The Netherlands: a small country but wellknown, economical and historical.

Do you know The Netherlands: "A low and wet country with never ending rain, most of it lying below sea level. Sure to be flooded if it were not for the windmills, the famous Delta Works and Hans Brinker stopping the leakages in the dyke with his finger."

That is why it is called The Netherlands and not Holland. Holland is only a part of it (two provinces.)

Economically it is the Gateway to Europe, a successful trading nation and home to international operating companies like Royal Dutch Shell, Unilever, Philips, Heineken, KLM , Akzo- Nobel, DSM, ABN-Amro Bank, ING BankI and its dairy industries supplying half the globe with cheese, and milk powder. The Netherlands is part of the European Union. One of the things all members of the European Union have in common is the Currency: the Euro.

It is a liberal country with euthanasia being legal. Especially in Amsterdam selling legal drugs in 'coffeeshops', legal prostitution (the Red Light districts). Gay couples have never been an issue: it is totally accepted and they can get legally married.

People love to give their opinion, if you like it or not. Tact is not important at that moment. The effectiveness of criticism and outspokenness is considered far more important than the status of either the speaker or the person commented upon.

Some famous Dutch people are: Vermeer, Rembrandt, van Gogh, Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit (soccer), Endemol Productions and Mata Hari.
Interesting to know is that Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt are from Dutch descent, as well as Gloria Vanderbilt, Meryl Streep and Audrey Hepburn.

The Dutch royal color is orange. The national sport is soccer. When the Dutch national team plays, everything is orange: the streets, the cars, the clothes and the drinks. Most of the fun comes from watching the game together with friends, family and neighbors.

With almost 17 million people living in this small country it is a very densely populated. This means 395 people living per km2, compared with Canada: 32 million people which is 4 people living per km2.
It is a little less crowded in the South East where you will find old cities like Nijmegen, Gennep and Grave.