The
Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta or
Helinium is a
river delta in the
Netherlands formed by the confluence of the
Rhine, the
Meuse and the
Scheldt rivers. The result is a multitude of islands, branches and branch names that may at first sight look bewildering, especially as a
waterway that appears to be one continuous stream may change names as many as seven times, e.g. Rhine →
Bijlands Kanaal →
Pannerdens Kanaal →
Nederrijn →
Lek →
Nieuwe Maas →
Het Scheur →
Nieuwe Waterweg (→
North Sea). Since the Rhine contributes most of the water, the shorter term
Rhine Delta is commonly used. However, this name is also used for the river delta where the Rhine flows into
Lake Constance, so it is clearer to call the larger one Rhine-Meuse delta, or even
Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt Delta, as the Scheldt ends in the same delta.