Zoetermeer

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/zoetermeer

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Where is Zoetermeer?Western Netherlands, South Holland province, part of the Randstad conurbation
2. How many people live in Zoetermeer?126,998 (2023), making it the 4th largest in South Holland
3. How big is Zoetermeer?37.05 km² (land and water)
4. What language do people speak in Zoetermeer?Dutch
5. What does the name Zoetermeer mean?Zoetermeer means "freshwater lake".
6. How did Zoetermeer change from a lake into a city?The lake was reclaimed in 1614, turning the land into usable space for farms and later for a city.

Randstad: A large metropolitan area in the Netherlands forming a ring of interconnected cities.
New Town (Groeikern): A planned settlement developed to relieve pressure on existing urban areas.
Municipality: A local administrative division with its own government, responsible for local services.
Urban Planning: The process of designing and managing the development of cities and towns.