Some more information on the Netherlands
There seems to be some confusion about what the difference is between The Netherlands and Holland, and why we're then called the Dutch. Check out this very hilarious but educational video – I find it manages to cram a lot of history into a very palatable package!
Now that you’re clear on that, I think I can safely say that you now know I am a Netherlander, but I am also a Hollander, since I lived most of my life in South Holland, and I am Dutch. Yes, I am all three.
Here’s an interesting blog on the amazing things Dutch people like, and with fantastic facts about our small, wet nation. For example that when people decided in the United Arab Emirates to make an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree, they called the Dutch to help them battle the water. Fact.
More fun facts:
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On average, a Dutch person cycles 2.5 km per day and 900 km per year
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The Dutch have been making cheese since 400 AD
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70% of the world’s bacon comes from Netherlands
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The Schiphol Airport is actually 4.5 m below sea level
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Our elaborate mosaic of dikes if strung together would stretch for nearly 80,000 kilometres
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The Dutch were the first to import coffee to Europe on a large scale as early as the 1600s and 1700s
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It would take just 48 hours for the entire province of Flevoland to be submerged in water if a dike broke in that area
If you are keen to find out more about my amazing little country, email me via the contact form. I am always keen to share my cultural history with you!