The French say: "God gave land to all peoples, but the Dutch got the land themselves."
A Dutch proverb says: "God made the sea, but the Dutch made the shores."
Coat of arms and flag of the Netherlands
Adriaen Thomasz. Key (1554–1609). William I of Orange is considered the founder of the independent Netherlands.
Tulips, Rembrandt, Delft ceramics, windmills and modern motley cities - this, of course, is the Netherlands.
The Netherlands are constitutional monarchy. The country is governed by a bicameral parliament, which is located in The Hague.
The country is small, with an area of only 41,500 sq. km. and a population of only 16.5 million. The Netherlands is located on a flat area, but traveling through the country from north to south and from west to east, you can see a variety of landscapes.
The name Netherlands means "lower lands" and it is not surprising that 40% of the country's area is below sea level. The informal name of the Netherlands is Holland. It is usually used instead of the Netherlands.
Markermeer is a lake in the Netherlands, part of the former Zuiderzee bay. (RICK NEDERSTIGT)
Snowy Zwartsluis, Netherlands. (Luchtfoto)
Netherlands. (ANP)
Ostwardersplase - nature reserve located in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands.(ANP)
Fields dotted with tulips, the Netherlands. (Irishman)
Scheveningen - seaside resort in the Netherlands on the coast North Sea. It is one of the districts of The Hague.(ROBIN UTRECHT)
Herhyugoward is a municipality and city in the province of North Holland, the Netherlands.(XTRA LEX VAN LIESHOUT)
Maeslant Barrier
Muiderslot (Castle), Muiden, Netherlands
More than 40% of the population lives in major cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. Famous for both art and commerce, Amsterdam has become a global shopping center fabulously rich. This wealth is reflected in his architectural masterpieces, which still attract the whole world today.
Today, more than 780,000 people out of 180 call Amsterdam home various countries is a real melting pot of world cultures.
Inntel Hotels Amsterdam
Amsterdam railway station
Amsterdam is known worldwide for its amazingly elegant mansions along the canals, of which there are about 90 in the city. Most of the canals were dug in the 17th century to transport goods. In addition, they formed a water drainage system. City canals have a depth of 3 m and are filled with fresh water.
Amsterdam residents love to walk because it is difficult to find a place to park a car in the city center. The most favorite form of transport is a bicycle, but the citizens can use a tram, bus or metro.
Almost all the streets are channels. Many people live on the water.
The National Museum of Amsterdam is the most prestigious art and history museum in the Netherlands. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, many works by Vermeer and Rembrandt. The museum is currently completely renovated. One of the most visited attractions in the Netherlands.
National Museum
Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam
Nemo - Maritime Museum
Breast monument in Amsterdam
Royal Palace in Amsterdam
In the Dutch city of Halsteren, there is an unusual pedestrian bridge that seems to "cut" the water. Invisible from afar, this trench bridge, named "Moses Bridge", was awarded the title of "Best Construction of 2011" by the Union of Dutch Architects. It seems that it is well deserved - the bridge really is small work art that blends harmoniously with environment.
The fortified city of Naarden (30 km from Amsterdam and 10 minutes drive from Heizen) is a hexagon-shaped island surrounded on all sides by a moat that repeats the shape of the city itself.
The Netherlands, the province of Groningen. This is amazing building- Fort Bourtange.
Vrijthof - the most famous Town Square in Maastricht, in the southern part of the Netherlands. The photo shows the Basilica of St. Servatius (right) and the Cathedral of St. John (left).
Over 1000 old windmills still exist in the Netherlands. The highest concentration is Dutch windmills. They can be found in the area of Kinderdijk ("children's dam"). 19 windmills were built in 1740. They are well preserved to this day and are now popular among tourists.
In small neat houses there are handicraft workshops and souvenir shops.
De Hoge Veluwe - national park, one of largest reserves country, consisting of land wasteland, sand dunes and forests. Bicycles are available free of charge for visitors to the reserve.
Delft City Hall.
City Hall in Delft is a Renaissance building on the market square opposite the New Church. The town hall was originally designed by the Dutch architect Hendrik de Keyser. During the centuries, the town hall was constantly changing, only in the 20th century its original appearance was restored.
Zaanse Schans - village museum under open sky in the municipality of Zaanstad in the Netherlands. The museum contains samples of Dutch wooden architecture of the 17th-18th centuries, including windmills, as well as a workshop for the manufacture of traditional Dutch shoes - klompe - and an old cheese factory.
Officially, the country is called the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but many call it Holland. Holland are two western provinces- North and South Holland, from which the formation of the state once began.
South and North Holland are only 2 of the 12 provinces of the Netherlands (Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, North Brabant, North Holland, Over IJssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, South Holland). Historically, these were the two most developed provinces and the most famous outside of the Netherlands, so the whole country was often called Holland in many languages. In Russian, this name became widespread after the visit of Peter I and his retinue to the Netherlands. The interests of distinguished guests, for obvious reasons, concerned only the most technically developed part of the country - Holland, they only visited it; talking at home about the visit, very often its purpose was called that way, without mentioning the name of the state as a whole.
Groningen, The Netherlands
Do you know that...
* There are still about a thousand old working windmills in Holland.
* In the Netherlands, at least 15,000 km of cycle paths.
* Flevoland, the twelfth province, arose after the drainage South Sea in 1986.
* The Dutch are the most tall people in Europe.
* Amsterdam is built on stilts.
* In the Netherlands - always coalition government, so it is a land of compromises.
* Every Dutchman has a bicycle, and there are twice as many bicycles as cars.
* The Netherlands has the highest concentration of museums in the world, with 42 museums in Amsterdam alone.
* The Netherlands is one of the founding countries of the European Union.
* former island Schokland, Stelling in Amsterdam, the windmills of Kinderdijk-Elshout, Willemstad (in the Netherlands Antilles) and Rietveld-Schröder's house are all on the list world heritage UNESCO.
* The highest point of the Netherlands is located at an altitude of 232 meters above sea level and is called the "mountain".
* Amsterdam is the capital, but the government is located in The Hague.
* Most Dutch speak one foreign language in addition to Dutch.
* Rotterdam is the second largest port in the world.
* The lowest point in the Netherlands lies 6.7 meters below sea level.
* Arriving at Schiphol Airport, you find yourself four meters below sea level.
* In Holland more than 4400 km navigable rivers, canals and lakes.
It turns out that Holland is sinking under water at a speed of 1 meter per hundred years. Over the past 700 years, it has sunk 7 meters below sea level, and all these 700 years the Dutch have been fighting hard to save their land.
When in the 16th century Holland rose to fight for its independence from Spain, there not only "the earth burned under the feet of the invaders", there the earth literally disappeared from under the feet of the Spaniards, because the Dutch opened the floodgates and brought down on the Spaniards multi-ton masses of water. As a result, after a grueling 80-year war, having suffered enormous losses, Holland achieved freedom and became the first state in the world to put into practice the principle of freedom and equality.
The Dutch began to fight for living space more than seven hundred years ago - they first drained the swamps, exposing two-meter thick peat, and gradually, step by step, year after year, they began to reclaim the land from the sea.
Water is the strongest of the elements. Her power is immeasurable. And the man at first performed with a shovel and a wheelbarrow. He poured stones into the foundation of dams, built them up with earth reinforced with willow twigs, dug ditches for water flow. How to divert water to main canal going to the sea? Mills were adapted for this.
Gardens-Keukenhof-Liss-Holland
Wijnhaven, Dordrecht, Holland
From one horizon to another, passing each other, day and night, they raised water. There were times when she returned with an onslaught from the sea, and everything had to be started anew - this work lasted unceasingly for seven hundred years.
Wieringen is a community in North Holland.(PAUL PARIS LES IMAGES)
Lisse is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. (ROBIN UTRECHT)
First, small bays were taken away from the sea, then they approached the dunes that lay along the entire front. sea water and did not allow it to pour into the lowlands. But the chain of sand deposits was not continuous. In such places, people began to build dams.
Thousands of kilometers of dams protect these lands from the water element.
This work required huge costs and efforts. But they fenced themselves off from the sea, and they began to pump out water from behind the fence into the sea initially with the help of the same mills.
In addition, the endless war with water had to be waged on two fronts. The land was flooded not only by the sea, but also from the south by the great floods of the Rhine. I had to skillfully regulate (again with dams and channels) the entire huge delta of a large European river. And over the centuries, the war with water has become the philosophy of life for the Dutch. Since childhood, a person was inspired by the dangerous proximity of water.
Holland is a country of WIND MILLS, WOODEN SHOES, CHEESE and TULIPS.
By at least, this is what at first catches the eye of all tourists. So, first of all, let's get acquainted with all the main attractions.
WIND MILLS are common in Holland, as the country is located in a lowland and nothing blocks the path of numerous winds coming here from the North Sea. This is an indisputable fact. Wind - cheap source energy that will never run out. In addition, the inhabitants of the Netherlands have been using mills for many centuries to keep their lands from going under water. Mills located on dikes (dams) drive pumps. Insofar as maximum height the rise of water for a wind-driven pump is 1.5 meters, on one dam you can often see a string of two or three mills. Gradually, wind turbines began to be displaced, first by steam-powered pumps, and then by an electric motor.
To this day, some Dutch wear WOODEN SHOES.
To see this, you will have to drive to an open-air museum, such as Volendam, for example.
However, despite the fact that shoes are no longer in vogue, popular expressions with the word "shoe" set. For example, the expression "Now that breaks my klomp (clog)", which literally means "This can break the shoe," is used when a person encounters something very unusual, out of the ordinary, because wooden shoes are so strong that unlikely to break. Or "You can feel it though your klompen!" (lit. - "You will feel it, despite the fact that in the shoes!") is used when something is so obvious that you can feel it "without removing the shoes", which in fact have always been distinguished by good protective qualities.
Tulips, another symbol of Holland, were commonly imported into Holland from Turkey in the sixteenth century. Even the word "tulip" itself is of Turkish origin (from turban - turban, turban). The bulb trade is still very profitable business. The flowers themselves are regarded as by-product grow bulbs and are sold in Holland at very low prices.
Tulip Park Keukenhoff (Holland).
Keukenhof Gardens is a large plantation of the Dutch flower industry. Approximately seven million flower bulbs are planted annually in the park. These are not only tulips, but also hyacinths, daffodils and other spring flowers. The gardens are open from last week March to mid-May.
The combination of shady trees, emerald lawns and beautiful clear waters create an amazing atmosphere.
The Belgians call the Dutch “CHEESE HEADS” because the latter eat a lot of cheese. And export even more. Being very practical people, the Dutch learned a long time ago that from perishable milk you need to make cheese that does not spoil for a long time, and besides, it can be transported over long distances.
The cities of Holland are masterpieces of medieval architecture. Here, ancient merchant houses, majestic cathedrals, town halls and modern buildings coexist.
Holland gave the world a whole galaxy of outstanding artists: Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Brueghel, Frans Hals, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh. The museums of the last two are located in Amsterdam.
If you want to apply for a visa to Holland, then the consulate will understand you, of course, but you still have to go to the Netherlands. Why is this happening? The thing is that there was a little confusion in the name of one country.
Country in the north of Western Europe and its name
The Netherlands is a kingdom (state) in Western Europe. The Russians began to call this country Holland with the light suggestion of Peter the Great. Arriving in the Netherlands, Peter studied the provinces of the country. And by coincidence they were called South and North Holland.
Arriving home, Peter the Great told the boyars a lot about the achievements that are in Holland. And he did not mention the real name of the kingdom. So in Russia the name "Holland" was fixed. The Russians use the Netherlands in colloquial speech quite rare. Indeed, even in literature and art, it is precisely Dutch artists and writers that are known.
What applies to Holland, and what about the Netherlands?
Such modern things as euthanasia, legalized abortion, legal soft drugs and official same-sex marriage in the media are attributed to the Netherlands.
But the Dutch school of painting, Dutch potatoes and flowers are associated with Holland. It seems that these are two different countries where art and culture flourish in one, and the innovations of our time rule the show in the other. But it's not. The country is one, just the names are different.
The world community recognizes only the name "Netherlands". For the whole world, this is a state that includes the lands between Germany and Belgium, as well as islands in the Caribbean. And also the colonies that are part of the Antilles.
The term "Holland" is used only by those who speak Russian. The rest of the world knows this kingdom under proud name"Netherlands".
Southern and Northern provinces
The Netherlands has 12 provinces. Those that served as prototypes in the creation of the Russian myth about the name of the country are located in the west of the state.
South Holland is distinguished by the following aspects:
- Endowed with an area of 3418 square kilometers;
- Located on the North Sea;
- It is considered the most developed province of the country in terms of economy;
- It includes the port of Rotterdam, which is one of the largest in the world;
- More than 119 museums have been built in this province.
What is so special about North Holland? Let's consider its features in more detail:
- Territory - approximately 4000 square kilometers;
- Major city - Amsterdam;
- Officially a peninsula;
- It has many cultural and architectural objects that are historical sights.
These two provinces impressed Peter the Great so much that he began to consider the Netherlands "Holland".
Unusual and interesting facts about "Holland"
The Netherlands has the status of a world leader in the development and implementation of high-tech equipment, as well as nanotechnology.
94% of the country's population are active Internet users. And this is also a world record.
This state was also awarded the championship in the field of organization of water transport.
Holland is considered the leading supplier of tulips and other flowers to all countries of Europe and Asia.
And in the cultivation of onions, this kingdom has succeeded more than others. So many products are exported from Holland that the state ranks second in this area after the States.
Every inhabitant of the Netherlands has a bicycle. And everything possible has been done for the convenience of cyclists in Holland. During World War II, the Germans removed almost all bicycles from the Netherlands. And the Dutch still remember this negatively colored act.
In the houses of Holland, it is allowed to grow 5 cannabis bushes for personal use. And in the apartments and ladies of Holland almost never close the windows with curtains.
The average height of a Dutchman is about 182 centimeters. Therefore, the inhabitants of the Netherlands are called the highest nation in the world.
AT given state respect the law very much. And they rarely break it. Most shops in the Netherlands are open until 6 pm.
391 people on square meter is the population density in the Netherlands. And it is considered the highest in Europe.
Fireworks in Holland are only allowed under New Year. And the Dutch police officers who maintain order on the roads almost never take bribes.
Having admired the Netherlands in his era, Peter the Great would have been greatly surprised at what the Netherlands managed to achieve after the end of his reign. Living in the Netherlands has many advantages, but there are also significant disadvantages. For example, the climate of this country is humid and harsh. And the consumption of natural resources is going too fast. But all this pales before Dutch culture and Dutch freedom.
Netherlands (informal nameHolland) is a state in northwestern Europe. In the north and west it opens to the North Sea, the length maritime borders is about 1 thousand km. In the north, the border of the Netherlands runs along the coastline of the five West Frisian islands of the North Sea (Vlieland, Terscheling, Texel, Schiermonnikoog and Amiland). The Netherlands borders Germany in the east and Belgium in the south.
The name of the country comes from the Dutch Nederland - "low-lying country".
Official name: Kingdom of the Netherlands (Holland).
Capital: Amstredam
The area of the land: 41.5 thousand sq. km
Total population: 16.4 million people
Administrative division: The Netherlands consists of 12 provinces: North Holland, South Holland, Utrecht, Flewoland, Gelderland, Drenthe, Groningen, Friesland, Ove-Reissel, Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg. Provinces are divided into communities.
Form of government: A constitutional monarchy.
Head of State: King (queen).
Composition of the population: 80.8% Dutch, 2.4% German, 2.4% Indonesian, 2.2% Turkish, 2.0% Surinamese, 1.9% Moroccan, 1.5% Indian, 0 .8% are Antilian and Aruban, and 6.0% are other ethnic groups.
Official language: Dutch (Dutch). Frisian is spoken in Friesland, and is also distinguished local dialect in the province of Limburg. Almost everyone in the Netherlands speaks English quite well. Many people in the Netherlands also speak German and French.
Religion: 31% - Catholics, 21% - Protestants, 4.4% - Muslims, 3.6% - other.
Internet domain: .nl
Mains voltage: ~230 V, 50 Hz
Phone country code: +31
Country barcode: 870-879
Climate
The climate of the Netherlands is typical of a maritime temperate zone which covers the entire territory of the country. This type of climate implies, first of all, pleasant cool summers and mild winters. The geographically small size of the Netherlands implies homogeneity climatic characteristics for all its regions, except perhaps only the frequency sunny days in different provinces slightly different from each other, and even then more in the opinion of the Dutch themselves. They claim that in the provinces of Zeeland and Limburg the sun shines more often than in the rest of the territory.
Typical summer weather is partly cloudy, when the rain stops before it starts, five or six times a day and the air temperature is about +17 .... +22 degrees. In winter, snow cover is very rarely established here - the fallen snow usually melts quickly, because the air temperature rarely drops below zero for a long time.
AT cold period year, sub-zero air temperatures here are more an exception than a rule, because if the wind blows from the sea, how can you forget about frost, because the air above the sea always has a temperature above zero. Temperature ocean water near the coast it stays in the region of +4...+6 degrees, which allows the world-famous Dutch ports to receive ships all year round. At times, drizzling rain, sometimes accompanied by sleet or snow pellets, is as much a part of the Dutch winter as fogs in the British Isles.
In the coldest month of the year - January - the average air temperature is around +1 ... +4 degrees, which, combined with high humidity and wind, creates not very comfortable weather.
However, there are also severe winters, when the flow of cold air from the continent chills the Dutch channels so much that they freeze. However, for local residents, this is most likely a pleasant surprise - after all, it is in such winters that great amount competitions in speed skating, the love for which lives in the soul of every native of the Low Countries.
Geography
The Netherlands is a rather small country located on the coast of the North Sea, and the population density here is one of the highest in Europe. Do not confuse the Netherlands with Holland - these are not synonyms at all. Holland is just one of the Dutch provinces, albeit one of the largest. The word "Holland" itself means "wooded country", from the Old Frisian holt ("tree") and land ("country, land"). In terms of area, the Kingdom of the Netherlands is smaller than the Moscow Region - it covers an area of 41.5 thousand square meters. km, 40% of which is below sea level.
In the east, the kingdom borders on Germany, in the south - on Belgium. Basically, the country is located on coastal lowlands and areas of drained land - polders, known for their fertility. The most high point Netherlands - Mount Waalserberg rises barely above 300 meters above sea level. The main rivers of the country are the majestic Rhine - the Netherlands are located in its lower reaches, as well as the Meuse and Scheldt, widely known from the paintings of local artists.
Administratively, the Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces (the last province, Flevoland, was created in 1986 on drained territories), the provinces are divided into urban and rural communities. Overseas territories - the Netherlands Antilles - also remain a reminder of the former maritime greatness of the Netherlands.
Flora and fauna
Vegetable world
About 70% of the territory of the Netherlands is occupied by cultural landscapes (sown meadows, arable land, settlements, and others). Forests (of oak, beech, hornbeam, ash with an admixture of yew) are represented by separate groves and cover (together with planted forests and roadside forest belts) 8% of the territory. In sandy areas, moorlands with shrubs (gorse, broom, juniper) are common. On the dunes pine forests and thickets of sea buckthorn. Along the sleeves major rivers- willows.
Animal world
The animal world is severely depleted. Wild rabbits live on the dunes, squirrels, hare, marten, polecat, roe deer live in the forests. There are about 180 species of birds in the Netherlands. In the delta of the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt - protected areas for mass wintering waterfowl(geese, goose, gulls, sandpipers). The North Sea is rich in fish (herring, cod, mackerel).
Attractions
Holland itself, 40% of whose territory is located below sea level, and its literally “created” land by people, can already be considered a self-sufficient cultural monument. All coastline country is surrounded by a system of protective dams and other hydraulic structures, the total length of which exceeds 3 thousand km.
The cities of Holland are masterpieces of medieval architecture, combining majestic cathedrals, picturesque canals, old houses, churches, town halls and modern buildings. Plantations of flowers - " business card"Holland, in spring, almost the entire country is covered with a multi-colored carpet of flowering plants, which, in contrast to the constantly gray skies sea coast, creates an indescribable flavor of this land. Another integral part of the Dutch landscape is the mills, many of which still perform their functions.
Amsterdam ("dam on the river Amstel") is a city of hundreds of canals, over which more than 600 bridges are thrown. The most beautiful of them: Blauburg and Mahere brug ("Skinny Bridge"). Canals are an indispensable attribute of all city tours. From the water you can see most of the sights of Amsterdam, hundreds of picturesque bridges, feel the spirit of the city and its indescribable atmosphere.
Banks and currency
Since January 1, 2002, the currency of the Netherlands has been the Euro (EURO). Euro (EURO), 1 EURO = 100 EURO cent. Banknotes: 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros. Coins: 2 and 1 euro; 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Banks are open on weekdays from 9.00 to 16.00. Some banks close one hour earlier on Fridays. The organization "GWK" also deals with currency exchange in Amsterdam. Most "GWK" exchange offices are located near railway stations. They work from 8.00 to 20.00 all days except Sunday; on Sunday the points are open from 10.00 to 16.00. You can also exchange currency at post offices.
Most favorable exchange rate exchange at bank branches and at the post office (the exchange is made at the official rate and the lowest commissions are charged). Currency exchange, as well as cashing travelers checks and credit cards, can be produced in the offices of "GWK" ( central system exchange offices) - the main financial organization of the country, specializing in currency transactions.
Credit cards of the world's main systems are accepted almost everywhere, they can be cashed in most bank branches and in all GWK branches (including at border points). For ISIC student cards or FIYTO youth cards, currency exchange is made without commission deduction.
VAT refund (BTW, 17.5%) is possible for purchases over 150 euros, subject to the personal export of the goods from the country no later than 30 days from the date of purchase. In most stores, for this you need to fill out a special form (a passport is required), which is presented at customs upon exit. Some shops issue a special check to be cashed at the airport, while others mail the check. VAT for hotels is 6% (included in the price), and in some settlements introduced "tourist tax" (1-2 euros).
Useful information for tourists
In this country, you must observe exceptional accuracy in time at each meeting or invitation. Avoid shaking hands, do not give compliments. The Dutch are very restrained and tolerant of other people's opinions, and their politeness has even become a topic for sayings. Entering the room locals be sure to greet everyone present, and this applies not only to business offices, but also public places, shops and railway compartments. There are a lot of animal protectors in the country, so it is recommended not to wear fur coats and clothes made of genuine leather.
It is not customary to dance in restaurants; there are many discos and dance halls for this. Also, one of the "restaurant traditions" is considered to be payment by each of those sitting at the same table, even if they are friends, only for their share in the general feast. At festivities, official receptions and parties, a plentiful table with drinks and snacks is also not accepted. The concept of "lunch" usually means the period between 18.00 and 20.00, being late is considered a sign of bad taste.
In hotels and restaurants, 15% service charge is usually included in the bill, otherwise it is customary to tip the waiter up to 10% of the bill, the taxi driver - about 10-15% of the counter, porter, maid or guide 0.5-1 euro.
Most people believe that these are synonymous words that refer to the same state. In fact, there is a noticeable difference between them.
To understand how Holland differs from the Netherlands, it is enough to know just three facts:
- The Netherlands is a vast state whose territories go far beyond Western Europe, since several Caribbean islands are also part of it.
- The Netherlands includes twelve provinces, only two of which are called South and North Holland.
- The monarch takes the oath in the city - the official capital of the Netherlands, and in accordance with the Constitution of this particular state.
Thus, correct name The country is the Netherlands, whose capital is Amsterdam. And Holland is only a part of the country in the form of two provinces.
More than half of the state's territory is located below sea level. AT literal translation the word "Netherlands" means "lower lands". A large proportion of the lowlands falls just on North and South Holland. The first mention of these territories dates back to the 14th century, and they referred not only to the borders of the Netherlands defined today, but also captured parts of Belgium and Luxembourg.
Why do we have a well-established notion that Holland and the Netherlands are one and the same? Blame the Great Embassy of Peter I. The fact is that these two provinces in late XVII centuries were the most advanced in the technical sense. Moreover, the inhabitants of South and North Holland themselves represented their country by the names of these provinces. The arrival and training of Peter I in maritime affairs fell precisely on these territories, hence the habit that had taken root over several centuries appeared.
Often we hear about famous artists, luxurious flowers, in large numbers and the tallest people in the world. In addition, the country is famous for legalized prostitution, where "workers" officially pay taxes to the treasury.
All inhabitants of the Netherlands, without exaggeration, can be called unusual people. Where else can you see marijuana legally grown near the house, a complete rejection of window curtains, or a desire to ride only old weighted bikes?
Country "Tulpan"
The export of various colors reaches colossal proportions. The Dutch (or the Dutch, if you like) really know a lot about floriculture. The period of importation of tulips to the countries of the South and West Europe fell to the 16th century, when the state was experiencing an economic boom.
It was not without a happy accident that flowers grown throughout the Netherlands were affected by a virus that expanded them. color scheme. This allowed tulips to become more exotic and expensive in value. Collecting quickly developed into the booming trade that we see today.
Growth Matters
Having sorted out the question of the difference between Holland or the Netherlands, and how to correctly call this unusual country, let's fast forward to a mystery that world scientists could not solve for a long time. Just think, the height of the local men is on average 1.85 meters, which is 11 cm more than the average in Russia.
Previously, it was assumed that this order of things arose as a result of an enhanced diet enriched with meat and dairy products. To some extent this turned out to be true, but main reason called evolution in action. Exactly natural selection led to such extraordinary growth, as women more often chose tall men as their life partners.
exercise bike
Both the queen and the princes, as well as absolutely all the inhabitants of the Netherlands, ride. Moreover, in the arsenal there are, as a rule, two bicycles, one of which cannot be called modern, since it has a weighted design, and this often refers to outdated equipment. The reason is obvious: where did you see the fat Dutchman?
The lifestyle of these people is closely connected with cycling, which helps them to always feel great and not pollute the environment. That is why, according to the law of this country, cyclists have priority on the road.
We heard about Dutch artists, tulips and even wooden shoes. We know that there are a lot of museums there and that the most tall people in the world. Prostitution is legalized in the state, and night butterflies pay taxes on an equal basis with all citizens. A beautiful bouquet of flowers from this country can be purchased for a penny. The territory differs in its laws and principles of life from many of its neighbors.
It is believed that the Dutch live by the rules, but for some reason bicycles are stolen very often there. Almost the main mode of transport. In an unusual and free country, people never close the curtains in their homes and can grow hemp near the house for their own use. We can even go to this amazing and very interesting Holland. But a visa will be opened for us in ... the Netherlands. Why is Holland called the Netherlands? Is this the other name of the country? Or are they different states?
Today in this area they pay great attention social rights all segments of the population. Here are the most high benefits unemployment and pensions. This is one of those rare places where residents are almost 100% satisfied with their government and adopted laws. For example, prostitution and the sale of weed are legal here.
Thus, The Netherlands is a full-fledged state. With its own language, with its territory, history, culture. The country has own way development, own view for the life of its population. Then why is the Netherlands called Holland? Where exactly are the two countries that are so often confused?
most developed province
Holland is a province of the Netherlands. Surprisingly, this is a fact. one of the provinces. Or rather, two. Because there is a difference between North Holland and South Holland.
The northern part of this area was territorially isolated in the sixteenth century. South - much later, at the end of the eighteenth. But here we will talk about Holland in general. To make it easier.
So. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, Holland is the most important province wonderful country, the most developed in many respects. She was known to all states that had trade relations with the Netherlands. So they called the whole territory as a whole “Holland”.
Russian people also did not think much about how one name differs from another. Widespread in the everyday life of the Slavs "Holland" after the visit of Peter the Great to northern country. The Russian tsar praised only technically developed part countries. He did not even mention the name of the entire state in his stories. Writers and poets contributed to the rooting of "wrongness" in Russian minds. It has remained so to this day.
There is some fairness here. Take at least the capitals of the Netherlands, official and unofficial. Official capital Amsterdam is located in the northern part of the country. Here the monarch swears allegiance to the Constitution. Unofficial, actual - The Hague - in the South. The royal residence is located here, the Government meets, and many foreign embassies are located. I.e, the most important events of the Netherlands occur precisely in the provinces of Holland.
But still. How should you choose the right name when mentioning this amazing area?
AT official speeches, documents - "Netherlands". On travel websites fiction, in the museum of painting, in the flower shop - "Holland". By the way, the second name is used more by the Russian-speaking population than by other-speaking people.
