The term ZUIDER ZEE is a Dutch term that refers to a large body of water located in the Netherlands. It is also known as the Southern Sea and is an inland sea that was formed by the flooding of the Rhine and Meuse rivers. The Zuiderzee was once a large bay of the North Sea, but it was closed off from the sea in 1932 with the completion of the Afsluitdijk. The Zuiderzee is now a freshwater lake and is home to many species of fish and birds.