The Netherlands

From AcculturationWiki

Contents 1 Introduction 2 The color Orange 3 Landscape 4 Climate 5 Language 6 Politics 7 Religion

Introduction

The Netherlands, one of the member states of the European Union and frequently referred to as ‘the gateway to Europe’, is located in Western Europe. Its population of approximately 16 million people live in an area slightly smaller than 40,000 square kilometres. This makes it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The country is bordered by Germany in the East and Belgium in the South. Amsterdam, the country’s capital, is the social and cultural center. Although the capital is Amsterdam, the government has its seat in The Hague. Rotterdam is famous because of one of the world’s largest international ports. The Dutch are famous for their dogs, tulips, cheese, bikes, canals, the Delta Project, windmills, dykes and “polders”. Some interesting things about the Netherlands are told in this clip, made by Nuffic:

The color Orange

Are you wondering why the Dutch always wear orange when supporting their national sports teams? And why orange is such an important color in the Netherlands? NHTV students have made a 3-episode informational series about this color! Watch it here!

Landscape

The Netherlands is a flat country. There are some low hills only in “ de Veluwe” and in the Southeast, in the province of Limburg. Stretches of forest can be found in many parts of the country and also in the surroundings of Breda. Water is everywhere: lakes, rivers, and canals of many types, ranging from large transport canals to narrow drainage canals that criss-cross the fields where the Netherlands’ millions of cows graze. Typical features of the Dutch landscape are the broad sandy beaches and dunes that attract so many Dutch and foreign tourists to the North Sea coast.

Climate

The climate is typical of a marine west coast: changeable but moderate, with mild winters and summers. Days with temperatures below 0 or above 25 degrees Celsius are unusual. Clouds and winds are common features. The annual rainfall is moderate but unpredictable, for which reason a raincoat and an umbrella are essential.

Language

Dutch is a Germanic language and is spoken everywhere in the country. The Netherlands is internationally oriented what means that many Dutch people speak at least two foreign languages and most (about 85%) people can understand and speak English.

Politics

Although the capital city of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, the seat of Government is in The Hague. This is where the Dutch parliament meets and most of the foreign embassies are situated. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a democracy in which elections are held every four years. No single party has ever had an overall majority, so the government is always based on a coalition.

Religion

The Netherlands has a Christian tradition. About two thirds of the population are either Roman Catholic or Protestant. Other religions are Islam (about 500,000 Muslims live in the Netherlands), Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions. In other words, whatever their religion, there is a fair chance that students will be able to find a community that practices it.