The Netherlands (Holland)

Capital: Amsterdam
Population: ~16,930,000
Conventional Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Chief of State: Monarch Willem-Alexander
Head of State: Prime Minister Mark Rutte
National Anthem: Het Wilhelmus (The William)
Lyrics/Music: Philips Van Marnix Van Sint Aldegonde (Presumed)/Unknown​

Rick Steves Episodes on The Netherlands and Amsterdam

Interesting Facts about the Netherlands

  • Holland vs. the Netherlands, which is correct? Holland actually refers to the western coastal region of the Netherlands including: Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam, Leiden and the Hague.
  • The Netherlands are smaller than West Virginia, but are the most densely populated country in Europe.
  • The Dutch are the masters at reclaiming land from the sea through the use of windmills.
  • It was one of the six founding members of the European Union.
  • As much as 25 percent of the land of the Netherlands is located below sea level and 50 percent at less than 1 meter (3.3 feet) above sea level making it highly susceptible to flooding.
  • May 4th is Remembrance Day where the people who fought and died during World War II and in wars in general are remembered and celebrated. Every year at 20:00 there is, nation wide, 2 minutes of silence. For those two minutes trains stop, towns come together in their community square. 
  • May 5th is Liberation day which marks the celebration of freedom and the end of the Second World War for the Netherlands. There are various festivals and celebrations on Liberation Day each year, but it is an official day off only once every 5 years. The Netherlands were not fully liberated until August 1945. Soon after the war, it was decided that Liberation Day should be held on 5 May, the date of the German army’s defeat.
  • As much as 75% of the world's flower bulb production comes from Netherlands, however the first tulip bulb did not come from the Netherlands. It came from Turkey!
  • Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands. 
  • Marijuana is also legal in the Netherlands. Marijuana shops in the Netherlands are called Coffee shops. So double check before going inside for your cup of joe unless you want a little something extra mixed in. 
  • However, the Dutch are one the world's biggest coffee drinkers with 6.7 kg/capita (or 1.84 cups/day) according to Worldatlas.com.
  • Parental leave for both full-time working mothers and fathers, is up to 57 days and can be taken at any time until the child is 8 years old.
  • The Dutch are, on average, the tallest people in the world (Men on average 6ft, and women at 5' 7" as compared to the 1800's where they were, on average, 3" shorter than the average American). Some believe that this is due to genetics as well as their intake of dairy.
  • ​Dairy is one of the more important food groups for the Dutch. The Dutch eat as much as 25% more dairy than their British, American or German counterparts. As a result the Dutch also have the lowest incidence of lactose intolerance (1% of the population) of any country. The Dutch, on average, eat approximately 33 lbs of cheese a year PER PERSON! The Dutch have been making cheese since 400 A.D.
  • The Netherlands has more than 1.6 million dairy cows who thrive on the vast fields of this green country.  These cattle produce more than 12 million tons of milk each year and some 800,000 tons of cheese according to the BBC.
  • Gouda, in Dutch, is pronounced khou-dah.
  •  The national dish of Holland is herring with chopped onions and pickles and is served with the Netherlands flag on a toothpick.
  • One of the most popular snacks in the Netherlands is french fries dipped in mayonnaise.
  • Bikes are a major mode of transportation. There are specially-designated "fietspaden" or bike paths all over the country and pedestrians cannot walk on them (so watch out for these!) Bike in Dutch is "Feits" (said as "feets"). Feits! Feits! On average, the Dutch person cycles 2.5 km (1.5miles) per day and 900 km (559.2 miles) per year.
  • There are still more than 1,000 working windmills in the Netherlands.
  • The iconic wooden shoes or clogs or "Klompen" have been popular in the Netherlands for about 700 years as industrial footwear worn by farmers, fishermen, factory workers, artisans and others to protect their feet from injury and keep them dry.
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Information as of 1/2016