Netherlands: Things you didn't know about this curious little country

[jw5]

The highest point is at 'Drielandenpunt'​

The highest point above sea level is located in the tri-border area, where the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany converge at the same point. This location is a whopping 323 meters (1,059 ft) above sea level.

 

[JohnTan]

The Netherlands... what is that anyway?​

People around the world are confused. What is this country, The Netherlands? Is it the same as Holland? The Low Countries? And why are its people and language called 'Dutch'?

Did oppies know about this?

 

[jw5]

There are more bicycles than people in the Netherlands​

In the Netherlands, there are 17.1 million inhabitants, while there are 23 million bicycles. This means that a Dutchman has, on average, more than 1 bicycle.

 

[jw5]

Elderly people ride bicycles into old age​

Elderly Dutch people are still cycling even in their 80s. And an average Dutchman rides about 1,000 km (621 miles) a year by bicycle. Of course, this is made easier by the fact that The Netherlands is completely flat.

 

[jw5]

One fifth of the population of the Netherlands is foreign-born​

Holland is the best country to live in if you like a multicultural society. More than 3 million residents are of foreign origin, which is nearly one in five people. Rotterdam and Amsterdam are the cities where this multicultural ratio is most notable.

 

[jw5]

The Dutch coastline is made up of dunes​

According to the website Holland.com, the Dutch coastline is 230 kilometers (143 miles) long, and 75% of this distance is covered by dunes. As natural protectors of the land behind them, the dunes can be a couple of kilometers deep.

 

[jw5]

It has the largest flower garden in the world​

The Dutch national flower is the tulip, which has more than 800 varieties, and millions of them are produced every year. In spring, the largest flower garden in the world, 'Keukenhof' opens its doors to delight us with a colorful spectacle of natural beauty.

 

[jw5]

Tulips do not originate from the Netherlands​

Curiously, the national flower of The Netherlands is not originally from there. The tulip actually comes from the mountains of Mongolia, from where they spread with the empire of Genghis Khan. Finally, after reaching the Turkish mountains of Anatolia, the flowers were 'discovered' by the Dutch and brought to the country for cultivation.

 

[jw5]

Santa Claus and his strange helpers​

Saint Nicholas is the Dutch predecessor of Santa Claus. Instead of elves, he has helpers called 'Petes.' Since the late 19th century, these 'servants' were white people disguised with blackface. In recent years, however, more and more Dutch towns have decided to abandon that controversial practice.

 

[jw5]

The largest consumers of black licorice in the world​

The average Dutch person eats about 2 kilos (4.4 pounds) of black licorice every year, according to the website lostraveleros.com. It's a mystery why they like it so much.

 

[jw5]

The largest pub in Europe​

The Dutch boast of having the biggest bar in Europe. It is located in the city of Groningen and called 'The Drie Gezusters.' 3,750 people can party there.

 

[Papsmearer]

WHat are you? A fucking travel agent for Holland?

 

[jw5]

The King's birthday​

Please, foreign visitors, don't mix up the dates! When Queen Beatrix was still the monarch of the country, the Dutch would celebrate her birthday on April 30. However, when her son mounted the throne in 2013, Queen's Day became King's Day, and his birthday is on April 27. So don't get fooled by old travel guides! There's always a few tourists showing up in Amsterdam on April 30, completely dressed in orange, and it's hilarious for the locals - but not so much for the tourists.

 

[jw5]

An emergency siren sounds every month​

On the first Monday of the month, don't panic if you hear an emergency siren at noon. This protocol has been developed by the government to check that the alarms are working perfectly in case of any imminent danger to the population, such as fire, flood, or toxic fumes. So unless you hear the siren on any other day or time of the month, don't worry about it.

 

[jw5]

Hang your backpack outside when you graduate​

When a Dutch high school student graduates, their parents put out the flag together with the backpack their child wore to school. Here's the Dutch crown princess Amalia doing the same thing after her graduation in 2021.

 

[jw5]

Some Dutch lands are in the Caribbean​

The Caribbean islands Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten belong separately to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They are its constituent countries. Meanwhile, the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba are special municipalities within The Netherlands.

 

[jw5]

More sheep than people​

On Texel, an island in the North Sea out of Friesland, there are more sheep than people.

 

[jw5]

93% of Dutch people speak English as a second language​

Between 90 and 93% of the population of the Netherlands is fluent in English. According to the 2020 EF English Proficiency Index, the country is number 1 worldwide when it comes to English as a Second Language Skills. The reason for this is simple: the country has a tradition of international trade and transport, and hardly anyone else in the world speaks Dutch.

 

[jw5]

3 kisses as a greeting​

In the Netherlands, locals usually greet each other with 3 kisses on the cheek. Yes... three is a lot, and what makes it worse, is that at a party you have to greet everyone this way.

 

[jw5]

Birthday cake to start the party​

In the Netherlands, they usually cut the cake at the beginning of a birthday party and not at the end as in many other countries. In addition, the cake is not just for children, and a Happy Birthday song may be sung whenever the drinks start to take effect.