The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for a flat landscape with canals, tulip fields, windmills and bike paths. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the house where the Jewish diarist Anne Frank hid during World War II. The villas on the canal and a treasure trove of works by artists such as Rembrandt and Vermeer are from the city’s “Golden Age” in the 17th century.
The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces. Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, Noord-Brabant, Utrecht, Flevoland, Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, Gelderland, and Limburg.
The Netherlands often referred to as Holland, is a country located mostly in North Western Europe.
The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch.
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten.
The population of the Netherlands is approximately 17 million.
The Netherlands literally means “low countries.” As 50% of the land of the country is just over 1m above sea level. Moreover, 21% of its population and 26% of its area is below sea level. Belgium and Luxembourg are other examples of low lying countries.
There are 20 national parks in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands remained neutral in the World War I but was invaded and occupied by Germany in the World War II.
The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage.
After World War II, some 500,000 Dutch left the country in search of better opportunities.
The Netherlands was ranked fourth happiest country in the world according to the United Nations World Happiness Report of 2013.
The Netherlands is also a founding member of the EU, NATO, OECD, WTO and also a part of Schengen Area.
The Dutch are the biggest licorice eaters in the world.
In 2017, the population density of the country is 504 (17,084,719 people living on 33,893 sq km of land area.)
Koninklijke Luchtvaartmaatschappij, the Dutch national airline is one of the oldest national airlines in the world.
After the U.S., the Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products.
There are almost no streets in the Dutch village of Giethoorn.
The Netherlands Index of economic freedom is at 75.8 score in 2017.
The Netherlands has the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world.
The five largest cities of the Netherlands are Amsterdam (capital), Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.
The CD, the audiotape and the videotape were all invented in Eindhoven by the Dutch company Philips.
The official websites of the country are Holland.com and hollandtradeandinvest.com.
Amsterdam is now Europe’s 5th-busiest tourist destination.
Houten, a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht, is considered to be the safest place in the world.
There is about 15,000 km of bike lanes in the Netherlands.
The Dutch Queen is an Argentinian.
The Netherlands is famous for their tulips, but actually, tulips originally didn’t grow there. They were imported from the Ottoman.
The country has plenty of rivers, lakes, and canals. Some 99.9% of the country’s households have access to clean, chlorine free drinking water.
The Netherlands is the biggest producer and exporter of tulips in the world.
The biggest international airport in the Netherlands is the Schiphol airport. It is 4 m below sea level.
75% of the world’s flower bulbs come from the Netherlands.
According to the 2014 Oxfam report, The Netherlands is also one of the healthiest countries in the world.
Home births are very popular in the Netherlands, around 30% of all babies are born at home.
The Netherlands is also one of the top countries in the world for kids to learn a new language at school.
The Dutch Max Havelaar certificate was the first fairtrade certificate in the world.
The Netherlands is also the world’s second-biggest exporter of beer.
The Netherland’s highest point is Vaalserberg which is 323 meters high.
In France, Germany, and the Netherlands they serve beer in McDonalds.
The Dutch national anthem is the “Wilhelmus” and it is the oldest national anthem of the world.
On average, the Dutch cycle 1000 km during a year.
The lowest point is the Zuidplaspolder and lies seven meters below sea level.
Cycling while being drunk is illegal in the country and interestingly, the country also has the lowest rate of serious injury per million km cycled.
Rotterdam has the largest seaport in Europe.
Amsterdam has the world’s oldest stock exchange. The Dutch East India Company is the first truly multinational company in the world. It issued stocks in 1602 and became the first company to do so.
There have around 1,281 bridges in Amsterdam.
The Netherlands is a secular country. Almost 40% of its population is not religious, 30% is Catholic and 20% is Protestants.
In the 16th century, the microscope was invented in the Netherlands.
The country is also fortunate to have the lowest incidence of lactose intolerance in the world. Only 1% of its population is affected by it.
The telescope was also invented in the Netherlands in the 17th century.
More than 1000 traditional windmills are still operational in the country. The second Saturday and Sunday in May is National Mill Day in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is the world’s biggest exporter of cheese.
Amsterdam is also Europe’s 5th busiest travel destination handling over 4.2 million travelers every year.
70% of the world’s bacon comes from the Netherlands.
More than 17% of the country’s land is reclaimed from lakes and seas.
Dutchmen are the tallest in the world with an average height of 182.5cm.
The Dutch have been making cheese since 400 A.D.
The King Willem-Alexander was the first Dutch king.
Belgium and the Netherlands were awarded for being the most bike-friendly countries in 2013.
The Netherlands has the highest English-proficiency in the world.
Amsterdam is home to Europe’s only addiction clinic where treatment for gambling, video gaming, and substance addiction is done.
The Netherlands is the lowest country in Europe.
Almost 40% of the country’s population works part-time, the highest percentage in the European Union countries.
A study from Rutgers University reported that cycling in the Netherlands is the safest in the world.
Frisian is the only regional language which is also among the official languages of the country.
The Netherlands has more bikes than people.
The Dutch, after the Scandinavian, drink the most coffee per person per year in the world – almost 140 liters.
