|
The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland () is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden), which is formed by the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, located in northwestern Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The current borders were established in 1839. The Netherlands is often referred to by the name Holland. This is not terminologically precise, since the provinces of North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country's twelve provinces (for more on this and other naming issues see Netherlands (terminology)). It is also sometimes known as the Low Countries, which is the meaning of the original Dutch title Nederlands. The Dutch title has now changed to Nederland, the Low Country, but this version has not been adopted in the English language. The Netherlands is a densely populated and geographically low-lying country (its name literally means "low countries" or "low lands") and is popularly known for its windmills, cheese, clogs (wooden shoes), dikes, tulips, bicycles and social tolerance. Its policies are liberal towards drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia. The country is host to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
Capital Amsterdam is the capital city (hoofdstad), and The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag or s-Gravenhage) is the Netherlands' seat of government (regeringszetel), the home of the monarch (residentie), and the location of most foreign embassies. History Under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and king of Spain, the region was part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, which also included most of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and some land of France and Germany. 1568 saw the start of the Eighty Years' War between the provinces and Spain. In 1579, the northern half of the Seventeen Provinces declared itself independent from Spain, and they formed the Union of Utrecht, which is seen as the foundation of the modern Netherlands. Philip II, the son of Charles V, was not prepared to let them go that easily and war continued until 1648 when Spain finally recognised Dutch independence. Republic After gaining formal independence from the Spanish Empire under King Philip IV of Spain, the Dutch grew to become one of the major seafaring and economic powers of the 17th century during the period of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. In the so-called Dutch Golden Age, colonies and trading posts were established all over the globe. (See Dutch colonial empire) Many economic historians regard the Netherlands as the first thoroughly capitalist country in the world. In early modern Europe it featured the wealthiest trading city (Amsterdam) and the first full-time stock exchange. The inventiveness of the traders led to insurance and retirement funds as well as such less benign phenomena as the boom-bust cycle, the world's first asset-inflation bubble, the tulip mania of 1636–1637, and according to Murray Sayle, the world's first bear raider - Isaac le Maire, who forced prices down by dumping stock and then buying it back at a discount. Kingdom After briefly being incorporated in the First French Empire under Napoleon, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815, consisting of the present day Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In addition, the king of the Netherlands became hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Belgium rebelled and gained independence in 1830, while the personal union between Luxembourg and the Netherlands was severed in 1890 as a result of ascendancy laws which prevented Queen Wilhelmina from becoming Grand Duke. The Netherlands possessed several colonies, most notably the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and Suriname (the latter was traded with the British for New Amsterdam, now known as New York). These 'colonies' were first administered by the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, both collective private enterprises. Three centuries later these companies got into financial trouble and the territories in which they operated were taken over by the Dutch government (in 1815 and 1791 respectively). Only then did they become official colonies. During the 19th century, the Netherlands was slow to industrialise compared to neighbouring countries, mainly due to its unique infrastructure of waterways and reliance on wind power. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I and intended to do so in World War II. However, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940 in the Western European campaign of the Second World War. Subsequently the Netherlands joined the Anglo-French alliance. The country was quickly overrun and surrendered after the bombing of Rotterdam, although a French force held Zeeland for a short time. During the occupation over 100,000 Dutch Jews were murdered in the Holocaust along with significant numbers of Dutch Roma (gypsies). Some Dutch e.g. members of Henneicke Column collaborated with Nazi occupiers in hunting down and arresting hiding Jews. Between 8,000 and 9,000 of Dutch Jews were rounded up in this manner and consequently deported to German extermination camps and murdered. Dutch civilians were often treated brutally. Dutch workers were conscripted for labour in German factories, civilians were killed in reprisal for attacks on German soldiers, and the countryside was plundered for food for German soldiers in the Netherlands and for shipment to Germany. The Allied 21st Army Group was given the task to conduct military operations to liberate The Netherlands after the breakout from Normandy. British, Canadian, Polish and American soldiers fought on Dutch soil beginning in September 1944. A first thrust, Market Garden north from France to Arnheim, failed. Canadian units fighting to liberate the Sheldt estuary fought their way into Holland and liberated most of the countryside, but not the urban areas of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. German forces held out until the German surrender of May 8, 1945. German forces killed Dutch civilians in Amsterdam on the last day of the war. The disrupted transportation system, caused by German destruction of dikes to slow allied advances, and German confiscation of many food and livestock made the winter of 1944-1945 one in which malnutrition and starvation were rife among the Dutch population. The country suffered a similar "hard winter" in 1945-46 because of abnormal cold and the slowness of reconstruction. From Benelux to EU
Naming conventions Various terms have been used in English to refer to the Netherlands and its inhabitants. '(The) Netherlands' is the official name of the European part of the 'Kingdom of the Netherlands' (as opposed to overseas areas). The term 'Holland' is commonly used as a synonym for the Netherlands, but the word Holland is a region in the west of the country , which has long been the most economically powerful part of the country. The prominence of this region meant that the whole country is often mistakenly referred to as 'Holland' all over the world. The country's people and language are called Dutch, but this word could refer to Holland alone. To add yet another layer of confusion, the word Dutch formerly meant the same as German in English usage, since in the early Middle Ages there was no real distinction betweeen the Dutch and the Germans. This should be borne in mind when reading very old literature, and also accounts for the name Pennsylvania Dutch, whose ancestral origins are in Southern Germany and not the Netherlands. The term 'Low Countries' is sometimes used to refer to the Netherlands, but historically it refers (as does the word Netherlands) to a bigger region in western Europe, including Belgium, Luxembourg, and a part of France. It is simply the English for the old Dutch name Nederlands (now Nederland). In the early middle ages it was considered part of the German geographical area (this is why the German Deutsch was used by the English to describe the Netherlands, becoming the English word Dutch), known as Low Germany because of its low topography, and this became simply Low Countries as the identity of the Netherlands as a separate national entity developed. In order to avoid the word Dutch, which is often used for only Holland and which is inappropriate for originally meaning German, the word Netherlands can be used as an adjective (e.g. the Netherlands government). Alternatively, the terms Netherlandish and Netherlandic are both sometimes used. Politics The Netherlands has been a parliamentary democracy since 1848 and a constitutional monarchy since 1815; before that it had been a republic from 1581 to 1806 and a kingdom between 1806 and 1810 (it was part of France between 1810 and 1813). The head of state is the monarch (at present Queen Beatrix). The monarch has today in practice a mainly ceremonial function but the constitution allows for the exertion of real power, should the responsible ministers subordinate themselves; an open conflict between them and the monarch — whose signature is needed for any law or warrant to come into effect — would lead to a constitutional crisis (see main article). Coalition governments Since the 19th century Dutch governments have always been coalition governments as no single political party has been able to win a majority vote. Formally, the monarch appoints the members of the government. In practice, once the results of parliamentary elections are known, a coalition government is formed (in a process of negotiations that has taken up to seven months), after which the negotiated government is officially appointed by the monarch. The head of the government is the Prime Minister, in Dutch Minister President or Premier, a primus inter pares(first among equals) who is also usually the leader of the largest party in the coalition. The degree of influence the monarch has on actual government formation is a topic of ongoing speculation. Parliament The parliament consists of two houses. The 150 members of the Lower House (Tweede Kamer, or Second Chamber) are elected every four years in direct elections. The provincial assemblies are directly elected every four years as well. The members of the provincial assemblies elect every two years a third of the members of the less important Senate (the Eerste Kamer, or First Chamber that is hereby fully indirectly elected within six years), that can merely reject laws, not propose or amend them. Together, the First and Second Chamber are known as the Staten-Generaal, the States General. On February 7, 2006, the Second Chamber introduced the right of citizens' initiative at the national level. Polder Model Political scientists consider the Netherlands to be a classic example of a consociational state, traditionally explained by the necessity since the early Middle Ages for different social groups to cooperate in order to fight the water. Better founded hypotheses include a partial failing of feudalisation and the successful resistance against absolutism. This system of reaching an agreement despite differences is called the polder model. Also, the Netherlands has long been a nation of traders, dominated by a freethinking bourgeoisie and for international trade one has to be tolerant of others' (culture's). At home, despite calvinism being the state religion till the 19th century, there was in practice religious tolerance shown towards Catholics and Jews. Prior to the 19th century, Catholics were practically not allowed to hold government functions, and Protestant restrictions were observed to Catholic but also Jewish church buildings. The Netherlands tried to be a neutral country in most international affairs between 1839 and 1940 and thus managed to keep out of World War I (although this failed in World War II). Populism However, the early years of the 21st century have seen a political upheaval, most clearly illustrated by the quick rise and fall of the LPF. Pim Fortuyn, its founder, gained massive support by his populist views that previous cabinets were responsible for many problems, noticeably the presumed failing integration of immigrants. Just before the election of 2002 he was murdered by an animal rights activist, the first political murder in roughly 400 years (Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis in 1672). The elections, which sent the Netherlands into a period of political chaos, were concluded in the emotional aftermath. Present The present government is led by the minority cabinet Balkenende III, a short-term continuation of Balkenende II (CDA/VVD/D66) without the smallest coalition party, D66. Elections are planned for November 22, 2006. Balkenende II's economic reforms and immigration policies had resulted in a shift in public opinion to the left, showing from political polls and the 2006 municipal elections, in which the government coalition parties faced great losses in favour of the opposition parties, mainly the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Socialist Party (SP). Following the controversial decisions of Immigration and Integration Minister Rita Verdonk regarding the legal status of immigrant politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Dutch cabinet went into crisis on June 29, 2006. Jan-Peter Balkenende presented his temporary minority cabinet to the Queen on July 7. On June 1, 2005, the Dutch electorate voted in a referendum against the proposed EU Constitution by a majority of 61.6%, three days after the French had also voted against it. Administrative divisions The Netherlands is divided into twelve administrative regions, called provinces, each under a Governor, who is called Commissaris van de Koningin (Commissioner of the Queen), except for the province Limburg where the commissioner is called Gouverneur (Governor) which underlines the more "non-Dutch" mentality. All provinces are divided into municipalities (gemeenten), 458 in total (1 January 2006). The country is also subdivided in water districts, governed by a water board (waterschap or hoogheemraadschap), each having authority in matters concerning water management. As of 1 January 2005 there are 27. The creation of water boards actually pre-dates that of the nation itself, the first appearing in 1196. In fact, the Dutch water boards are one of the oldest democratic entities in the world still in existence. Geography A remarkable aspect of the Netherlands is the flatness of the country. Hilly landscapes can be found only in the central part, the south-eastern tip of the country and where the glaciers pushed up several hilly ridges such as the Hondsrug in Drenthe, the stuwwallen near Nijmegen, Salland, Twente and the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Below sea level About half of its surface area is less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) above sea level, and much of it is actually below sea level. An extensive range of dykes and dunes protects these areas from flooding. Numerous massive pumping stations keep the ground water level in check. The highest point, the Vaalserberg, in the south-eastern most point of the country, is 321 metres (1,053 ft) above sea level. The Vaalserberg is a foothill of the Ardennes mountains. A substantial part of the Netherlands, for example, all of the province of Flevoland (contains the largest man-made island in the world) and large parts of Holland, has been reclaimed from the sea. These areas are known as polders. This has led to the saying "God created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands." Floods In years past, the Dutch coastline has changed considerably due to human intervention and natural disasters. Most notable in terms of land loss are the 1134 storm, which created the archipelago of Zeeland in the south west, and the 1287 storm, which killed 50,000 people and created the ''Zuiderzee'' (now dammed in and renamed the IJsselmeer — see below) in the northwest, giving Amsterdam direct access to the sea. The St. Elizabeth flood of 1421 and the mismanagement in its aftermath destroyed a newly reclaimed polder, replacing it with the 72 square kilometres (28 sq mi) Biesbosch tidal floodplains in the south-centre. The most recent parts of Zeeland were flooded during the North Sea Flood of 1953 and 1,836 people were killed, after which the Delta Plan was executed. The disasters were partially man-made; the people drained relatively high lying swampland for use as farmland. This drainage caused the fertile peat to compress and the ground level to drop, locking the land users in a vicious circle whereby they would lower the water level to compensate for the drop in ground level, causing the underlying peat to compress even more. The vicious circle is unsolvable and remains to this day. Up until the 19th century peat was dug up, dried, and used for fuel, further adding to the problem. To guard against floods, a series of defences against the water were contrived. In the first millennium, villages and farmhouses were built on man-made hills called terps. Later, these terps were connected by dikes. In the 12th century, local government agencies called "waterschappen" (English "water bodies") or "hoogheemraadschappen" ("high home councils") started to appear, whose job it was to maintain the water level and to protect a region from floods. (The water bodies are still around today performing the same function.) As the ground level dropped, the dikes by necessity grew and merged into an integrated system. In the 13th century, windmills came into use to pump water out of the areas by now below sea level. The windmills were later used to drain lakes, creating the famous polders. In 1932, the Afsluitdijk (English "Closure Dike") was completed, blocking the former Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) off from the North Sea and thus creating the IJsselmeer (IJssel Lake). It became part of the larger Zuiderzee Works in which four polders totalling 1,650 square kilometres (637 sq mi) were reclaimed from the sea. See also: Flood control in the Netherlands, Floods in the Netherlands Delta Works After the 1953 disaster, the Delta project, a vast construction effort designed to end the threat from the sea once and for all, was launched in 1958 and largely completed in 2002. The official goal of the Delta project was to reduce the risk of flooding in Holland to once per 10,000 years. (For the rest of the country, the protection-level is once per 4,000 years.) This was achieved by raising 3,000 kilometres (1,864 mi) of outer sea-dikes and 10,000 kilometres (6,200 mi) of inner, canal, and river dikes to "delta" height, and by closing off the sea estuaries of the Zeeland province. New risk assessments occasionally show problems requiring additional Delta project dike reinforcements. The Delta project is the single largest construction effort in human history and is considered by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Because of the high cost of maintaining the polders some have argued that maybe some of the deepest polders should be given up. Additionally, the Netherlands is one of the countries that may suffer most from climatic change. Not only is the rising sea a problem, but also erratic weather patterns may cause the rivers to overflow. Rivers The country is divided into two main parts by three rivers Rhine (Rijn), Waal, and Meuse (Maas). The south-western part of the Netherlands is actually one big river delta of these rivers. These rivers not only function as a natural barrier, but also as a cultural divide, as is evident in the different dialects spoken north and south of these great rivers and the (previous) religious dominance of Catholics in the south and Calvinists in the north. The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is south-west, which causes a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. Economy The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy in which the government has reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food-processing (for example Unilever and Heineken), chemicals (for example DSM), petroleum refining (for example Royal Dutch Shell), and electrical machinery (for example Philips). Slochteren has the largest natural gas field in the world, which has so far (2006) resulted in a total revenue of €159 billion since the mid 1970s. With just over half of the reserves used up and an expected continued rise in oil prices, the revenues over the next few decades are expected to be at least that much. Third in worldwide agricultural exports A highly mechanised agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labour force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Dutch rank third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the United States and France, with exports earning $46 billion annually. A significant portion of Dutch agricultural exports are derived from fresh-cut plants, flowers, and bulbs, with the Netherlands exporting two-thirds of the world's total. The Netherlands also exports a quarter of all world tomatoes, and one-third of the world's exports of peppers and cucumbers. The Netherlands' location gives it prime access to markets in the UK and Germany, with the port of Rotterdam being the largest port in Europe. Other important parts of the economy are international trade (Dutch colonialism started with cooperative private enterprises such as the VOC), banking and transport. The Netherlands successfully addressed the issue of public finances and stagnating job growth long before its European partners. As a founding member of the Euro, the Netherlands replaced (for accounting purposes) its former currency, the guilder, on January 1, 1999, along with the other adopters of the single European currency. Actual Euro coins and banknotes followed on January 1, 2002. In the first years of the third millennium, economic and employment growth came to a standstill, which the government tried to resolve by reducing expenses. 16th largest economy At this moment the Netherlands is the 16th largest economy of the world. (see: List of countries by GDP (nominal)) Between 1998 and 2000 annual economic growth (GDP) averaged nearly 4%, well above the European average. Growth slowed considerably in 2001-05 as part of the global economic slowdown, but the first quarter of 2006 showed a promising 2.6%. Inflation is 1.3% and is expected to stay low at around 1.5% in the coming years. According to the definition used by the Dutch Statistics Agency CBS, unemployment is at 5.5% of the labour force By Eurostat standards however, unemployment in the Netherlands is at only 3.8% - the lowest rate of all European Union member states (figures: June 2006). The Netherlands also has a relatively low GINI coefficient of 32.6. Demographics
Most densely populated The Netherlands is the 23rd most densely populated country in the world, with 395 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,023 sq mi)—or 484 people per square kilometre (1,254/sq mi) if only the land area is counted, since 18.4% is water. Partly because of this it is also one of the most densely cabled countries in the world. Internet penetration is at 65.9% the 19th highest in the world. It should be noted that many of the 22 countries with a higher population density are exceptionally small, with 8 microstates smaller than 100 km². 15 of the 22 are smaller than 1000 km². Variety According to CBS Statline, the official statistics bureau of the Netherlands, the ethnic origins of the citizens are very diverse. The vast majority of the population however still remains Dutch. They were: 80.8% Dutch, 2.4% German, 2.4% Indonesian (Indo-European, Indo-Dutch, Moluccan), 2.2% Turks, 2.0% Surinamese, 1.9% Moroccan, 1.5% Indian, 0.8% Antillean and Aruban, and 6.0% other. However, this does not include the whole Kingdom of the Netherlands (such as the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, which have a non-European majority community), and only includes the population in the Netherlands itself. The Netherlands also has a resident population of some 200,000 people of mixed Dutch and Indonesian descent (Indonesia being a former colony of the Netherlands). Small big cities There are no cities with a population over 1 million in the Netherlands, but the 'four big cities' as they are called (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) can in many ways be regarded as a single 'big city' conurbation, the Randstad ('rim or edge city') with about 7 million inhabitants and an agricultural 'green heart' (het Groene Hart). The unity of this conurbation can be illustrated by the current idea effort to create a circular train system connecting the four cities, which has a frequency and carriages similar to a metropolitan railway. The 5 'largest' cities are, in order of descending population: Only Eindhoven is not located in the Randstad. Languages The official language is Dutch, which is spoken by practically all inhabitants. Another official language is Frisian, which is spoken in the northern province of Fryslân. Frisian is co-official only in the province of Fryslân, although with a few restrictions. Several dialects of Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch in Dutch) are spoken in much of the north and east and are recognised by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Frisian and Low Saxon are ancestral languages of English and share many simple words and constructs. To the south, the Dutch language shifts into other varieties of Low Franconian and German, which may or may not be best classified as Dutch, most notably West Flemish. One of these, Limburgish, which is spoken in the south-eastern province of Limburg, has been recognised as a minority language since 1997. There is a tradition of learning foreign languages in the Netherlands: about 85% of the total population has basic knowledge of English, 55–60% of German and 35% of French. Religion According to the governmental statistics agency (CBS) 31% of the population consider themselves to be Roman Catholic, 20% Protestant (predominantly Dutch Reformed) and 8% 'other denominations'. 42% consider themselves unaffiliated. Church attendance however is much lower than these figures may suggest: some 70% of the population 'rarely or never' visit a house of worship (be it a church, mosque, synagogue or temple), and even then it is mostly for occasions like weddings and baptisms. Most Protestants live in the northern provinces while the southern provinces, Noord-Brabant and Limburg, are mainly Roman Catholic, along with some regions in the east of the country like Twente in Overijssel. The largest part of the 'other denominations', at 920,000, are Muslims (mostly Moroccans and Turks) concentrated in the large cities. The other denominations also include some 200,000 Hindus (1.3% of the population), mostly descendants of indentured servants who migrated from India to the former Dutch colony of Surinam around 1900. During the Nazi occupation in World War II about 100,000 out of 140,000 Dutch Jews were murdered in extermination camps. The Jewish population of the Netherlands today is estimated at between 30,000 and 40,000. They are mostly Liberal in practice, rather than Orthodox. See also: History of the Jews in the Netherlands Culture The Dutch are known throughout the Western world as being "open" and "tolerant" to new ideas and lifestyles, but this is a very broad generalisation. This liberal outlook may possibly stem from the Dutch historically being a sea-faring and wide-trading people, encountering many different customs, languages, and foods. The Netherlands is well-known for its laws allowing soft drug use, prostitution, abortion, euthanasia and homosexual marriages, yet the views of individual Dutch people varies with region. While the bigger cities in the west are more known for their social liberalism, smaller towns in the north and eastern countryside are actually rather conservative, still carrying a strong Protestant Calvinist tradition. In practice, especially with new technologies and foods, the Dutch usually resist change first, then embrace it emphatically. This is reflected in the Dutch saying "Doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg" (just act normally, that's crazy enough). Dutch cuisine is not considered among the most interesting in the world. However, in Dutch food there are still considerable influences from many its former colonies such as Indonesia and Suriname. Chinese restaurants have a strong Indonesian component to them. While "traditional" Dutch foods consist of meat, potatoes, cheese and cabbage, Indonesian spices such as sambal are popular, as well as foods such as loempias (eggrolls), bami (noodles), and nasi goreng, sate (meat on a stick) with peanut sauce *. The Netherlands has an extensive network of bike paths which run along highways and roads throughout the country. Many people use the bicycle as a mode of transport and as exercise at the same time; in fact,the Netherlands has the highest percentage of bikes per inhabitant in Europe, about 1 bike per every 12 people . The high price of both gasoline (benzin) and of driving lessons , and the flatness of the land make bicycling an attractive alternative to driving. It is common to see large groups of schoolchildren (and businessmen, grocery shoppers, and churchgoers for that matter) on bicycles. The high number of bicycles also means a high number of bike thefts. The Dutch have a love of flowers and plants. While bulb and cut-flower exports contribute to the national economy, there is also a strong domestic demand, both for houseplants and garden plants; however, domestic Dutch consumption of plants and flowers has been dropping in the mid-1990's . Even when the Dutch don't have a garden, a small yard or balcony is often filled with flowers, bamboo, and herbs . A guest to a Dutch home will often bring flowers (traditionally given to the woman of the house); housewarming gifts are often houseplants. The Netherlands has some specific holidays, such as Queen's Day (30 April), where there are outdoor festivals and entertainment to celebrate the (old) Queen's birthday. Like in other European countries, Easter is celebrated as a whole weekend (paasweekend), with Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday all being observed. The fourth and fifth of May are celebrated. The fourth is the Remembrance of War Dead day, with a nationwide two minutes of silence at 8 pm. May fifth is Liberation day, the anniversary of the liberation from Nazi rule during World War II. In anticipation of his namesday, Sinterklaas arrives on the third Saturday of November on a steamship from Spain, with his white horse and his manservants Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) at his side. From that day children are allowed to put their shoe near the chimney (or window or letterbox) several times, with carrots inside for the horse. In the morning, they find the carrots gone and some small gifts in the shoes in return. December fifth, or Sinterklaas namesdays eve, is celebrated. That evening Sinterklaas goes to Dutch childrens' homes and gives presents (if they've been good; bad kids get stuffed into Pete's sack and are taken back to Spain); often accompanied by an (ironical) poem listing some of the recipient's deeds of the past year. With Sinterklaas recently past, Christmas is usually not celebrated with gifts but more as a religious (or at least a family) holiday. New Year's Eve (called Old Year's Eve in Dutch) is celebrated with fireworks and oliebollen covered in powdered sugar. The national sports of the Dutch is outdoor skating, mainly along the canals and creeks. If the ice is thick enough, many tours from 10 to 200 kilometers are organised. The most famous tour in Friesland is the Elfstedentocht (eleven cities skating tour-200 km). This rarely happens; the last occasion was 1997. Football is popular, both professionally, amateur. The national colour, orange (from the royal House of Orange), and national flags are everywhere during sports events where a national team plays. Families, friends and neighbours bond over coffee served at coffeetime (10 AM). Guests are generally invited to coffee (or tea). Many homes have a special tray or box, which is brought out, from which biscuit or cookie is served with the coffee. Subsequent cups of coffee come with a single additional cookie each. Dutch restrooms can be particular. Many of them have a birthday calendar on the back of the door. When someone celebrates a birthday, he or she brings and serves guests cake or pie with coffee (or brings a cake to work to serve colleagues during coffee break). Relatives of the person celebrating birthday are often also congratulated as if they too were having a birthday. Everyone's hands are shaken. The birthday person gets birthday present from the guests. When answering the phone, the receiving Dutch person immediately answer with his/her name preceded by the met (for you are connected with) instead of "hello,". The caller will then also immediately states his or her name. Arts
Miscellaneous topics Click on the provinces for more detailed information History, geography, and politics Australia | Canada | India | Italy | New Zealand | South Africa | UK | US Moving to the Netherlands Travel Miscellaneous Footnotes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| |