1. The Netherlands<br />Introduction <br />‘Kingdom of the Netherlands’ is the official name of the Netherlands. The Dutch people would say ‘Koninkrijk der Nederlanden’. The small country of the Netherlands has a total population of 16.7 million people. It is densely populated with an average of400 people per sq km. The capital is Amsterdam with a population of 737,900 people.<br />The geography, history, culture and traditions make the Netherlands unique. These aspects of the country are discussed below.<br />Geography<br />The Netherlands is located in the north west of Europe with Germany and Belgium as the bordering countries to the East and South respectively. The county has a length of 300km from North to South and 200km from West to East. The Netherlands has a total area of 41,526sq km with half of that area below sea level. The Dutch people have reclaimed most of that land by putting dikes and canals in place. The Dutch are world renowned for their skills in buildings dikes, dams and bridges.<br />The climate in the Netherlands may change during the different months. The warmer months are from June to August, which is summer and the cooler months are from December to February, which is winter. In the winter there can be snow falls but these rarely last for more than a week. The warmest weather is from June to August with temperatures between 21-26 degrees Celsius. There are rarely extreme temperatures during the seasons. The air is relatively humid and fog is common in autumn and spring. There are stronger winds from October to March, when it can be bitterly cold. <br />History<br />History in the Netherlands is an important part of Dutch people lives. The Netherlands was founded in the time of Julius Caesar. The Netherlands or Holland? North and South Holland were historically very important so the country and accordingly it was often just called it ‘Holland’ and not ‘The Netherlands’. In the past Holland was one of the great trading, naval and colonial powers of Europe. During WW1 the Netherlands was neutral, but in WW2 1940 it was invaded by Nazi’s and was liberated in May 1945. <br />Culture, People and Traditions<br />The Netherlands has many traditions and cultural events, such as food, clothes, language, the royal family, the government and also religious freedom. The languages that the Dutch people speak are Dutch and Frisian which are the official languages in the Netherlands. The main religions in the Netherlands are Dutch Reform Protestant, Roman Catholic and Muslim. The tradition of religious tolerance and the separation of the church and the state are strong in the Netherlands were key in the formation of the country.<br />Traditionally Dutch people wore wooden shoes called clogs. Clogs are still worn by farmers as a type of gumboot. Each of the provinces in the Netherlands also has a traditional costume, although the dress of the seaward provinces is better known internationally.<br />The main sports that are played in the Netherlands are football or soccer and ice skating. The Dutch follow their sports stars and teams with some enthusiasm.<br />Sinterklaas is the traditional Santa Claus and the Dutch celebrate the birthday of this Turkish Bishop on the eve of 6 December each year. At Sinterklaas children get presents and lollies. <br />The Netherlands has a queen, Queen Beatrix. The Dutch celebrate their national day, queen’s birthday on the 30th April, every year. The Netherland’s national colour is orange, which celebrates the royal family, the House of Orange. Interestingly, carrots were bred to be orange by Dutch growers in honour of their royal family.<br />The currency in the Netherlands is now the Euro, it used to by the gulden or florin which had been used for many centuries. <br />Summary<br />The Netherlands is located in Europe. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and has a unique geography due to the dikes and dams that have been built. The climate in the Netherlands changes throughout the year. The Dutch speaking people (the Netherlands) have several important traditions which are celebrated throughout the country. <br />Bibliography<br />www.greenwichmeantime.com<br />www.holland.com<br />www.infoplease.com<br />www.amsterdam.info<br />Myself and My Family <br />By Breanna de Gouw <br /> <br />