Country
Background
The Netherlands is also known as Holland.
In total, Holland's land area amounts to just 33,920 square
kilometers, meaning that the entire country
is a little less that two times the size of
the U.S. state of New Jersey. Holland's natural
geography is composed largely of flat coastal
lowlands and a small, hilly area to the southeast,
a situation that makes the country prone to
flooding. In the Middle Ages, people built dikes to
enclose the polders,
which are areas below sea level. In this way,
they could control the water levels and protect
their homes and land.
The people who live in the Netherlands are
referred to as Dutch. In the past, Holland
had colonies in other parts of the world
like Indonesia and South
Africa. The Dutch
East India Company was important in expanding
the Netherlands trade routes. Holland also
boasts famous explorers like Peter
Stuyvesant and Dirk
Hartog, who was the first foreign visitor
to set foot on the continent of Australia.
Most former Dutch colonies are now independent.
Currently, the Netherlands
Antilles and Aruba are
still part of the Netherlands, though they
are self-governing.
Windmills, clogs, and tulips are symbols
commonly associated with Dutch life. Windmills were
once widely used for grinding grain. Now
the windmills are often used as homes or
museums. The Dutch grow tulips in
an exciting variety of colors to sell in
domestic and international markets. Wooden
shoes are another traditional symbol
and a popular tourist souvenir.
Related
Links
There is a lot more to learn about Netherlands!
- Explore these sites for facts and figures
about the Netherlands:
- Let Atlapedia's "Click-A-Map" show
you physical and political maps of the Netherlands.
- Discover the miniature city of Madurodam,
the largest miniature city in the world.
Take a virtual
tour of Madurodam to see "all of
Holland in just one city!"
- Access fast facts about important events
that happened during the Summer
Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928.
- Amsterdam is home of the Anne Frank House,
where Anne
Frank and her family hid for 25 months
to escape persecution during World War II.
Read Anne's diary or view a scrapbook of
her secret life.
- Learn about the famous painter Rembrandt,
who hailed from Holland. Then check out the Webmuseum to
find out how Rembrandt's paintings can be
used as an historical aid to research what
life was like in Amsterdam in the 18th century.
- Another important painter from Holland
was Vincent Van Gogh, who was famous for
his self-portraits and impressionist paintings.
Enjoy Van
Gogh's art online.
- Examine the history of wooden
shoes, why they are made, how they
are decorated, and when they are worn.
- Investigate the official
Holland site to find out more about
all aspects of Holland from museums to
cheese and windmills to castles.
More
Countries (past
hosts of Olympic Games)
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