The Netherlands
THE NETHERLANDS OVERVIEW
Every country has it's own wonderful qualities that make it unique from the rest. But is every country below sea level? Probably not. If that doesn't impress you, maybe the following facts will! Join me in exploration of the Netherlands!
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 The 12 Provinces of the Netherlands |
 All Hollanders may be Dutch, but not all Dutch are Hollanders. |
First off: Holland or the Netherlands?
Internationally, "Holland" is used to indicate this region. However, the official name of the country is the (Kingdom of the) Netherlands. In fact, Holland is only two of the 12 provinces in the Netherlands. But why has "Holland" become so internationally popular?
In the 17th century, North and South Holland had major martime and economic power, and as a result, the Netherlands became known worldwide as Holland rather than its actual name.
 Map of Europe |
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The 12 Provinces of Netherland |
 Polder |
 Tulips |
 In this picture, many Dutch people are bicycling in this street of the country. Bicycles are one of the most common forms of transportation in the Netherlands. |
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 Marijuana Starter Kit |
The Land
The Netherlands is a small, flat country located in north-west Europe. The country is bordered by the North Sea, Germany to the east and Belguim to the west. Netherlands
literally means, "lowlands", and a low land it is. Twenty-seven percent of the country lies below sea level! In fact, early settlers once had to build dikes (earthen walls) to hold back the sea! By doing this, they were able to pump the seawater back to the sea, and make towns and farms on the reclaimed land! Can you imagine the labor there would be without modern technology to help? These lands that were reclaimed from the sea are called polders, and today the Netherlands has about four thousand polders that all vary in size!
Modern geoprahpers divide the country into two parts. The High Netherlands occupies the eastern and southeastern parts of the country, and the low western and nothern parts of the country.
A side note worth mentioning is that a nickname for the Netherlands is Land of the Tulips! The Netherlands is the world leading supplier of tulips! In modern day, they produce about 4.32 people tulip bulbs each year!
The People
The people that reside in the Netherlands are called the Dutch. In modern Netherlands, 81 percent of the people belong to the Dutch ethnic group. These people are the descendents of several Europeans groups. These groups include Celts, Germans, Franks and Vikings! The first of these people were the Celts and Germans, later the Franks began moving in, and eventually Vikings from Denmark settled in by intermarrying with the population. Immigrants from other parts of the world make up the rest of the ethnic population.
Today, the Netherlands is home to about 16.5 million Dutch people, and growing at a rate of 0.3 percent per year. With the Netherlands being such a small country, you can imagine how this country is one of the most crowded European countries. There is an average population density of 1,035 people per square mile!
The Dutch people generally have an open attidue about things. They take a pretty liberal view on human behavoir. The Dutch value social equality, and they generally admire honesty, modesty, humor, good education, and hard work. These general traits have led to a modern society. For instance, the laws in the Netherlands allow same-sex marriage, prostitution, and nonlethal drugs (such as marijuana).
 Vincent Van Gogh's Starry NightVincent Van Gogh was a Dutch artist whose works were often influenced by his religious background. |
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 Keukenhof Gardens |
Language & Religion
Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands. Another official language of the country is Frisian (primarly in the northern province of Freisland). Both Dutch and Frisian are of German origin, which makes sense because Germans were one of the first group of people to settle in to what is now called the Netherlands. Besides the offical languages of the Netherlands, many others are spoken. About 75 percent of its population reports speaking at least one other language, and 12 percent claims to speak three or more foreign languages! Despite the bilingualism new immigrants must learn the Dutch language to get a permit to stay in the country!
The Netherlands has a long history of allowing freedom of religion. They have kept religion seperate from government, but besides this, religion has played a huge role in shaping Dutch life and thought. Historically, most Dutch people have followed two branches of the Christian religion, Roman Catholicism, which claims about 30 percent of the population, and about 20 percent of the population are members of the Protestant Chrisitan church. Besides these major branches, six percent of the population is a Protestant branch of Calvinism, and 14 percent follow other Protestant faiths. And apart from Christianity, 6 percent of the population is Muslim. However, the largest percent of the population, about 42 percent, claims no religious affiliation.
Works Cited
​"Netherlands vs. Holland." - Holland.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.<http://www.holland.com/us/tourism/article/netherlands-vs-holland-1.htm>.
DiPiazza, Francesca. Netherlands in Pictures. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century, 2011. Print.
Marran, James F. The Netherlands. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2004. Print.