Geest

Geest (German pronunciation: [ɡeːst], Dutch: geestgrond [ˈɣeːstxrɔnt], Danish: gest [ˈke̝ˀst]) is a type of landform, slightly raised above the surrounding countryside, that occurs on the plains of Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark.

[1] The term geest is a substantivisation of the Low German adjective güst, which means "dry and infertile".

In the depressions between the raised flats are wet meadows and, where drainage is poor, bogs.

They are almost always next to flat marshlands, the geest being higher and better protected against flood but, compared to the marsh, with poor soil for agriculture.

The oldest settlements in Northern Germany and Denmark lie on geest, since it provided better protection against storm floods.