or Westerschelde
Estuary, southwestern Netherlands.
An inlet of the North Sea at the mouth of the Schelde River , it flows west for about 30 mi (50 km) through the Delta Islands to the North Sea. It has been an important transportation route since the 16th century, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V designated Vlissingen as his port of embarkation from the Netherlands. It continues to operate as an important shipping route to many destinations, including Antwerp .