NetherlandsHolland

The land of the tulips

The Kindom of Netherlands

The Netherlands is also known as Holland.

The Kindom of Netherlands

The capital and largest city in the Netherlands is Amsterdam.Other major cities include Rotterdam, the Hague, Eindhoven and Utrecht

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Where is Holland?Around 20% of the Netherlands is located below sea level.

The Netherlands border Belgium and Germany.

Language and population

The population of the Netherlands in 2013 was estimated to be around 17 million.

The main language in the Netherlands is Dutch.

The majority of Dutch people can speak more than one language

Nederlands (Dutch) and Fryslân (Frisian) are official languages: Estimates suggest that less than 400,000 people speak Frisian, so far more Dutch people speak English. Limburgish, Dutch Low Saxon and Gronings are also recognised minority languages.

Money money money …

The Netherlands is part of the European Union and uses the Euro as its currency.

The royal familyThe head of state is King Willem-Alexander: He became king in April 2013, aged 46 when his mother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated at the age of 75. He's the first Dutch king in 123 years, following three queens

Sports

Dutch people enjoy a range of sports including football (soccer), swimming, volleyball, golf, tennis and hockey.

Art

Vincent van Gogh is perhaps the most famous Dutch painter. Rembrandt too.

Windmills

There are over 1,000 windmills still standing from 1850: Traditionally used for a variety of purposes, from irrigation to grinding grain, only a few still operate commercially. The Kinderdrijk area is a UNESCO World Heritage site home to 19 traditional windmills

TulipsTulips, are popular: There are over 1,500 varieties, and 80 percent of the world's tulips come from the Netherlands. Nine billion bulbs and millions of flowers are grown each year, primarily for export.

Tulips aren't native to the Netherlands: The tulip was imported from Turkey in the 16th century. In the 1630s, 'Tulip Mania' gripped the country. Prices rose until a single bulb could cost as much as a house, then the industry suddenly collapsed leaving many in economic crisis.

ReligionThe Netherlands is a largely secular country: Up to 40 percent of Dutch say they have no religion, compared to 30 percent who are Catholic (the largest religious group) and 20 percent who are Protestant.

CarrotsHome of the orange carrot: Dutch carrot growers developed orange carrots in the 16th century through careful breeding of existing varieties. At the time, carrots were a range of colours, from pale yellow to purple.

Technology

CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray were invented in Eindhoven: Philips, a major Dutch company, developed CDs in 1979, in a joint project with Sony. They also developed cassette tapes and popularised many home electronics items in Europe, like TVs and blenders.

İce cream

Traditionals products from Holland

Traditional dress and shoes

Netherlands2015-2016Profesorasofiak