10 interesting facts about the Netherlands
Every country has its own customs.
If you have the opportunity to travel the world, you will quickly notice how countries differ from each other and how many customs may surprise you in them. The Netherlands is no exception. It is a very interesting country, and you can find many amusing facts about the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the Internet. We have selected the most interesting ones for you – of course, this is our subjective choice. Stereotypically, the Netherlands is a country of windmills, bicycles, tulips (or more broadly – flowers) and access to nature. Is it really so? Sure there are a lot of windmills, lots of flowers (the Netherlands is one of the biggest flower exporters) and lots of bicycles. What else can you expect in the Netherlands? What is worth knowing about this country?
1. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is one of the 12 monarchies in Europe.
2. As of January 1, 2020, the country’s authorities stopped using the name “Holland”, leaving only the name “The Netherlands”.
3. The Netherlands has the highest population density in all of Europe, with an average of 490 inhabitants per square kilometer.
4. Amsterdam is built on wooden poles – because of the thick layer of peat and clay throughout the city, buildings are erected on 11m wooden poles embedded in the soil.
5. There are 1,281 bridges in Amsterdam, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the North”.
6. In Amsterdam, a sewage treatment company takes more than 10,000 bicycles out of the sewers each year. Where are they coming from?
7. The Netherlands is one of the most liberal countries: in addition to legal access to marijuana, abortion, euthanasia and prostitution are also legal here. They were the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
8. The Kingdom of the Netherlands has the lowest rate of abortion and unwanted pregnancies among teenagers.
9. Only 2% of Dutch people use coffeeshops.
10. The average Dutchman is 183cm tall and the Dutch woman is 170cm tall! This is a very tall nation!
The Netherlands is the world’s second largest exporter of food and agricultural products.
It is one of the largest exporters of beer in the world.
There are around 300 castles open to the public in the Netherlands.
25% of the country’s surface is below sea level.
Almost every citizen of this country has a bicycle.
There are twice as many bicycles as cars.
The average Dutchman drinks 160 liters of coffee a year! That’s really a lot, they lead in the rankings of “coffee lovers”.
The most popular Dutch “tongue twister” is: “Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegensvlug” which means: “When the fly follows the fly, the flies fly very fast.”
The Netherlands during World War II had only one tank, which did not take part in the fighting because it got stuck in the mud on its way to the front.
In 2018, the Dutch planned to close 19 prisons as there were not enough criminals to serve.
It sounds interesting, doesn’t it? I wonder what you will add to your personal list of Dutch facts if you decide to go with Eurojob for a good job in the Netherlands! 😉