Tiffany loves to travel and learn about the countries of the World.
She spent some time in the Netherlands and while she was there she discovered a lot of interesting facts about the Netherlands.
Did you know?
The Netherlands is a small flat country in Western Europe. It is often mistakenly referred to as Holland, which is the main region in the Netherlands.
It has borders with Belgium and Germany.
The map below shows the main cities of the Netherlands.
The flag of the Netherlands is made up of three horizontal bands of blue, white and red.
What is the Capital City of the Netherlands?
This is a picture of Amsterdam, the Capital City of the Netherlands.
Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands with a population of around 1 million people. Amsterdam is built on reclaimed land and is covered with a network of canals. It has more waterways than any other city in the World and many people own a boat to travel on the canals.
Famous landmarks in Amsterdam are the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh museum, the Rijksmuseum (National Museum) and the Royal Palace.
What is the longest river in the Netherlands?
This is a picture of the River Linge, the longest river that flows in the Netherlands and is 99.8 km (62.2 miles). The source, or beginning of the river, is in the village of Doormenburg near the German border. It flows from east to west and ends near the village of Gorinchen.
About a quarter of the Netherlands is at or below sea level meaning it floods very easily. A system of dikes are used to help prevent flooding of the land.
It is difficult to get about in these areas and so the Netherlands has a large number of canals (man-made waterways) so that people and businesses can use boats to travel and move things easily. The largest canal is the North Sea Canal which runs from Amsterdam to the North Sea.
Are there any mountains in the Netherlands?
This picture shows the Vaalserberg Hill which measures 322.7 metres (1,059 feet)
There are no mountains in the Netherlands but there are some hills in the south. The highest point in the Netherlands is Vaalserberg. This is in the south east of the country on the borders with Germany and Belgium.
The Netherlands is mainly a flat country with around a quarter of it below sea level. It is so flat many people use bicycles to get about.
What is the Netherlands famous for?
The Netherlands is famous for its windmills which in the past were used to mill grain and pump water away from the land. Although the majority are not used today, more than 1,000 still exist. The windmills pictured here are at Zaanse Schans where they are still used in the traditional way.
The Netherlands is also famous for its tulips. In 1958 a song by Max Bygraves called ‘Tulips from Amsterdam’ was a big hit.
Every year thousands of people go to the Netherlands to see the famous flowers at the Keukenhof Gardens.
What other things are associated with the Netherlands?
Wooden Clogs – shoes that were traditionally worn because they kept the feet dry and well protected.
Art – the most famous Dutch artists are Van Gogh and Rembrandt. The picture above is called ‘Sunflowers’ and was painted by Van Gogh.
Cheese – the Netherlands exports more cheese than any other country in the World. The most famous cheeses are Edam and Gouda.
Can you name some famous people from the Netherlands?
Here are Tiffany’s top twenty famous people from the Netherlands:
Abel Tasman, Anne Frank, Arjen Robben, Christiaan Huygens, Eddie Van Halen, Erasmus, Hieronymus Bosch, Jan Van Eyck, Johaan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten, Mata Hari, Peter Stuyvesant, Piet Mondrian, Queen Juliana, Robin Van Persie, Rembrandt, Ruud Gullit, Vincent Van Gogh, William of Orange, Wesley Sneijder
As you can see Tiffany has discovered a lot of facts about the Netherlands. She summed up her visit with the following keywords:
Amsterdam, artists, bicycles, canals, cheese, clogs, Delft, dikes, Dutch, Edam, football, Gouda, Holland, Keukenhof Gardens, Rotterdam, The Hague, tulips, Vaalserberg Hill, waterway, windmills, Zaanse Schans