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Netherlands - Overview
Basic Statistics
- With a surface area of 41,526 km2 and a population
of 15.8 million, the Netherlands has one of the highest population
densities in the world.
- Most of the population is in the Randstad area; which comprises
the four major cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and
Utrecht. See The Economist,
May 31st 2001, "Europe’s next metropolis, maybe" for
an article about the future development of the crowded Randstad
area (pay per view at $2.95 or free for subscribers).
- Nearly a quarter of the country is below sea level; the Dutch
have made amazing progress in reclaiming land from the sea,
the
Delta Project being their most recent accomplishment.
- The main language is Dutch. However most people speak
very good English; it is not usually necessary for visitors
or expatriates to have to learn Dutch although it does come
in handy. We've supplied a handy
phrasebook to help out with this. On-line Dutch-English-Dutch
dictionaries are available from Travlang
and EuroDicAutom.
- The term “Holland” is used as well as “The Netherlands”. Actually,
Holland is the name of two western coastal provinces, North
and South Holland.
- The Netherlands is one of the founding members of the EU.
Location
The Netherlands is situated on the North West coast of continental
Europe, bordered by Belgium and Germany to the south and east.
You can find a general map of the Netherlands here,
or you can use Expedia
or Mapquest
to locate specific towns and/or plan your route.
Getting here
The major airports in the Netherlands are Schiphol
Airport (Amsterdam) or Zestienhoven
in Rotterdam (Randstad region), or Eindhoven
or Maastricht (in
the south), all with excellent train
connections. You can also get to the Netherlands if you take
the Eurostar to Brussels and
then change to an onward connection for the Netherlands. If
you want to travel by car, you can take the train through the Channel
Tunnel, or go by ferry. Ferry operators are Stena
Line, P&O
North Sea Ferries and DFDS
Seaways.
Culture/Lifestyle/History
The Netherlands has a history of economic and
cultural distinction.
They have also become experts at water management and land reclamation;
windmills, used in the past for drainage, are now tourist attractions
and have been replaced by ambitious projects such as the
Delta Project. Nearly a third of the country is below sea level!
If you want to gain some background knowledge, have a look at important
dates in Dutch history, or read a summary
of Dutch history.
Economy
For a small country with a small population, the Netherlands has a
large and powerful economy. It is the sixth largest exporter
and investor in the world, and ranks third worldwide in value of agricultural
exports, behind the US and France. In the past twenty years,
direct and commercial services have grown into the largest economic
sector in the Netherlands, and it has a very strong electronics industry.
The Netherlands is Europe’s second-largest supplier of high-tech goods
for both industrial and consumer use. Click here
for more detailed information about the Dutch economy. back to top |
