The NetherlandsCourtney L. & Sofia R.

4th period

Geographical LocationThe Netherlands (also known as Holland) is located in Europe, and it borders

Germany and Belgium. In terms of land area, The Netherlands has 16,040 miles and

ranks 135th in the world. The Netherlands’ only coastline is on the North Sea and is

280.238 miles long. Their capital city is Amsterdam.

Climate & Landscape

The climate in The Netherlands is temperate and marine. They often have cool

summers and mild winters. Rain is common throughout the year. The landscape is

mostly coastal lowlands, and there are some hills throughout the south east. The

highest terms in elevation is Mount Scenery ( 826 miles ; 2828.08 ft ) .

Lay of The LandThe natural resources in the Netherlands are natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone,

salt, sand and gravel, and arable land. The land is used mostly for agriculture (nearly

55.1% of the land is used for this). The remainder of the land is forest (10%) , and 34.1%

is used for “other“ . A large majority of the population is located in urban areas, while

the rest of the population is located in rural areas. Some threats toward the

environment in the Netherlands include, air and water pollution, along with acid rain.

This image demonstrates the

effects of acid rain on the

environment

The Netherland’s History

The Netherlands’ flag was originally orange, white, and light blue, but was revised/

changed because the orange and light blue were too faint to be seen in battle. The

colors of the flag were changed in 1937, to red, white, and blue. They gained

independence on January 23, 1579.

By The NumbersThe total population of The Netherlands is 17,084,719 and is ranked 66th in the world. The urban areas hold about 91.5% of the population. The five most populated cities in the country are Amsterdam (741,636) , Rotterdam (598,199) , The Hague (474,292) , Utrecht (290,529) , Eindhoven (209,620). The dominant ethnic groups include Dutch(77.4%) , EU (6.2%) , Turkish (2.3%) , Moroccan (2.3%) , Indonesian (2.1%) , Surinamese (2%) , Other (7.7%). The dominant language is Dutch. The major religion is Roman Catholic (there is no percentage) .

Statistics- A Typical Nederlander The median age of a Nederlander is 42.6 years. The total life expectancy of a female is

87.2 years, while the male population tends to live until the age of 83. Along with that,

the infant mortality rate is 3.6/1000. The fertility rate is 1.78.

Education in The NetherlandsThe total literacy rate in The Netherlands is 99% (male and female literacy rate N/A). In the Netherlands, kids go to preschool at the age of three, then go to kindergarten. After this, they move on to primary school (age 5-12). They then move on to secondary school (high school).

Education in The NetherlandsPrimary School students in The Netherlands usually go home during lunch, but most

schools also provide the option to eat lunch at the school. Dutch students often

participate in group work. Students are allowed to get up to go to the bathroom whenever they desire. Teachers also strive to build a casual and safe class environment. Students often graduate from secondary school between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. For higher education, graduates can chose to attend university or Hogeschool. Only a small minority leave school without a degree.

General AttitudePeople in Holland are generally honest, humorous, modest, educated, and gregarious

(sociable). Also, their attitudes about equality contributed to the Dutch's creation of

an extensive welfare system.

Personal Appearances A typical Nederlander dresses themselves in stylish and casual clothing. Professionals

usually wear long pants or skirts to work. Traditional clothing is rarely ever worn. They

are also very neat and clean.

Greetings in HollandWhen greeting one another in the Netherlands, strangers usually shake hands. On the

other hand friends often kiss on alternating cheeks 3 times. Dutch usually address

others by their titles and family names. It is also impolite to shout for someone across

a room.

Common GesturesSome gestures that are commonly associated with The Netherlands include, covering

your mouth when yawning, and wagging the index finger (to emphasise a point).

People also point their index finger to the forehead to imply that someone is crazy yyy.

People also make eye contact while speaking with another, and facial expressions are

important. Chewing gum while speaking to one another is extremely rude.

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Visiting Etiquette Proper etiquette in The Netherlands is very important. For example, unannounced

visits are not proper. It is also important to be punctual (on time) and to shake hands

with everyone who has arrived at the event. People generally arrive after 8:30pm and

leave before midnight. Guests usually give the host a bottle of wine and the hostess

flowers.

Food and Drink It is important in Holland to have good table manners. People wash their hands before

eating. It is also impolite to eat before others are present at the diner table, and it is

polite to keep hands above the table.

Food- some of the popular foods in The Netherlands are bread, cold cuts, cheese, salad,

seafood, deep fried beef, boiled potatoes, raisin rolls, and yogurt pudding. Usually

evening meals are light.

Drink- Coffee and tea are commonly drank in the Netherlands.

Family Life The typical family structure consists of a strong small family. Most families have 1 or 2

children. Single parents are common. Also, immigrants often have larger families. The

children do chores. High school kids often have part time jobs or participate in

afterschool activities. Grandparents take care of children while the parents are at work.

Gender Roles In the Netherlands, males and females have slightly different roles. More than half of

women in Holland work. Females tend to work in male- dominated fields. The

Dutchman usually work around the house. Families often chose to work part time jobs

so that one parent can be home while the other is at work.

HousingHousing in the urban areas in the Netherlands have a variety of different housing.

Many houses are brick and have tiled roofs. They also have a garden the the front of

back yard. There are very few live in houses that have shared walls with their

neighbors. New houses in the cities tend to have large windows and patterns in brick

facades. Rural areas are generally condos and are always constructed with brick and

clay.

Dating and Engagement Teenagers usually start dating in secondary school. Girls start dating before boys.

When a couple gets engaged, the man usually proposes to his girlfriend, though

sometimes the women will propose to the boyfriend. The wedding customs vary

greatly throughout the country.

Marriage and Wedding Before the weddings, many couples have a bachelor and bachelorette parties.

Sometimes friends of the couples will plan the party to be a surprise. Dutch weddings

ceremonies are performed in the city hall. More religious couples generally chose to

get married in a church. Only close friends and relatives attend the ceremony in most

circumstances. Similar to the U.S., brides wear white dresses and the groom wears a

tuxedo to the wedding.

RecreationSome of the major sports played in the Netherlands are soccer and tennis. Women like

to play field hockey. Some relatively popular sports in Holland also include, swimming,

volleyball, sailing, ice skating, korfbal (similar to basketball). As for leisure activities,

people go out with friends for dinner, a movie, or concerts. People also go to the

theater or bike rides. It is also common to see people in the Netherlands ice skating on

frozen lakes or ponds in the winter. Many people in The Netherlands vacation France

or Italy to go to the many beaches. Many also travel to European capitals and tour the

country on bike rides.

The ArtsThere are multiple opportunities in Holland to see the arts. For example, they have

various art museums. They also have the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra. In

addition to that, people can see the National Ballet, and the Dutch National Opera

Company. Besides professional companies, music and dance is very common in the

streets in The Netherlands

HolidaysSome of the most commonly celebrated holidays in the Netherlands is Christmas.

Little Flag Day celebrates the beginning of the herring season. Carnival celebrates in

the streets through the town with floats, orchestras, and people in costumes with

masks. The Kings Day celebrates his birthday.

Healthcare Medical facilities are excellent in Holland. They are also sub sized by the government.

Health insurance is mandatory. Some of the biggest concerns in the country recently in

the country are heart disease and cancer.

Government The type of government the Netherlands has is a Constitutional Monarchy. The

Netherlands gained independence on January 23, 1579. The voting age is 18 years or

older. The title given to King Willen-Alexander is monarch. Many parties are active in

the political landscape. There are also two major parties, the center right (peoples

party for freedom and democracy) and the center left (Labour Party). The roles that

the people play in the government is; people participate in elections that are free, fair,

and transparent. Also, the turnout for elections was over 90% for the past 2 decades.

Netherlands’ Flag The Netherlands flag is red, white, and blue. Originally, the flag was orange, white, and

white blue. The orange, being in honor of Prince Orange (the political leader of the

Netherlands at the time). The light blue and white represented the color of the prince’s

coat of arms. This, however, was changed because the clash of the three colors caused

the flag to be too faint to see in battle. The most recent flag consists of three brighter

colored (red, white, and blue) stripes. This flag was adopted on February 19th, 1937.

(Most recent flag) (Original flag)

Economy The total GDP is 915.2 billion; ranked 28th. The total GDP per capita is 53.600; which

is ranked 28th. Unemployment in the Netherlands is 5.1% and is ranked 70th. The

percentage of the population falls below the poverty line is 8.8%. Some of the largest

exports in Holland is machinery and transport equipments, chemicals, mineral fuels,

food and livestock, and manufactured goods. The total value is 526.4 billion. Some of

the largest imports in the Netherlands are machinery and transport equipments,

chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, and clothing. The annual value of these imports is 435.4

billion.

Energy and Communication100% of people in Holland have access to electricity, ultimately meaning that 0% of the

population lives without electrification. About 21,941,981 people in The Netherlands

have cell phones, which ranks 55th in the world. Along with that, 15,385,203 people use

the internet, ranking them at 39th in the world.

TransportationThere are 29 airports in Holland, which ranks them at 120th in the world. There is

approximately 3,038 km (or 1887.73 miles) of railway. Their world ranking is 60th.

They have 139,124 km (86447.66 miles) of roadway. (number of paved roads N/A).

Their two major seaports are IJmuiden and Vlissingen. Citizens typically get around by

cars and prefer them for daily travel. Many also chose to commute by bike or train to

avoid traffic.