All About the Netherlands
While Holland is most commonly used to talk about the Netherlands, ‘Holland’ is actually just a part of the Netherlands. When the Dutch talk about Holland, they mean the provinces of North and South Holland. But the Netherlands includes another ten provinces. More than 17 million people live in these provinces!
The Netherlands in facts and figures
The Netherlands is located in Northwestern Europe. The country shares a border with Germany in the East and Belgium in the South. The West and North are the Dutch coast and are delimited by the North Sea. The euro is the official currency.
Top 10 facts about the Netherlands
- The Netherlands is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam.
- Orange is the color of the Dutch royal family.
- The population of over 17 million people speaks Dutch.
- On Texel, the largest North Sea island, there are more sheep than people.
- Nearly one-third of the Netherlands lies below sea level.
- Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel is the lowest point of the Netherlands (-6.76 meters NAP).
- The Vaalserberg is the highest point of the Netherlands (323 meters). Here you can also visit the Drielandenpunt (tri-border area).
- The Netherlands boasts some 35.000 kilometers worth of bike paths.
- The highest museum density can be found in Leiden. Here, there are as many as 13 museums within walking distance.
- Read more about the Dutch national anthem and for instance the nations’ economy in the facts & figures about the Netherlands below.
| Surface area: | 41,528 km² (18.41% water) | |
| Total population: | 17 million | |
| Population density: | 488 people per km2 | |
| Capital city: | Amsterdam (inhabitants: 834,119 in 2014) | |
| Government: | The Hague | |
| Official languages: | Dutch, Frisian (only spoken in Friesland) | |
| Type of government: | Constitutional monarchy – parliamentary democracy | |
| Religion: | 44% No religion, 29% Roman Catholic, 19% Protestant, 6% Muslim, 1% Hindu, 1% Buddhist | |
| Currency: | Euro | |
| National holidays: | King’s Day (27 April) Liberation Day (5 May) | |
| Highest point: | 323 m (Vaalserberg, Limburg) | |
| Lowest point: | 6.7 m (Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, Zuid-Holland) | |
| Average temperature in July: | 17.4 °C | |
| Average temperature in January: | 2.8 °C |
People
With 17 million people and a population density of 488 people per km2, the Netherlands is the most densely populated country of the European Union and one of the mostly densely populated countries in the world. The total size of the Netherlands is 41,500 km2. Amsterdam is the capital, but the government resides in The Hague. More than 40% of the total population live in the Randstad, the agglomeration of the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.
Language
The official language is Dutch. The population of the province of Friesland has a choice between Dutch and Frisian, the only officially recognised regional language. The Netherlands also include the regional languages of West Low German and Limburgs. In other parts of the Netherlands, people often speak a dialect besides Standard Dutch. Many Dutch people also speak German and English.
Landscape
Water dominates the Dutch landscape. Three big European rivers (Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt) reach the ocean via the Netherlands and create an important delta. 26% of the Netherlands is under sea level. During an age-long battle against the water, the Dutch constructed a water system consisting of dykes, polders and weirs. However, the Netherlands offers more variation than the familiar green, flat polder landscape with black and white cows.
Economy
The Netherlands is known as a politically stable country with a sound financial policy. The Netherlands is one of the most open economies in the world and is one of the world’s top 5 biggest exporters.
Three quarters of the professional population work in the tertiary sector, one quarter in the industrial sector and only 4 percent in agriculture. Despite these figure, the Netherlands are a big exporter of agricultural and horticultural products. Some big Dutch companies are: Shell, Unilever, Akzo Nobel, Philips, Aegon, ING Group, Rabobank, Heineken, TNT and Randstad.
Sports
The most popular sports in the Netherlands are football, hockey, tennis, cycling, golf, volleyball, korfball, handball, swimming and ice-skating. Dutch football and speed skating especially enjoy a worldwide reputation.
Orange is related to the Dutch Royal Family and represents the national identity of the Netherlands. That’s why Dutch fans dress up in orange. During some sport events the whole country turns orange and people become infected with what we like to call the ‘orange fever’.
National anthem
The Dutch National anthem is ‘Het Wilhelmus’, which consists of 15 stanzas about Prince William of Nassau, the Prince of Orange. The anthem is still played at official occasions, but most Dutch people will mainly recognise it because it is played during international football competitions.
Social ways
The Dutch are creative, open minded and pragmatic. They are also rather direct, honest and open in their dealings with others. The Dutch are known for their tolerant attitudes towards topics such as abortion, euthanasia and (soft) drug use.
Dutch flag
The Dutch flag is also called the national tricolor. The flag consists of 3 horizontal blocks in red, white and blue.
The Netherlands or Holland?
The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces: Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland, Gelderland, Utrecht, North-Holland, South-Holland, Zealand, North Brabant and Limburg.
Two out of these twelve provinces go by the name Holland -: North Holland and South Holland.
The confusion on the difference between Holland and the Netherlands must have started as a result of Dutch sailors who were known to have sailed the open seas during the Golden Age in search of new land, trade routes and spices. They were known to have only mentioned the name of the city-states they hailed from when asked where they came from. A Dutch sailor could tell a fellow trader that he was from South Holland or North Holland when asked where he came from and in a way, this made a lot of people think that Holland was a country. It must have been quite confusing because, at that time, a united Netherlands did not exist – in the form of a country.
Today, the official name of the country is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. King Willem-Alexander is the King and “Holland” actually means the two provinces of “Noord-Holland” and “Zuid-Holland” which translated to English would mean; North-Holland and South-Holland.
So Holland is only just a province in The Netherlands.
Do’s and don’ts in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a liberal and tolerant nation. That does not mean that everything is allowed, but the Dutch generally have an open attitude with regard to freedom of speech, gay marriage and the use of soft drugs.
Do’s in the Netherlands
- Are you visiting Amsterdam? Then consider going on a day trip from Amsterdam and discover the peace and space outside the city. Cycle through the polder and along the Amstel river or take a train to enjoy a day at the beach.
- Always bring your ID when you go out. You must be able to confirm your identity at any time.
- You can pay by card (’PIN’) in most locations.
- Rent a bicycle and enjoy the beautiful landscape!
- Always bring a light coat. Even in summer, it may get chilly when a sea wind blows.
Don’ts in the Netherlands
- Avoid walking on cycle paths if you don’t want to be run over
- Drinking in the street is forbidden, except on terraces
- Never visit around dinner time if you don’t have an appointment to meet. The Dutch like their privacy and prefer to eat with their family. It is likely that there is not enough to go around and offer you a meal.
- Buying drugs in the street. Hard drugs are illegal and you should only buy soft drugs in coffee shops.
Read all this and more in the Practical information for
visiting the Netherlands.
Visiting the Netherlands
The Netherlands is beautiful to visit throughout the year. Every season has its own mood and charm. In spring, the flower bulb fields are blooming and visiting the Keukenhof is a must! In summer, you can enjoy the sun and sea on one of the gorgeous beaches along the Dutch coast. Fall is the time to discover beautiful nature on the bicycle and, of course, eat venison at one of the excellent restaurants in the Netherlands. Winter in the Netherlands is really ‘gezellig’ (pleasant). Go Christmas shopping at one of the Christmas markets or ‘tie on the irons’ to go ice-skating.
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