All About the Netherlands

Written by: Natalie Yao

Geography and Nature

The nation of the Netherlands, also known as Holland, is located in northwestern Europe and has a small land area of around 33 thousand square kilometers, or 16 thousand square miles. The Netherlands also share borders with two countries, Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. The country also has direct access to the North Sea through its multiple smaller islands off its northern and western coast. In fact, the Netherlands has a total of 14 islands! Since the Netherlands is so close to the North Sea, they have to build dams and canals to stop flooding. If they did not have them, almost 65 percent of the country’s current land would be flooded. The entire country is divided into two regions: the High Netherlands and the Low Netherlands. The High Netherlands is in the southern and eastern parts of the country with many hills and some ridges, while the Low Netherlands is the northern and western parts with much of the region below sea level. Some major cities are its capital Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. 

Since the Netherlands is the most dense country in the European Union in terms of population, only 11 percent of the land is covered in forest. These forests include a lot of conifer trees, like pine and spruce trees. The animals that live in the Netherlands typically live in dams, swamps, or the forests, and some of these animals are hedgehogs, moles, badgers, deer, otters, mice, and wolves. The density of the nation has led to these animals to be pushed out, so the government created sanctuaries and reserves for them to live in.

People and Culture

The official language of Holland is Dutch, and Dutch people make up the majority of the population. Most people live in cities, with about 90 percent of the population in urban areas. The Netherlands also values art greatly, with famous painters such as Vincent Van Gogh and Rembrandt Van Rijn. 

Dutch cuisine is simple, focusing on ingredients like potatoes, root vegetables, dairy, and meat. There have also been large influences from Indonesia on Dutch food because of their colonial history. 

Some popular dishes include:

• Stamppot: mashed potatoes mixed with carrots and kale, usually eaten during the winter

• Erwtensoep: a thick pea soup with vegetables and pork

• Stroopwafel: two thin waffles filled with caramel syrup in between them

National Symbols

• National Colors: Red, White, and Blue

• National Anthem: Het Wilhelmus

• National Flower: the Daisy

• National Animal: the Lion

• National Bird: the Black Tailed Godwit