We’ve grown!

useless-netherlandsfacts:

The Netherlands has grown about 10 hectares in size!

And no, this is not the work of a new polder, nor a war declaration on Belgium. The Dutch and Belgian king have signed a treaty to swap out two belgian islands for one dutch island, which makes for a netto increase of land of 10 hectares. 

The islands, which were at the wrong side of the Rhine, are uninhabited, but were notorious for hosting a ton of illegal activities, due to the fact that the police forces of both countries could only acces their own island(s) by sea, which resulted in them usually being too late. This little exchange is one of the few examples of changing borders without any violence!