Netherlands is one of the Low Countries, so called because much of its land is below sea level or is (1) ........... wetlands. They say the Netherlands is so (2) ............ that if you stand on a chair, you can see clear (3) ............. the whole country! The Netherlanders have reclaimed much land from the sea through the (4) ............... of dikes and windmills. Their famous windmills have been used since the early sixteenth century to pump water out of the wet (5) ............ into canals and create more land for agriculture. Dikes were built to (6) ............ the sea at bay and prevent flooding.
Since much of the Netherlands' coastal land was muddy, special shoes were (7) ........... to work in the fields. Rubber boots weren't (8) ................ , so the Dutch took to wearing "sabots" or wooden shoes. Such shoes, (9) ................... from beech or chestnut wood, are water resistant and perfect for walking in the wetlands. While wooden shoes and windmills are not used much anymore, they will always be a symbol of the Netherlands' battle with the sea and are great tourist (10) ................... .
