The Netherlands
The Country
We Dutch are a surprising people. We live - all 16.5 million of us - on 41,528 square kilometres, little more than half the
size of Scotland. The Netherlands is thus one of the world's most densely populated countries. But we have turned our crowded
country into such a success that the world's planners and architects flock here to find out how.
The Netherlands is best known for its tulips, windmills and clogs. And for its low altitude and vulnerability to flooding. Less well known is that it is the world's eighth largest exporter of goods and capital and the world's third largest exporter of food. Equally little known is that Dutch people have won 15 Nobel prizes: for chemistry, physics, medicine, economics and peace.
The Dutch are major players in fields like science, the economy, the arts and sports - and our country is a beacon of forward-thinking social and cultural policy.
Bridge builders
The Netherlands lies on the delta of three major rivers: the Rhine, Maas and Scheldt. It owes its existence to feats of
hydraulic engineering.
We Dutch are proud of our conquest of water. Our struggle to keep dry has helped us develop a can-do attitude. And since
controlling water requires many parties to meet and plan together, it has forced us to learn how to work as a team. That is why
our European partners and the broader international community regard the Dutch as bridge builders and often ask us to serve as
such.
The country
The Netherlands is a kingdom. Its full name is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It consists of the Netherlands itself and six
islands in the Caribbean Sea: Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.
The Netherlands is also often called "Holland". The word features in the names of the two western coastal provinces,
North and South Holland, which have played a dominant role in the country's history. Thanks to their location on the estuaries
of two major West European rivers, the Rhine and the Maas, these two provinces are still very important for the economy.
With Rotterdam the second biggest port in the world, the Netherlands is an important gateway to Europe. And not only by water:
Amsterdam Schiphol is one of Europe's biggest airports.
Each of the Netherlands' major cities has a distinctive character, even though they are all so close. Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht all belong to the Randstad conurbation, with a population of ten million. Amsterdam attracts many tourists, with its historic centre, majestic buildings, museums and unique ring of canals. But The Hague, Delft, Haarlem, Utrecht, Groningen and Maastricht also have their share of historic buildings, museums, traditions and attractions. Rotterdam is renowned for its strikingly modern architecture, as exemplified by the Erasmus Bridge, known locally as the "Swan".
Floods
The Netherlands' many bridges, dykes, windmills and pumping stations give it a unique appearance and illustrate its long
struggle against the sea. The crowning achievement was the Delta Project, a chain of dams protecting Zeeland and South Holland
from the North Sea.
Work on the Delta Project began after the 1953 floods, which killed 1.500 people, and it ended in 1997 with the completion of a storm surge barrier in the Nieuwe Waterweg. The barrier has two enormous hinged gates that can be lowered in severe weather to close off the 360-metre-wide waterway. It protects greater Rotterdam's one million inhabitants from flooding without harming the environment.
A quarter of the Netherlands' land area lies below sea level, as you can see on the map above where the colour blue indicates the areas which are below sea level. The low-lying areas consist mainly of "polders", flat stretches of land, surrounded by dikes, where the water table is controlled artificially. From the 16th century, windmills were used not just to keep the land dry, but even to drain entire inland lakes.
Multiculturalism
Dutch society used to be strictly organised along religious or ideological lines with every grouping having its own schools, newspapers, trade unions, clubs and so on. The traces can still be seen today in the media, interest groups and the education system. One of the benefits was that it helped prevent friction among religious and ideological groups, since they lived more or less independently alongside each other.
Article 1 of the Dutch Constitution says: "All persons in the Netherlands shall be treated equally in equal circumstances. Discrimination on the grounds of religion, belief, political opinion, race or sex or on any other grounds whatsoever shall not be permitted."
People have been migrating to the Netherlands for centuries. Of the current population, 18% are of recent foreign descent. The current immigration policy is restrictive because the Netherlands is so densely populated. In the 1950s, high population density led the government to encourage emigration. But in the 1960s and 1970s, a labour shortage attracted many migrants.
In recent years, the Netherlands has admitted immigrants on only three grounds: if their presence serves an essential Dutch interest, if they are entitled to live here under an international agreement, or if there are compelling humanitarian reasons for admitting them. The Government actively pursues policies to help immigrants integrate.
However, the last couple of years have shown an increasing political tension due to the murders of politician Pim Fortuijn by a Dutch animal-activist and film director Theo van Gogh by a Dutch Muslim extremist.
Visiting the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a popular destination for tourists. In 2002, we welcomed 9.8 million visitors from all over the world. More than quarter of them came from Germany, and large numbers came from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Belgium, France and Italy. Foreign tourists spend €8.1 billion a year in the Netherlands - more than the annual earnings from the export of plants and flowers. Amsterdam is the most popular destination for foreign tourists. The museums, such as the Rijksmuseum and the Vincent van Gogh Museum, the ring of canals with their mansions, the atmosphere of freedom and creativity - many foreigners want to see them with their own eyes. But the Netherlands is also famous for its flowers: the bulb fields of North and South Holland, with their daffodils, hyacinths and tulips, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
The Netherlands has a long coastline, with many interesting towns and villages and areas of natural beauty. Lovers of water sports, such as surfing, sailing and swimming, find conditions ideal on its many beaches and further inland on lakes, rivers and canals. The Dutch themselves like to explore the country by boat or bike. The Netherlands is criss-crossed by thousands of kilometres of cycle track, making it possible to tour the country by bike. Cycling is easier here than in most other countries - as long as you're not cycling against the wind.
Culture/Arts/Media
The Netherlands is a world leader in the field of art and culture. The arts, in every form, flourish in a country that has outstanding museums and an impressive variety of classical and innovative music and theatre. Major international arts festivals are held every year.
Museums
With almost 1,000 museums, the Netherlands has the highest museum density in the world. Some of the most famous are the Rijksmuseum and the Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Museum Boijmans-Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Mauritshuis in The Hague and Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn.
Outstanding collections of modern and contemporary art can be seen at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Kröllerr-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.
Special events such as the Rembrandt Exhibition (1999) and an exhibition on the Golden Age (2000) draw many tourists and enhance the country's status as a centre of culture.
Visual arts
The Netherlands has an age-old tradition of painting. The works of Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Vermeer, Van Gogh and Mondriaan are
known throughout the world. Modern Dutch painters and sculptors have been extremely successful in keeping up this tradition.
Contemporary Dutch artists are usually well represented at international events such as the Biennale in Venice and the Documenta
in Kassel.
Karel Appel and Corneille, both members of the COBRA movement, are the best known post-war artists. Other distinguished contemporary artists include Ger van Elk, Jan Dibbets, Peter Struyken, Rob Scholte, Marthe Röling and Marlene Dumas.
Design
The minimalist, economical approach that characterises Dutch design is exemplified by the work of De Stijl, a group of avant-garde designers and artists in the 1920s. Piet Mondrian, Theo van Doesburg and above all Gerrit Rietveld are among the best-known representatives of this movement.
The simplicity associated with Dutch design is reflected in a variety of everyday objects, ranging from postage stamps to waste bins, traffic signs, trains and office equipment. The Design Institute in Amsterdam, a world leader in its field, is responsible for promoting innovation and fostering dialogue between different disciplines. The Eindhoven Academy of Industrial Design is a specialist training institute with a rapidly growing reputation.
The Netherlands is seen as a Mecca for artists. It attracts many young designers, architects and artists who come especially to Amsterdam to work in a climate of artistic freedom, dialogue and innovation. Creativity, not reputation, is what counts.
Architecture
The Netherlands is also renowned for its architecture and urban development. No fewer than 50,000 buildings are listed monuments. The government protects these monuments and helps pay for their maintenance.
Amsterdam's 17th and 18th-century canal-side houses are world famous. Urban development projects completed in the 20th century have also had a considerable impact. Examples include the Amsterdam-South neighbourhood, designed by the architect and town planner Berlage, and the post-war buildings in the centre of Rotterdam. In addition, the Netherlands has a wealth of modern architecture and provides many opportunities for young architects to experiment with new ideas in its emerging towns and growth centres.
As a customer, the government has also had a great impact on architectural trends. Some recent examples are Hoogstad's modern Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, and the postmodernist Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, designed by Graves and Soeters.
Other well known architects include Aldo van Eyck, Herman Hertzberger, Wim Quist, Pi de Bruyn, Rem Koolhaas and Jo Coenen. Coenen designed the building housing the Dutch Institute for Architecture and Town Planning in Rotterdam. The Berlage Institute in Amsterdam runs workshops for talented young architects and landscape architects from the Netherlands and abroad.
Music
The Netherlands has many orchestras, based in towns and cities throughout the country. The most famous is Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and the Schönberg Ensemble are well-known smaller ensembles.
Opera flourishes in the Netherlands. The Netherlands Opera company in particular, based in Amsterdam, has established an international reputation. Every year, it stages around ten productions, mostly performed in Amsterdam. Contemporary opera is an important part of the company's repertoire.
The Holland Festival is an internationally renowned music festival held in Amsterdam in June every year. 1997 marked its fiftieth anniversary. The Early Music Festival, held annually in Utrecht, features medieval and baroque music by acclaimed musicians from all over the world. Jazz, pop and improvised music also attract large audiences. The North Sea Jazz Festival is the largest and most famous jazz festival in Europe. Famous pop festivals include Pinkpop, Parkpop and Dynamo Open Air.
Dance
The Netherlands is a world leader in the field of modern dance. The productions of the Netherlands Dance Theatre (NDT) in The Hague, many choreographed by Anders Hellström, enjoy an international reputation. There are also many smaller modern dance companies, Introdans being one of the better known.
The Scapino Ballet in Rotterdam has turned its attention in recent years to contemporary dance. The National Ballet in Amsterdam mainly performs ballets from the classical repertoire, but also the works of 20th-century choreographers such as Van Dantzig, Van Maanen and Van Schayk, and the American Balanchine. The Hague's biennial Holland Dance Festival features some of the most outstanding dance productions in the world.
The Springdance festival in Utrecht and the Cadance festival in The Hague, both of which are held annually, showcase the latest trends in modern dance.
Theatre
The Netherlands has many professional theatre companies, including traditional repertory companies and smaller companies whose main interest is to develop new forms of theatre, often combining music, mime and new-media techniques. One such company, Dogtroep, regularly stages large-scale productions abroad.
Every year, the highlights of the Dutch and Flemish theatre season are performed at a drama festival in Amsterdam and in the Belgian city of Antwerp. Dutch musicals are a new trend in the Netherlands. Productions such as Joe and Chicago have played to full houses.
Film and photography
The Netherlands has a relatively small film industry, which produces around 20 feature films a year, some in association with other countries. A few have won international acclaim. In 1996, Marleen Gorris won an Oscar for Antonia's Line and Mike van Diem did the same for Character in 1998. Films by Dutch directors, such as Paul Verhoeven's Robocop and Basic Instinct, and Jan de Bont's Speed and Twister, have achieved worldwide success. Actors such as Rutger Hauer, Jeroen Krabbé and Renée Soutendijk have become household names among filmgoers the world over. Left Luggage, a film directed by Jeroen Krabbé, has been released in more than 40 countries.
Several major film festivals are held in the Netherlands, including the Rotterdam International Film Festival (every February), Amsterdam's International Documentary Film Festival (every December), the World Wide Video Festival (every April) and Utrecht's Dutch Film Festival (every September).
The Netherlands is well known for its outstanding documentary films. Johan van der Keuken has gained an international reputation for his art films.
The first World Press Photo Exhibition was held in the Netherlands in 1975. Documentary photography is especially popular with the younger generation of photographers, many of whom tend to portray people, landscapes and cityscapes.
Excellent collections of photographs are to be found in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, which specialises in 19th-century photographs, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Print Room at Leiden University.
Literature
The Netherlands has a rich literary heritage and has produced writers of the highest calibre.
In the Middle Ages, Dutch literature was part of a broad Western European tradition, with works including epic tales of
chivalry such as Floris ende Blancefloer and Karel ende Elegast and allegories such as Van den Vos Reynaerde (Reynard the Fox)
and Elckerlyk (Everyman). In the 16th century, humanism emerged, its leading Dutch representative being Erasmus. His Praise of
Folly, a satire on the church and society, has been translated into many languages.
Among the literary highlights of the 17th century were Spinoza's philosophical treatises. Dutch literature flourished during this period, which produced writers such as Vondel, Hooft, Huygens and Bredero. The Bible was also translated into Dutch. The publication of the authorised version of the Statenbijbel in 1637 is considered a milestone in the evolution of the Dutch language. A significant writer of the 19th century was Multatuli, whose novel Max Havelaar was an indictment of Dutch rule in the Netherlands East Indies (present-day Indonesia).
Post-war literature was long dominated by three eminent novelists: Willem Frederik Hermans, Harry Mulisch and Gerard Reve. Other distinguished contemporary writers include Hella Haasse, Cees Nooteboom, A.F.T. van der Heijden, Marcel Möring, Adriaan van Dis, Thomas Roosenboom and, among the younger generation, Arnon Grunberg. Over the last decade, Dutch literature has gained in popularity abroad.
Public libraries are very popular, especially among young people: around 60% of the under 17s are members. Membership is free up to the age of 16. The public libraries own an estimated total of more than 40 million books.
Archaeology
In the Netherlands, some 1,800 monuments on 1,500 sites are protected by the state. Dutch archaeology owes much to the country's wet environment. In the west, where the water levels are high, organic remains such as clothing, food and wood have been extraordinarily well preserved, sometimes for thousands of years.
Well-known sites include megaliths in Drenthe, prehistoric dwelling mounds in Groningen and Friesland, and the island of Schokland in Flevoland, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Netherlands' most outstanding archaeological objects can be viewed in the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden.
Practical information
social life
The Dutch like to dress in a casual and informal way. Traditional dress is rarely seen. Even clogs are worn by relatively few people these days; most are exported. A firm handshake is the usual way of greeting and parting, although it is quite usual for (close male) friends to kiss each other on both cheeks. The use of first names, traditionally reserved for close friends and relatives, is fairly widespread, particularly among young people. Eye contact and facial expressions are very important. Many Dutch do not gesticulate much and (except in informal gatherings) avoid loud or demonstrative behaviour. Wagging one's finger to emphasize a point is quite usual, but pointing the index finger to the forehead implies someone is crazy.
The Dutch are hospitable and enjoy having visitors. Punctuality though is valued. If no time is stated for a visit to new acquaintances, it is usual to arrive no earlier than 8:30 PM and to leave between 11 PM and midnight. When visiting, it is customary to shake hands with everyone present, including children. On a first visit to someone's home, a guest should not expect a meal, unless the invitation was specifically for dinner. Instead, coffee or tea will be served with sweet biscuits, and then drinks will be served later in the evening. Dinner guests usually bring flowers or another small gift, like a bottle of wine.
Diet and eating
The Dutch generally eat three meals a day; most people have their main meal in the evening and others in the middle of the day.
Breakfast consists of any of the following: bread, cheese, sliced cold meats, cereal, fruit juice, and milk, coffee or tea. The
most popular varieties of bread include multi-grain and other dark-grain breads. Most people, especially children, eat something
sweet such as jam, chocolate "sprinkles" or chocolate spread, on their bread for breakfast or lunch. For lunch, many
people eat open sandwiches or a kroket (a deep-fried croquette). A fruit like an apple, orange, banana or tangerine and milk,
coffee or tea completes it. The main meal is usually in the evening. Some typical Dutch dishes are herring, smoked eel, pea
soup, and hutspot (mashed potatoes mixed with carrots and onions). Pastries are another Dutch specialty.
It is good manners not to start eating until the hosts indicate by saying "Eet smakelijk" ("Eat deliciously"). Forearms but not elbows may rest on the table and it is bad manners to put one's hands on one's lap when dining. Even children are expected to stay at the table until a meal is over. It is considered inappropriate to eat with a fork only, and forks are not provided for eating dessert, just a small spoon.
Popular snacks include chips (eaten with mayonnaise, not ketchup), syrup waffles and, on special occasions, poffertjes (small puffed pancakes). A wide variety of international cuisine is offered by restaurants in the larger towns. Italian and Indonesian food have become an established part of the Dutch national cuisine.
Recreation and sports
The Dutch enjoy making improvements to the home and tending indoor plants; most Dutch homes overflow with greenery. Flowers are purchased regularly to adorn window boxes, other parts of the home, restaurants, and businesses.
Television is very popular, and the Dutch have access through cable to numerous European channels. Bars are popular meeting places, but in general the Dutch do most of their socializing in their own or their friends' homes. The Netherlands has a thriving fringe theatre. Cabaret is also popular, as is dance; the National Ballet and the Nederlands Dans Theater are both highly regarded.
Soccer and cycling are the most popular sports. Almost everyone in the Netherlands cycles; there are numerous cycle clubs and
bike paths throughout the country, and many people use bicycles as a means of transport.
Approximately 4.5 million of the 16 million people in the Netherlands are registered to one of the 35,000 sports clubs in the country. About two thirds of the population older than 15 years participates in sports weekly. People join clubs to participate in
sports, and games are organized locally, regionally or nationally, depending on the level of the players. Each sport has a
national association that oversees its organization. Tennis, field hockey, swimming, sailing, ice skating (especially speed
skating in winter when the canals and lakes are frozen over), wind- and kitesurfing, basketball, badminton, and various other sports all have their devotees.
Holidays and celebrations
Most Dutch are paid the equivalent of 13 months' wages a year (meaning they receive an extra month's bonus at the end of the year) and receive a month's holiday, which people often divide into a week in the winter, a week around Easter, and two weeks in the summer.
The Queen's Birthday (30th April) is celebrated with many festivities, including parties, parades and red-white-and-blue
and - especially - orange decorations. The whole nation goes mad on this day!
Liberation Day (5th May) commemorates the day on which the Netherlands was freed from Nazi occupation by the
Allies in 1945.
Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) is the Dutch Santa Claus. He is dressed in red robes like a Catholic bishop, rides a white horse, and leaves gifts in shoes (by which children place a carrot and a drink for the horse). Sinterklaas also rides in parades and his helpers throw small pieces of gingerbread to the children. Traditionally gifts exchanged on Saint Nicholas's Day are all said to come from Sinterklaas and are wrapped elaborately to disguise the contents, and each contains an amusing poem about the recipient. Nowadays more and more people have their gifts at Christmas instead of Saint Nicholas's Day, especially when their children are older and don't believe in St. Nicholas anymore.
Each region also has its local festivals, and in May coastal areas celebrate "Vlaggetjesdag" (Little Flag Day), which marks the beginning of the herring season. In the south there is a popular tradition of holding a pre-Lenten carnival. This celebration begins on a Saturday and finishes at midnight on Tuesday. Businesses close or operate with a skeleton staff on that Monday and Tuesday. Tourists from the north come down to watch the festivities at Den Bosch and Breda, but by reputation the liveliest carnival takes place in Maastricht, in the far south.
Education
Schooling is free and compulsory for 11 years (between the ages of 5 and 16). An optional year may be taken at the age of four. When school starts and finishes you can seen thousands of children riding their bikes; the usual day-to-day way of transport for young and old.
People can choose to go to Catholic, Protestant, or "non-religious" schools, but the basic curriculum is the same for all schools. Primary education ends at the age of 12, at which time the student enters one of three types of secondary education. These include a four-year or a five-year general secondary school; three levels of vocational education; and a six-year pre-university program. Apprenticeships are common for students who have completed vocational or secondary school. The oldest university is Leiden, which was founded by William of Orange in 1575.
Health and welfare
Medical facilities are excellent and subsidized by the government. For people earning less than a specified amount, the government coordinates insurance and health care. Those earning more than the specified amount are required to have private insurance. The government also provides unemployment and disability benefits. The Netherlands has one of the most extensive welfare systems in the world; this is still a high priority in the country despite the increasing difficulty of supporting it financially.
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