Holland
Holland has 16,5 million inhabitants. With about 385 people per square
kilometre, the country has one of the highest population densities in the
world, and the highest in Europe. Also included in the Kingdom of the
Netherlands are the Caribbean islands of Aruba (population 70,000) and the
Netherlands Antilles (199,000).
The official language is Dutch, a Germanic language. Frisian is also spoken in the north-eastern province of Friesland. Flemish, which is similar to Dutch, is spoken in the northern part of Belgium bordering the Netherlands. English, German (and some French) are commonly understood and spoken by most people under the age of 45; nowadays Dutch children learn foreign languages from an early age.
Social life
The Dutch like to dress in a casual and informal way. Traditional dress is rarely seen. Even clogs are worn by relatively few people these days; most are exported or bought by tourists.
A firm handshake is the usual way of greeting and parting, although it is quite usual for (close male) friends to kiss each other on both cheeks. The use of first names, traditionally reserved for close friends and relatives, is fairly widespread, particularly among young people. Eye contact and facial expressions are very important. Many Dutch do not gesticulate much and (except in informal gatherings) avoid loud or demonstrative behaviour. Wagging one's finger to emphasize a point is quite usual, but pointing the index finger to the forehead implies someone is crazy.
The Dutch are hospitable and enjoy having visitors. Punctuality though is valued. If no time is stated for a visit to new acquaintances, it is usual to arrive no earlier than 8:30 PM and to leave between 11 PM and midnight. When visiting, it is customary to shake hands with everyone present, including children.
On a first visit to someone's home, a guest should not expect a meal, unless the invitation was specifically for dinner. Instead, coffee or tea will be served with sweet biscuits, and then drinks will be served later in the evening. Dinner guests usually bring flowers or another small gift, like a bottle of wine.
Diet and eating
The Dutch generally eat three meals a day; most people have their main
meal in the evening and others in the middle of the day.
Breakfast consists of any of the following: bread, cheese, sliced cold
meats, cereal, fruit juice, and milk, coffee or tea. The most popular
varieties of bread include multi-grain and other dark-grain breads. Most
people, especially children, eat something sweet such as jam, chocolate
"sprinkles" or chocolate spread, on their bread for breakfast or
lunch.
For lunch, many people eat open sandwiches or a kroket (a deep-fried
croquette). A fruit like an apple, orange, banana or tangerine and milk,
coffee or tea completes it.
The main meal is usually in the evening. Some typical Dutch dishes are herring, smoked eel, pea soup, and hutspot (mashed potatoes mixed with carrots and onions). Pastries are another Dutch specialty.
It is good manners not to start eating until the hosts indicate by saying "Eet smakelijk" ("Eat deliciously"). Forearms but not elbows may rest on the table and it is bad manners to put one's hands on one's lap when dining. Even children are expected to stay at the table until a meal is over. It is considered inappropriate to eat with a fork only, and forks are not provided for eating dessert, just a small spoon.
Popular snacks include chips (eaten with mayonnaise, not ketchup), syrup waffles and, on special occasions, poffertjes (small puffed pancakes). A wide variety of international cuisine is offered by restaurants in the larger towns. Italian and Indonesian food have become an established part of the Dutch national cuisine.
Recreation and sports
The Dutch enjoy making improvements to the home and tending indoor plants; most Dutch homes overflow with greenery. Flowers are purchased regularly to adorn window boxes, other parts of the home, restaurants, and businesses. Television is very popular, and the Dutch have access through cable to numerous European channels. Bars are popular meeting places, but in general the Dutch do most of their socializing in their own or their friends' homes.
Holland has a thriving fringe theatre. Cabaret is also popular, as is dance; the National Ballet and the Nederlands Dans Theater are both highly regarded.
Soccer and cycling are the most popular sports. Almost everyone in the Netherlands cycles, even senior citizens do; there are numerous cycle clubs and bike paths throughout the country, and many people use bicycles as a means of transport. People join clubs to participate in sports, and games are organized locally, regionally or nationally, depending on the level of the players. Each sport has a national association that oversees its organization. Tennis, field hockey, swimming, sailing, ice skating (especially speed skating), windsurfing, basketball, badminton, and various other sports all have their devotees.
Holidays and celebrations
Most Dutch are paid the equivalent of 13 months' wages a year (meaning they receive an extra month's bonus at the end of the year) and receive a month's holiday, which people often divide into a week in the winter, a week around Easter, and two weeks in the summer.
The Queen's Birthday (30 April) is celebrated with many festivities,
including parties, parades and red, white, blue and orange decorations.
Liberation Day commemorates the day on which the Netherlands was freed from
Nazi occupation by the Allies in 1945.
Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) is the Dutch Santa Claus. He is dressed in red robes like a Catholic bishop, rides a white horse, and leaves gifts in shoes (by which children place a carrot and a drink for the horse). Sinterklaas also rides in parades and his helpers throw small pieces of gingerbread to the children. Traditionally gifts exchanged on Saint Nicholas's Day are all said to come from Sinterklaas and are wrapped elaborately to disguise the contents, and each contains an amusing poem about the recipient. Nowadays more and more people have their gifts at Christmas instead of Saint Nicholas's Day, especially when their children are older and don't believe in St. Nicholas anymore.
Each region also has its local festivals, and in May coastal areas celebrate "Vlaggetjesdag" (Little Flag Day), which marks the beginning of the herring season. In the south there is a popular tradition of holding a pre-Lenten carnival. This celebration begins on a Saturday and finishes at midnight on Tuesday. Businesses close or operate with a skeleton staff on that Monday and Tuesday. Tourists from the north come down to watch the festivities at Den Bosch and Breda, but by reputation the liveliest carnival takes place in Maastricht, in the far south.
Libraries and museums
The country has many public libraries; each town and city has at least one. Of the country's numerous museums, the most famous are those displaying the work of Dutch painters. These include Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt-Huis Museum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum, all in Amsterdam; Mauritshuis in The Hague; Museum Boymans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam; and Kröller-Müller National Museum for modern art in Hoge Veluwe National Park in Otterlo.
Arts and science
The Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus had wide influence in the 16th century, and the country's cultural life as a whole achieved an international reputation in the 17th century, which is often called its Golden Age. Among the influential Dutch figures of that time were the jurist Hugo Grotius, the scientists Christiaan Huygens and Anton van Leeuwenhoek, the cartographers Willem Janszoon Blaeu and Jodocus Hondius, the writers Pieter Cornelisz Hooft and Joost van den Vondel, the philosopher Baruch Spinoza, and numerous theologians. In addition, foreigners chose to live in Holland because of its tolerant atmosphere, the most famous being the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes and the English philosopher John Locke.
Well-known figures of the Golden Age include the great 17th-century Dutch
artists, such as Rembrandt, Jan Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen. The Dutch
artistic tradition continued to be vigorous in more recent centuries
-producing such noted and influential painters as Vincent van Gogh, Piet
Mondrian, and Karel Appel -and lives on today. Artists from many countries
work and live in Amsterdam.
Throughout history the music of Holland has figured prominently in the evolution of western classical music, especially in the Renaissance choral polyphonic tradition. Now the country boasts fine orchestras, opera companies, and a generally rich musical life. The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam has an international reputation, and another major Dutch symphony orchestra is based in Rotterdam.
Education
Schooling is free and compulsory for 12 years (between the ages of 4 and
16). When school starts
and finishes you can seen thousands of children riding their bikes; the
usual day-to-day way of transport for young and old.
People can choose to go to Catholic, Protestant, or "non-religious" schools, but the basic curriculum is the same for all schools. Primary education ends at the age of 12, at which time the student enters one of three types of secondary education. These include a four-year or a five-year general secondary school; three levels of vocational education; and a six-year pre-university program. Apprenticeships are common for students who have completed vocational or secondary school. The oldest university is Leiden, which was founded by William of Orange in 1575.
Transport
The public transport system in the Netherlands is one of Europe's best. An
efficient network of trains connects major and minor cities. Buses and trams
are common in urban areas. The cities Amsterdam and Rotterdam also have an
underground railway. The road system is good, and the country has many
bicycle paths. Domestic air links are limited, but international air links
are very good. Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is the eighth busiest in the
world.
Health and welfare
Medical facilities are excellent and subsidized by the government. For people earning less than a specified amount, the government coordinates insurance and health care. Those earning more than the specified amount are required to have private insurance. The government also provides unemployment and disability benefits. The Netherlands has one of the most extensive welfare systems in the world; this is still a high priority in the country despite the increasing difficulty of supporting it financially.
Economy
The Netherlands has the sixth largest economy in Europe. Trade is very
important: more than half of the country's gross domestic product (GDP)
consists of imports and exports, and Rotterdam is the world's busiest port.
The country produces food for export, as well as large numbers of cut
flowers and bulbs; the Netherlands accounts for more than half the world's
flower exports. Even so, animal husbandry is the main agricultural activity,
producing meats, cheeses, and other dairy items. Leading industries include
petroleum refining, production of machinery and chemicals, and construction.
Important service sectors include banking and tourism. More than 75 per cent
of exports go to other members of the European Union (EU).
The Dutch guilder was replaced by the Euro on 1 January 2002 and the Dutch now share their currency with 11 other European countries.