Lammefjord
Encyclopedia
The Lammefjord is a former body of water in Denmark
at the base of the Odsherred
peninsula. Previously a deeply branched arm of the sea leading west from the Isefjord
, most of it is now reclaimed
as agricultural land. The eastern third, outside the dyke at Avdebo, is still sea, but the name Lammefjord now usually refers only to the dry part west of the dyke.
The sandy former sea bed is excellent agricultural land, especially for crops such as carrot
s and potato
es.
The draining project begun in 1873, but it took until 1943 before the lowest elevations were pumped dry. Large parts of the fjord were shallow enough to be dry early on. In 1899 the Odsherred Railway opened across the western end of the fjord. The town of Fårevejle Stationsby grew up where the railway intersects that main road across the seabed; it serves as the administrative and mercantile center for much of the Lammefjord.
The Lammefjord contains Denmark's lowest dry elevation, at 7 metres (23 ft) below sea level
. According to this list, it is also the lowest point of Northern Europe
and in the European Union
(shared with Zuidplaspolder
in Netherlands
).
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
at the base of the Odsherred
Odsherred
Odsherred is a peninsula in the north-western part of the island Zealand in Denmark. Odsherred is stretching from the Sjællands Odde in the north-west to the now drained fjord Lammefjord in the south, covering an area with a wide range of the most typical Danish landscapes such as long sandy...
peninsula. Previously a deeply branched arm of the sea leading west from the Isefjord
Isefjord
The Isefjord, Danish Isefjorden, is a deeply branched arm of the sea into the Danish island Zealand.From its relatively narrow entrance from the Kattegat at Hundested and Rørvig, branches of the Isefjord stretch 35 km inland and divide the northern part of Zealand into the peninsulas of...
, most of it is now reclaimed
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
as agricultural land. The eastern third, outside the dyke at Avdebo, is still sea, but the name Lammefjord now usually refers only to the dry part west of the dyke.
The sandy former sea bed is excellent agricultural land, especially for crops such as carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s and potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es.
The draining project begun in 1873, but it took until 1943 before the lowest elevations were pumped dry. Large parts of the fjord were shallow enough to be dry early on. In 1899 the Odsherred Railway opened across the western end of the fjord. The town of Fårevejle Stationsby grew up where the railway intersects that main road across the seabed; it serves as the administrative and mercantile center for much of the Lammefjord.
The Lammefjord contains Denmark's lowest dry elevation, at 7 metres (23 ft) below sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. According to this list, it is also the lowest point of Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
and in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(shared with Zuidplaspolder
Zuidplaspolder
The Zuidplaspolder is a polder in the Netherlands, containing the lowest point of Western Europe and in the entire European Union...
in Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
).
See also
- ZuidplaspolderZuidplaspolderThe Zuidplaspolder is a polder in the Netherlands, containing the lowest point of Western Europe and in the entire European Union...
- List of countries by lowest point
- Table of elevation extremes by countryTable of elevation extremes by countryThe following sortable table lists land surface elevation extremes by country.Elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, an equipotential gravitational surface model of the Earth's sea level.-Table:-National elevation ranges:...
- Extreme points of the European UnionExtreme points of the European UnionThis is a list of the extreme points of the European Union — the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.-In Europe:* North: Nuorgam, Finland...