When asked about the Netherlands, for most a few words come to mind. ‘Amsterdam, tulips and orange will surely be amongst those.
But there’s a lot more to this small, flat European country.
Tulips
First of all the tulips are not native to the Netherlands. Although this is one of the things the country is most popular for, the tulip originates from Turkey.
Language
Dutch is the national language in the Netherlands, but there is another official language. In the province of Friesland the official language is Frisian. The Netherlands is also a country that has one of the highest proficiencies of English. Whenever you visit, you won’t have to worry, as long as you speak English you will easily find someone you can have a conversation with.
Flat, low and wet
Almost 17% of the land has been reclaimed from lakes and from the sea. About 26% of the country lies below sea level, the lowest point lying seven meters below sea level. Because the country is below sea level and always under the risk of floods, there is an ingenious system of dikes, dams, storm-surge barriers and other water management solutions.
Anthem
The Dutch anthem is called ‘The Wilhelmus’. You may have heard it when you have watched the World Cup, Olympics or Formula 1. This anthem has been the official Dutch anthem since 1932 but originates back to around 1570. Therefor it is the oldest anthem in the world.
Cycling
Visitors to the Netherlands are often astonished by the number of bicycles they see. Especially in the city this is a very popular and convenient way of transportation. You skip traffic jams, while getting some daily exercise. There are even more bikes than people in the Netherlands and all together there is about 15.000 km of bike lanes in this country!
Liquorice
Those who have visited may have tried some typical Dutch snacks. Stroopwafels (a thin, round waffle cookie with a caramel filling), kroketten (breaded, deep-fried snack filled with ragout) and drop (liquorice) are very popular. On a yearly basis the Dutch consume roughly 32 million kilograms of liquorice!
What’s in a name
While a lot of tourists refer to this country as Holland, the correct name is the Netherlands. Holland is a historic province, now divided into two provinces (Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland).
When asked about the Netherlands, for most a few words come to mind. ‘Amsterdam, tulips and orange will surely be amongst those.
But there’s a lot more to this small, flat European country.
Tulips
First of all the tulips are not native to the Netherlands. Although this is one of the things the country is most popular for, the tulip originates from Turkey.
Language
Dutch is the national language in the Netherlands, but there is another official language. In the province of Friesland the official language is Frisian. The Netherlands is also a country that has one of the highest proficiencies of English. Whenever you visit, you won’t have to worry, as long as you speak English you will easily find someone you can have a conversation with.
Flat, low and wet
Almost 17% of the land has been reclaimed from lakes and from the sea. About 26% of the country lies below sea level, the lowest point lying seven meters below sea level. Because the country is below sea level and always under the risk of floods, there is an ingenious system of dikes, dams, storm-surge barriers and other water management solutions.
Anthem
The Dutch anthem is called ‘The Wilhelmus’. You may have heard it when you have watched the World Cup, Olympics or Formula 1. This anthem has been the official Dutch anthem since 1932 but originates back to around 1570. Therefor it is the oldest anthem in the world.
Cycling
Visitors to the Netherlands are often astonished by the number of bicycles they see. Especially in the city this is a very popular and convenient way of transportation. You skip traffic jams, while getting some daily exercise. There are even more bikes than people in the Netherlands and all together there is about 15.000 km of bike lanes in this country!
Liquorice
Those who have visited may have tried some typical Dutch snacks. Stroopwafels (a thin, round waffle cookie with a caramel filling), kroketten (breaded, deep-fried snack filled with ragout) and drop (liquorice) are very popular. On a yearly basis the Dutch consume roughly 32 million kilograms of liquorice!
What’s in a name
While a lot of tourists refer to this country as Holland, the correct name is the Netherlands. Holland is a historic province, now divided into two provinces (Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland).
