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Further Reading

Kingdom of the Netherlands

The name 'Holland' is often used to refer to the whole of the Netherlands, although this is not formally correct [similar to the tendency to refer to the United Kingdom as "England"]. Holland is a name in common usage given to two provinces in the western part of the Netherlands. The people of Holland are referred to as "Hollanders" in both Dutch and English. When referring to the Netherlands as a whole, the adjective is "Dutch".

The 'Orange' of the House of Orange originates from the small town in the South of France. William The Silent, son of the Prince of Nassau (in Germany), inherited the title to the House of Orange through family connections. The Royal Household is still today the House of Orange-Nassau. Orange is the Dutch national color. But the Dutch flag is red, white and blue.

The Dutch bulb trade, established in the 17th century, was probably the world's first forward commodities market. In 1636, a single tulip bulb was sold for 5,400 guilders, more than a substantial Amsterdam house cost at the time. Tulip bulbs were originally brought to the Netherlands from Turkey.

The export of fresh flowers is still a major Dutch industry. As of 1 January 2002, the Dutch cooperative combining two flower auction houses, FloraHolland, has become one of the world's largest auction organisations. Its annual sales in 2006 were EUR 3,9 billion. 85% of these sales were exported, mainly to other EU member states.

The coastal position of the Netherlands has always been of great importance to the Dutch economy. This importance is increased by the fact that three major West European rivers - the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt - flow into the sea via the Netherlands. The Dutch economy is internationally oriented. The Netherlands is one of the most dynamic trade and industry centres in the European Union. Due to its geographical location, the Netherlands plays an important role as a main port and distribution location. The seaport of Rotterdam processes around 327 million tonnes of cargo each year and has been the largest seaport in the world for over 35 years. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the international airport, is the fourth largest cargo airport in Europe.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of the Netherlands in Western Europe and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean. The European part of the Kingdom has a surface area of 41,528 km2. To the north and west the country is bordered by the North Sea, to the east by Germany and to the south by Belgium. With 16 million inhabitants and an average of 459 people per square kilometre, the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The vast majority of the population lives in what is called the ´Randstad´, the urban area surrounding and including the four main cities in the west of the country: Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht.

The Dutch are primarily of Germanic stock with some Gallo-Celtic mixture. Their small homeland frequently has been threatened with destruction by the North Sea and has often been invaded by the great European powers.

The Dutch have learned to be adaptable and progressive, living as they do among much larger West European nations. Secondary schools give instruction in at least two foreign languages. Knowledge of English, in particular, is widespread among the population, even among those who did not learn it at school. In summary, the Dutch are very aware of their surroundings and have a keen interest in what goes on in the world. This imbues them with a deep-seated entrepreneurial and adventuresome spirit, making them quite adept at holding their own in the competitive international environment.