3. The Kindom of
Netherlands
The capital and largest city in the Netherlands is Amsterdam.
Other major cities include Rotterdam, the Hague, Eindhoven and Utrecht
.
4. Where is Holland?
Around 20% of the Netherlands is located below sea
level.
The Netherlands border Belgium and Germany.
5. Language and population
The population of the Netherlands in 2013 was estimated to be around 17
million.
The main language in the Netherlands is Dutch.
The majority of Dutch people can speak more than one language
Nederlands (Dutch) and Fryslân (Frisian) are official languages:
Estimates suggest that less than 400,000 people speak Frisian,
so far more Dutch people speak English. Limburgish, Dutch Low
Saxon and Gronings are also recognised minority languages.
6. Money money money …
The Netherlands is part of the European Union and uses the Euro
as its currency.
7. The royal family
The head of state is King Willem-
Alexander: He became king in April
2013, aged 46 when his mother,
Queen Beatrix, abdicated at the
age of 75. He's the first Dutch king
in 123 years, following three
queens
8. Sports
Dutch people enjoy a range of sports including football (soccer),
swimming, volleyball, golf, tennis and hockey.
10. Windmills
There are over 1,000 windmills still standing from 1850: Traditionally
used for a variety of purposes, from irrigation to grinding grain, only a few
still operate commercially. The Kinderdrijk area is a UNESCO World
Heritage site home to 19 traditional windmills
11. Tulips
Tulips, are popular: There are over 1,500 varieties, and 80 percent of the
world's tulips come from the Netherlands. Nine billion bulbs and millions of
flowers are grown each year, primarily for export.
Tulips aren't native to the Netherlands: The tulip was imported from Turkey in
the 16th century. In the 1630s, 'Tulip Mania' gripped the country. Prices rose
until a single bulb could cost as much as a house, then the industry suddenly
collapsed leaving many in economic crisis.
12. Religion
The Netherlands is a largely secular country: Up to 40 percent
of Dutch say they have no religion, compared to 30 percent
who are Catholic (the largest religious group) and 20 percent
who are Protestant.
13. Carrots
Home of the orange carrot: Dutch carrot growers developed orange
carrots in the 16th century through careful breeding of existing varieties.
At the time, carrots were a range of colours, from pale yellow to purple.
14. Technology
CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray were invented in Eindhoven: Philips, a major
Dutch company, developed CDs in 1979, in a joint project with Sony.
They also developed cassette tapes and popularised many home
electronics items in Europe, like TVs and blenders.
