth century,
German Sea was a rare, scholarly usage even in
Germany. In Danish the North Sea is also named
Vesterhavet (besides
Nordsøen), meaning
Western Ocean as it is located west of Denmark.
The bed of the North Sea forms two basins. The main northern one lies to the north of a ridge between north
Norfolk and
Frisia. The southern basin, if not flooded, would now drain towards the
Strait of Dover thence to the
English Channel. During the
Devensian glacial much of the northern basin was covered by the
ice sheet and the remainder, including the southern basin, was
tundra. However, during the
Cromerian, there was a natural dam of chalk between the
South Foreland and
Cap Blanc Nez. This is what is normally called "The Strait of Dover Land Bridge" but, since it collapsed (probably mainly during the
Anglian glacial), the lower ridge mentioned above has been the highest part of the land bridge between continental
Europe and
Great Britain during periods when the volume of land ice in the world has led to low levels of the oceanic surface. The
Channel Tunnel runs through the chalk base of the former natural dam so that the approach routes to the tunnel afford good views of the landward ends of the dam as they remain today.
There is a substantial amount of
petroleum and
natural gas under the seabed: see
North Sea oil; however, as recognized by the
energy policy of the United Kingdom this production is declining and must be supplanted by other sources.
*
List of islands*
List of islands of Denmark *
List of islands of Germany*
List of islands of the Netherlands*
List of islands of Norway*
List of islands of the United Kingdom*
Overfishing*
North Sea Commission*
Continental shelfOverview of geography, hydrography and climate of the North Sea*
Etymology and History of names*
Silver Pit theories*
Silver Pit chart*
The North Sea Museum in
Hirtshals, Denmark
*
German coast information in German*
Official german North sea webdirectory*
Northsea flatsnds-nl:Noordzee
