Introduction to the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands, abbreviated as "The Netherlands". Located in northwest Europe, bordering Germany and Belgium, and bordering the North Sea, the coastline is 1075 kilometers long. A quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level, and a third is only 1 metre above sea level, and has an oceanic temperate broadleaf forest climate.
18% of the Netherlands is artificially reclaimed and has two overseas territories. Aruba and the Antilles, with an area of 980 square kilometers.
The Netherlands, called the Netherlands in Germanic, means "country of the lowlands"
Flag of the Netherlands
Capital: Amsterdam
National Day: April 27
National anthem: "Ode to William"
Official language: Dutch
Currency: Euro
Land area: 41,500 km²
Population: 17.59 million
Population density: 508.2 inhabitants/km²
Dutch economy
The Netherlands is a highly developed capitalist country with poor mineral resources and only abundant oil and gas reserves. 80% of raw materials need to be imported, and the fields of electronics, chemicals, shipbuilding and other fields are technologically advanced. The degree of mechanization of agricultural production is high, and the export of agricultural products ranks second in the world. Flower production and export ranks first in the world, is an important pillar industry of the Netherlands, and has the title of "Garden of Europe". That's half of the world's total. Animal husbandry is developed, known as "one cow, one pig" per capita.
tulip
Sea coachman
How did the Netherlands develop from a single herring to the world's strongest maritime hegemon in the 17th century?
In 1463, the Netherlands became an official country, in an era when there were no advanced productive forces and depended on the sky. The Dutch could only survive by fishing for herring. Of the country's population of 1.5 million, 750,000 are engaged in herring fishing.
When the herring is returned to port, ships from other countries at sea are on their radar, often robbed. The Dutch formed their own convoy to protect, fully loaded herring boats.
Herring is caught only once a year, so ships in their spare time engage in maritime trade and transportation to make profits. These early fishing boats and escort vessels became the prototype of the "sea coachman".
With the passage of time and the development of advanced productive forces, by the middle of the 17th century, the Netherlands reached its most glorious moment. There are more than 20,000 ships sailing the world's oceans, and 15,000 Dutch ships fly the tricolor. The Dutch East India Company accounted for half of the world's trade. There are countless overseas territories and colonies.
The colony included Taiwan Province on the mainland until 1662, when Zheng successfully recovered Taiwan from the Dutch colonists.
Hollandaise beans and Dutch pigs
Dutch pig
Peas, also known as Dutch beans in China, were brought to the southern coast of the mainland by Dutch ships in the 17th century because they were brought by the Dutch. Therefore, it is called "Hollandaise Bean" by coastal residents. Interestingly, peas are known as "Chinese beans" in the Netherlands.
Guinea pigs, this animal was not available on the mainland at first, and it was also brought to us in China by Dutch traders. The guinea pig is far from the appearance of the pig, why is it called "Dutch pig", because the guinea pig's call is very similar to the pig's barking, so it was called "Dutch pig" by people at that time.
Four Treasures of the Netherlands
windmill
Windmills, tulips, cheese and wooden shoes are known as the "Four Treasures of Holland". The first three, we all know, so why does the Netherlands make wooden shoes.
Because of the low sea level in the Netherlands, many places are immersed in seawater. In the past, there were no modern industrial products such as rubber rain boots. People will be given shoes made of wood, and when they walk on the ground soaked in the sea, they will not be afraid that the shoes will get wet frequently.
Today's wooden shoes have lost their original role and have become tourist souvenirs.
The height of the Dutch
The Dutch are the tallest in the world, at 182.5 cm for men and 169 cm for women. According to one report, in 1860, the average height of the Dutch was 165 cm. In just over 100 years, the Dutch have increased their height by an average of almost 20 centimeters.
Many scientists have studied this, each with its own opinion, and there is no consensus. But most of them tend to eat dairy products by the Dutch. The Dutch like to drink milk and eat all kinds of dairy products. This may be the reason for their rapid growth in height.
The Dutch love cycling, with an average of three bikes per person. It is estimated that Xiaobian will not be able to reach the pedals when riding their bicycle at such a height.
Dutch bikes
Dutch trivia
The Dutch national anthem "Ode to William" is the world's earliest national anthem.
The famous tulip in the Netherlands is not a local product of the Netherlands, but is native to Turkey.
The most famous flower in the Netherlands is Van Gogh's "Sunflower".
The first Dutch mission to China was in 1656, when the Shunzhi Emperor received the mission in Beijing.