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    1People & Society |

    Hello

    Holland!

    Typically Duch All together now

    Culure, design and educaion‘Dutch talent leads the way’

    Technology and innovaionUnusual source of inspiration

     

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    |People&Society 

    Phoo: UniedPhoos/Hollandse Hooge

    PEOPLE & SOCIETY A frank and open people

    The Duch are no keen on unnecessary decorum. We will happily go o a resauran in

    jeans. We have litle sense o h ierarchy.  

    Find ou more abou his heme:

    Affordable care or all

    CULTURE & EDUCATIONHisoric and conemporary 

    Travelling along he canals o Amserdam, visiors migh eel hey are in an open-air mu-

    seum o he 17h cenury. ‘A maserpiece o human ingenuiy’ according o UNESCO. The

    canal disric is a unique example o archiecure and planning.

    Find ou more abou his heme:

    Archiecs rom all over he world working ogeher

    Inernaional sudens alk abou he Neherlands

    ECONOMY, TRADE & AGRICULTUREGaeway o Europe

    Siuaed a he economic hear o he coninen, on he Norh Sea and wih a direc

    link o he European hinerland, ‘Mainpor R oterdam’ is one o he busies pors in he

    world.

    Find ou more abou his heme:

    Mulinaionals inves in Duch ood research

    INTERNATIONAL PEACE & SECURITYGloberoters and mediaors

    The Duch have been swarming ou across he world’s oceans and coninens ever since

    he 17h cenury. And we sill have a endency o look beyond he dikes ha proec us.

    Our deep-rooed ineres in oher counries and peoples is no resriced o culure and

    ravel.

    Find ou more abou his subjec:

    The Hague: legal capial o he world

    WATER, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION An innovaive people

    No enough land? Then we’ll make our own. Over 40% o he counry has been creaed

    since he Middle Ages, hanks o wha were (in heir day) ingenious soluions or reclaim-

    ing land and creaing polders.

    Find ou more abou his subjec:

    The Dela Projec

    Foreword | 3

    Thank you or your ineres in he Neherlands. We know we’re no he bigges counry

    in he world, bu in all modesy, we hink we’ve go a lo o offer.

    The Neherlands is known around he world or is experise in he field o waer

    managemen. You can find examples o Duch Design in he mos unexpeced places.

    And Duch businesspeople and enrepreneurs are almos everywhere.

    In Hello Holland! we presen noeworhy acs and sories abou he Neherlands. I’s

    a chance o learn a litle more abou our culure, economy and sociey. We hope o

    welcome you o our counry soon. I’s ofen said ha he Duch are mater-o-ac and

    slighly dull. Is ha really he case? Why no find ou or yoursel!

    Pleased o mee you

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    |People&Society  5People&Society|

    A rank  and open people

    People o differen rank and social saus, o he exen ha hey

    exis in he Neherlands, happily live side by side. In he pas, we

    all had o pull ogeher o keep our polders and our ee dry, and

    we coninue o pull ogeher now. I money needs o be colleced

    afer a naural disaser somewhere in he world. I he Duch

    ooball eam needs our suppor. Or i we can help reduce global

    warming a litle by using low-energy ligh bulbs or separaing our

    wase. Duch sociey is caring, wih a srong sense o solidariy,

    all kinds o schemes o help people on low incomes, a firs-class

    healhcare sysem, and clubs and associaions wih very acive

    memberships.

    Prevenion and inormaion

    Our welare sae promises all Duch ciizens a decen lie. And

    Duch healh care is among he bes in Europe. We wan o keep i

    ha way, oo, even as he demand or care ineviably rises due o

    demographic ageing. This will cos a lo o money, and he Neh-

    erlands is already a big spender on healh care. Tha is why we

    are leting he marke do is job, and why more atenion is being

    ocused on prevenion and inormaion.

    Regulaion

    A he same ime, he Duch do wha hey like. We se grea sore

    by reedom and olerance, so we are more willing o accep hings

    ha are conroversial or even prohibied in oher counries. Like

    legalised prosiuion and sales o sof drugs. Provided hey are

    sricly regulaed, ha is, because we do like o have hings prop-

    erly under conrol.

      Everybody’s equal, even he royal family

    Phoo: WFA

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    |People&Society  7 

    One person who knows all abou how healh

    care is organised in he Neherlands is Roger

    van Boxel, ormer miniser and now CEO o

    healh insurance company Menzis, one o he

    our bigges in he counry.

    Wha is so unique abou Duch

    healh care?

    ‘Firsly, sandards o medical care are

    very high here. For he pas ew years we

    have come op o he European Healh

    Consumer Index. Added o ha, we have a

    dense nework o primary care services and

    some op-class hospials. So healh care

    is always available locally. The way healh

    care is organised here is unique oo. The

    governmen ses he parameers, bu wihin

    hem healh insurance companies and care

    providers have o batle or he consumer’s

    avour. The idea is ha he consumer – he

    paien – ges a good produc a a air price.’

    Everyone in he Neherlands has healh insurance, everyone is

    allowed o swich beween insurance companies, and insurers

    may no rejec anyone who applies for he basic package. This is

    he resul of a unique Duch mix of he advanages of public and

    privae healh care.

    ‘Unique mix inspires world’

    Affordable carefor all

    e havea dense

    network of primarycare services andsome top-classhospitals’

     |

    Is his sysem only possible in

    he Neherlands?

    ‘No a all, i could easily be used in oher

    counries. The US is using pars o our

    sysem, or example. We also learn rom

    oher counries. Spain, or example, where

    healh care is organised regionally.’

    Does his unique sysem pay?

    ‘We recenly managed o save around hal

    a billion euros when we discovered ha he

    cos o generic medicines which are ou o

    paen could be reduced by abou 90%. As

    healh insurers, we have o ake accoun o

    he price when we’re buying care services.’

    Is he Neherlands progressive?

    ‘I cerainly is! Take he inerne: ha’s why

    paien power has increased so specacularly.

    There is virually no household in he

    counry wihou a as inerne connecion.

    Paiens orm online groups, and share heir

    reamen experiences wih ohers.’

    Toddlers who are reting abou

    a sick eddy bear can have heir

    oy examined and reaed by a

    special docor. The docors are

    medical sudens who do heir

    very bes o make he oy beter.

    The aim o his special projec a

    he Neherlands’ eigh eaching

    hospials is o give children a

    beter idea o wha happens in

    a hospial and reduce heir ear

    o illness, hospials and docors.

    A he same ime, he sudens

    learn how o deal wih children.

    And hey gain an insigh ino

    paediarics and child psychology.

    The sick bears are reaed a a

    special oupaiens’ clinic. The

    docor migh lisen o heir ches

    wih a sehoscope, or apply a

    bandage. Leting he children

    play he role o paren eaches

    hem ha a visi o he docor is

    someimes necessary.

    The Teddy Bear Hospial is

    organised once a year by Duch

    medical sudens who are

    members o he Inernaional

    Federaion o Medical Sudens’

    Associaions.

     

    ‘ ’Special surgery for sick toys

    Phoo: zorginbeeld.nl/FrankMuller

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    People&Society||People&Society   9

    The firs emale medical

    suden, Aleta Jacobs, wen o sudy in

    Leiden in 1871. She wen on o become

    he firs emale general praciioner in he

    Neherlands. Jacobs ough or her place

    in sociey, and ook he firs sep owards

    equaliy or women in he Neherlands.

    In Holland you ge one

    biscui wih your coffee. Forunaely,

    we drink a lo o coffee: an average

    o hree cups a day, or around 140

    lires a year.

    Lose yoursel in he music, unil you are aware o nohing else and are in rance.

    Armin van Buuren can ma ke i happen like no oher. For he ourh year in

    succession, readers o Briish magazine DJ Mag have voed him world’s bes DJ.

    Armin is he firs DJ ever o have achieved his.

    Queen’s Day, ooball maches, skaing: he perec excuse or he Duch o go clad

    rom head o oe in orange. Orange wigs, glasses, has ... he crazier he beter. The

    naional colour orange goes back o William o Orange, he aher o he naion, who

    led he revol agains he Spanish in he 16h cenury.

    The newly reopened A2 o Amserdam makes he hear o he seasoned mooris bea a

    litle aser. I has been widened rom hree o six lanes, and here are now ar ewer raffic

     jams. Srange bu rue: since he road reopened, i has been raining speeding fines

    Skaing 200 kilomeres on naural ice in a single day. Madness? Probably, bu i he

    winer is harsh enough, Friesland province organises he Elfsedenoch – a marahon

    race hrough eleven Frisian owns. I is a naional even. And alhough i hasn’ bee n

    held since 1997, every winer he Duch ollow he weaher orecas wih kee n ineres,

    o see i he ice will be hick enough his year.

    Singing by the fireplace

    The srees o he Neherlands arevirually desered on he evening o

    5 December. Everyone is indoors,

    children and grown ups alike,

    waiing exciedly or a visi rom S

    Nicholas, who rides across he roos

    o Holland on his whie horse wih

    his aihul helpers, he Zwarte Pieten 

    (Black Peers). In he run-up o he

    5h, children pu heir shoes by he

    fireplace and sing special songs,

    in he hope ha S Nicholas will

    fill hem wih gifs and pepernoten 

    (spiced mini cookies).

    Traditional costumeIn he pas, you could ell exacly

    where a Duch person came

    rom because every village had

    is own disincive orm o dress.

    Nowadays, he cusom has

    largely died ou. Bu here are

    sill people living in Volendam,

    Saphors and Arnemuiden who

    wear local cosume every day o

    keep he radiion alive.

    Hurray, it’s a boy! The Duch ea crispbake crackers wih aniseed sprinkles (known as

    beschuit met muisjes) o celebrae he birh o a baby. Pink sprinkles or

    a girl, blue or a boy. This is a ypical Duch radiion. The sprinkles

    are known as muisjes, or ‘litle mice’. Hisorians do no agree as o he

    origins o he name. Some say ha he shape o he sugar-coaed

    aniseed, wih is litle ail, gave rise o he name. Ohers believe i

    comes rom he mouse’s naural endency o breed rapidly.

     A carrier cycle full of kidsThe cycle pahs o he Neherlands’ ciies are being plagued by a

    phenomenon ha has risen like a phoenix rom he ashes: he carrier

    cycle. Mohers and ahers who ake heir parenal duies seriously use

    hem o ranspor heir offspring rom home o school o he spors

    club and back home again. In he rain, some carrier cycles can be

    convered ino a covered wagon wih a ransparen hood, like a mobile

    incubaor. And he bikes are no only useul or ransporing kids. They

    have also been spoted carrying shopping, pes and spors bags.

    Kilos and kilos of liquoriceThe Neherlands is he bigges producer of liquorice – known as drop

    in Duch – in he European Union. We each ea an average of wo kilos

    every year. Where he word drop comes from is a mysery. The German

    for liquorice is Lakritz, he Ialian liquirizia and he French réglisse. Bu heir

    version ases differen from our drop. The srange hing is ha we are no

    enirely sure wha acually consiues drop, as all swees can i n fac be

    referred o by his name.

    Phoo: Erik Smis Phoo: Ton Borsboom Phoo: Inge Yspeer/ Hollandse Hooge Phoo: Taco van der Eb / Hollandse Hooge

    Phoo: Ton Lammers

    Phoo: AFAC Phoo: Gaby Kooijman

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    | 11Culture& Education |

    Hisoric and conemporary

    Travelling along he canals o Amserdam, visiors migh

    eel hey are in an open-air museum o he 17h cenury.

    ‘A maserpiece o human ingenuiy’ according o UNESCO.

    The canal disric is a unique example o archiecure and

    planning, a reflecion o he Neherlands’ economic, polii-

    cal and culural heyday in he Golden Age. I was placed on

    UNESCO’s World Heriage Lis in 2010.

    The Golden Age produced ariss whose work is sill admired

    hroughou he world – Rembrand and Johannes Vermeer,

    or example. The philosopher Spinoza was heir conempo-

    rary and he humanis Erasmus heir orebear. The masers

    o he Golden Age were ollowed in he 19h and 20h cenu-

    ries by painers like Vincen van Gogh and Pie Mondrian.

    The later inspired many modern Duch designers.

    Culural haven

    The Neherlands is now a veriable culural haven. Duch

    sociey is seeped in oreign influences: ashion, ood, spor,

    esivals, inerior design. Duch culure is growing and

    flourishing. Amserdam’s Concergebouw orchesra ranks

    among he five op symphony orchesras in he world, and

    he Nederlands Dansheaer is a world-class modern dance

    company. Everywhere in he world you will find Duch de-

    signers, indusrial designers and archiecs.

    The uure

    The uure looks paricularly promising or Duch e-culure.

    Sociey is digiising and we can no longer manage wihou

    ineracive media. So i is only logical ha universiies and

    oher higher educaion insiuions should offer degrees

    in ineracive media and game design. The range o higher

    educaion courses is unparalleled, and almos everyone has

    a chance o sudy. The educaion sysem osers independ-

    ence, and works o high academic sandards.

    Amserdam’s canals: UNESCO World Heriage Sie

    Phoo: Siebe Swar/Hollandse Hooge

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    13|Culture&Education

    Wha is he secre behind OMA?

    ‘We always work on smar local soluions,

    using he knowledge and views o people

    rom all over he world. We have people

    rom more han 35 differen counries a

    OMA. Only 20% o he saff are Duch. Every

    monh we receive around 700 unsolicied

    applicaions rom all over he world. So we

    can selec he very bes people.’

    Is ha sense o ambiion in he

    Duch DNA?

    ‘I could be. Because he Neherlands is so

    densely populaed, you have o be innovaive

    and come up wih inelligen soluions.

    OMA is successul because we lisen o our

    cliens. Bu he main hing ha ses us apar

    is ha we are always looking or he righ

    local soluions. You can’ jus pu a replica

    o a building you’ve designed or New York

    in Kuala Lumpur. I has o respond o local

    condiions, culure and rules. The same

    applies o people. The Duch are quick o

    OMA was ounded by Duch archiec Rem

    Koolhaas. Managing parner Vicor van

    der Chijs ells us abou he inernaionally

    renowned parnership.

    Is here such a hing as ypically

    Duch archiecure?

    ‘No, bu Duch archiecs are world amous.

    And ha’s parly down o Rem Koolhaas. A

    lo o successul Duch archiecs have spen

    ime wih OMA. Duch archiecs end o be

    well rained, criical and open-minded, and

    hey are always looking or unique soluions.

    OMA brings alened archiecs rom he

    Neherlands and oher counries ogeher,

    and blends culures.’

    adap, hey are used o doing business

    inernaionally and hey are recepive o

    oher culures.’

    Hence he headquarers in

    Roterdam?

    ‘We are keeping our headquarers in

    Roterdam because his is where our roos

    are. Also, he Neherlands is a good place o

    do business. The Duch are enrepreneurial,

    he inrasrucure is good and we ge suppor

    rom he governmen. I here are issues

    wih one o our inernaional projecs, or

    example, we can always rely on he help o

    he Duch embassy here.’

    The headquarers of Chinese sae elevision in Beijing,

    Roterdam’s Kunshal, he Guggenheim Museum in Las Vegas

    and he Prada sore in New York have one hing in common.

    They were all designed by archiecure firm and hinkank OMA.

    ‘We always ake hings o exremes’

    Archiecs from all overhe world working ogeher 

    he Dutchare used

    to doing businessinternationally’

    ‘T 

    Every day, visiors flock o he

    Rijksmuseum, Amserdam, and

    sand amazed a Rembrand’s

    maserpiece The Night Watch.

    The Rijksmuseum’s collecion

    boass over one million

    areacs, mos o which are

    works by 17h-cenury Duch

    masers. The Rijksmuseum is he

    Neherlands’ larges and mos

    imporan naional museum.

    The main building firs opened

    on 13 July 1885. Numerous

    modificaions were made

    over he years, rom double

    ceilings and secondary walls

    o climae conrol sysems and

    offices o all kinds. Evenually

    he ime came or a horough

    overhaul, so now he building

    is being reurbished, renovaed

    and resored – an operaion

    o unimaginable complexiy

    and scale. Forunaely, he

    renovaion is no prevening he

    general public rom coming in

    and enjoying he highlighs o

    he 17h cenury. The number o

    visiors has soared in he pas

    125 years, rom 250,000 in 1885

    o around one million a he end

    o he 20h cenury.

    The new-syle Rijksmuseum

    promises o be a superbly

    renovaed building ha radiaes

    he amosphere o he 19h

    cenury once again, ye also has

    he mos up-o-dae aciliies.

    A place where millions o people

    rom he Neherlands and

    abroad can see he naion’s rich

    collecion in all is glory.

     A museum of art and history 

    Phoo: Rijksmuseum/EricSmis

     |

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    15People&Society|

    Wha inernaional

    sudens say abou

    he Neherlands

    Porcelain, glass and plastic tapeLong Neck Botles by Duch designer Hella Jongerius (1963) are

    special vases ha are boh arworks and useul objecs a he

    same ime. This is ypical o Jongerius’ work. One o he mos

    imporan indusrial designers o her generaion, she became

    known or her innovaive ideas, inroducing imperecions ino

    her designs and deliberaely producing misfis.

    High-tech fortiny totsLess sress or premaure babies

    hanks o he Smar Jacke. I is sof,

    wih inegraed exile sensors so

    ha elecrodes no longer need o

    be atached direcly o he baby’s

    sensiive skin. Babies wear he jacke

    eiher in he incubaor or ouside,

    so heir parens can hold and cuddle

    hem. A clever piece o echnology

    rom Eindhoven Universiy o

    Technology.

    Rubenesque comfort Ever hough your old matress deserved

    a second lie? And wha a lie! Designer

    Frank Willems devised and produced his

    ‘Madame Rubens’ concep, ransorming

    an old matress ino an elegan designer

    chair. Willems (31) is a promising graduae

    o Design Academy Eindhoven. The

    waer- and airigh polyurehane coaing

    keeps Madame Rubens resh and clean – a

    horoughly modern lady.

    |Culture&Education

    Handy in townThe qugo is a clever piece o brand new Duch design.

    Small and compac, and driven by an elecric moor,

    handy or geting around own and quie unique. Wih is

    hree wheels, his vehicle is dynamic, manoeuvrable, ye

    sable. The qugo, designed by he ounder o Spyker Cars,

    has a op speed o 25 km per hour

    The Neherlands inroduced

    compulsory educaion in 1900: all children

    aged 6 o 12 had o atend school. 85 years

    laer, primary school as we now know i was

    inroduced. Children have o sar school a

    he age o 5. The school-leaving age is 16.

    The Lowlands

    esival atracs some 55,000 visiors

    every summer. I has a wide audience,

    ineresed no only in pop music bu also

    in alernaive music, video ar and oher

    orms o enerainmen.

    ,

     Amazing bulbThis amazing lamp doesn’ bring orh a genie, bu i

    does produce a wackily-shaped bulb. Or ‘ligh blub’ as

    young designer Pieke Bergmans calls hem: lighbulbs

    in all kinds o unexpeced shapes and sizes. This

    Duch-grown miracle bulb is on show a ar gallery

    Dilmos in Milan.

    Alessia Cadamuro (29),

    Ialy ‘Once I arrived here I

    noiced sraighaway ha

    people are friendly, and

    speak English. Bu I made

    mos of my friends here –

    Duch and foreign sudens

    – hrough my course.’

    Dayo Oladunjoye (26),

    Nigeria ‘The hing ha

    sruck me from he plane

    when I arrived in winer

    2007 was he fla landscape.

    I had been warned abou he

    cold, bu i was freezing! I

    hadn’ expeced i o be

    so cold!’

    Indira Nurani (34),

    Indonesia‘I’m used o

    here being people

    everywhere, like in Jakara,

    bu i’s no like ha in

    Holland. Excep when

    here’s a marke, i’s always

    busy hen.’

    Rony Chan (27), Hong

    Kong ‘Duch design

    inspires me more han

    Chinese design. I’s

    creaive, innovaive and a

    bi crazy here.’

    Garance Echazarrea (25),

    France ‘I hink you have o

    do your bes o fi in. So I

    invied my neighbours round,

    I go o small s hops and I like

    o ry Duch food.’

    Henry Wilson (27),

    Ausralia ‘I came o

    Holland o sudy design. Bu

    by sudying wih sudens

    from oher counries and

    ravelling around Europe I

    learned more abou myself

    and oher culures.’

    Kristun Thors (28), Iceland

    ‘I like the food – herring,

    stroopwafels (toffee

    waffles) and stamppot

    (potatoes mashed with

    vegetables). But what I notice

    most are the tall men with

    curly hair. You don’t get them

    in Iceland.’ 

    Sources: Design Academy Eindhoven,

    Silvesris, TU Eindhoven, Cenraal

    museum Urech, HellaJongerius,

    FrankWillems, Pieke Bergmans

    Find ou more abou sudyingin he Neherlands a:www.nuffic.nl

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    Gaeway o Europe

    17 

    Knowledge and innovaion drive he Neherlands forward

    Siuaed a he economic hear o he coninen, on

    he Norh Sea and wih a direc link o he European

    hinerland, ‘Mainpor Roterdam’ is one o he busies

    pors in he world. Apar rom conainer ransshipmen,

    bulk goods and oil anker handling also accoun or a

    major proporion o he por’s aciviies. And hanks o is

    economies o scale, Roterdam has long been a avourie

    por o call or uel oil buyers.

    Reliable producers

    Alhough mos Duch people raded in heir clogs or

    smar shoes many years ago, he counry’s agriculural

    secor is one o he mos compeiive in he world. We

    are he world’s second larges exporer o agriculural

    producs, afer he US. Thanks o innovaion and ough

    legislaion Duch armers, marke gardeners and ood

    processing companies are reliable producers o naural,

    healhy ood. Our leading scienific insiues, like Wage-

    ningen Universiy – one o he world’s oremos cenres

    o agriculural experise – also make a major conribu-

    ion.

    Logisics and waer managemen

    Besides innovaing in ood echnology and in agriculure

    and horiculure, he Neherlands also ses he sandard

    or logisics and waer managemen, boh in Europe and

    beyond. Many esablished and emerging companies are

    moving ino he fields o bioechnology and lie sciences.

    They benefi rom he counry’s large reserves o agricul-

    ural know-how, a srong chemicals indusry and a highly

    developed healhcare secor.

    Susainable mulinaionals

    No one dispues he ac ha he Neherlands has

    produced some o he world’s leading mulinaionals,

    like Philips, Heineken, Akzo Nobel, DSM and Unilever,

    and has a srong posiion in he inernaional financial

    secor. I is also a ac ha Duch mulinaionals have a

    good record when i comes o susainabiliy. Akzo Nobel,

    or example, leads he chemical indusry able. Philips

    does well in he marke or personal care and domesic

    appliances. And Unilever heads he lis o ood and drink

    companies. We’re quie proud o all ha.

    Economy, Trade&Agriculture |

    Phoo: Marijke Volkers

    |

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    19People&Society||Economy, Trade& Agriculture 19|

    a healhy levels. Or ino reducing he sal

    and sugar conen o ood wihou affecing

    he ase. ‘Parnerships beween indusry and

    research insiuions do no exis on his scale

    anywhere else in he world,’ says Jan Maa.

    These parnerships, and he resuls hey have

    achieved, have also atraced major oreign

    invesors, like Neslé o Swizerland, Danone

    rom France and America’s Kellogg’s.

    Invesing in knowledge echnology

    Food is an imporan source o income or he

    Neherlands. Our ood indusry has a urnover

    o around €53 billion a year, 21% o which

    is accouned or by expors. We also know

    a grea deal abou nuriion. While oher

    European counries were erecing rade bar-

    riers during he economic crisis in he 1930s,

    he Neherlands kep is borders open and

    invesed in knowledge o ood, nuriion and

    arming. As a resul, Wageningen Universiy

    (www.wur.nl) is now a key player in he

    inernaional ood secor.

    ‘Foreign scieniss and mulinaionals are very

    ineresed in Duch research, and are keen o

    inves in i,’ says Jan Maa, managing direcor

    o Top Insiue Food and Nuriion (TIFN).

    Cardiovascular disease

    An unhealhy die can lead o obesiy and

    illness, like cardiovascular disease. So he

    Duch ood indusry is working on sae,

    healhy producs and susainable producion

    mehods.

    Parnerships beween indusry and

    research insiuions

    Duch mulinaionals are keen o inves in

    research, ino probioics, or insance, he

    drinks designed o keep your inesinal flora

    This invesmen in knowledge ensures ha

    leading journals regularly publish research

    resuls rom he Neherlands.

    Innovaing ogeher

    ‘We mus no orge ha he Duch are good

    a working ogeher,’ says Jan Maa. ‘Tha is

    undoubedly one o he reasons behind our

    success. We look or soluions no hrough

    conronaion, bu hrough collaboraion.

    The way major compeiors ge ogeher like

    hey do here is quie unique. We really do

    innovae ogeher.’

    Healhier, safer and more susainable food. Tha is wha Duch

    companies wan, and ha is why hey are invesing so much

    in research. They have helped make he Neherlands a world

    leader when i comes o knowledge of f ood and nuriion.

    We wanhealhy ood!

    ageningenhas a

    good internationalreputation in foodresearch’

    Phoo: Marijke Volkers

    Mulinaionals inves in Duch ood research

    I’s impossible o enjoy a meal in

    privae a he Resauran o he

    Fuure. Every bie is recorded.

    This ariculograph, or example,

    measures he effecs o differen

    chewing behaviour and he way

    we look a ood. The resauran

    is unique, he only place in he

    world where researchers can

    monior diners over a long period

    under conrolled condiions.

    Absoluely everyhing is

    moniored: he layou and decor

    o he resauran, he effec o

    ligh, he presenaion, he roue

    hrough he resauran, ase,

    packaging and preparaion. This

    provides grea opporuniies or

    ood manuacurers who wan o

    es new producs. And also or

    scieniss, who can learn a grea

    deal abou visiors’ eaing habis.

    Research ino consumer choices

    and needs is becoming ever more

    imporan. The coss involved

    in produc developmen and

    markeing are huge. A he same

    ime, he ailure rae o new

    producs is high, he majoriy

    disappearing wihin a year. Every

    reason o es hem horoughly

    beorehand. ‘Waier, could I have

    some more please?’

    The Resauran o he Fuure was

    se up by Wageningen Universiy,

    caering company Sodexo,

    sofware developer Noldus IT

    and indusrial kichens supplier

    Kampri.

    Welcome to the lab restaurant 

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    Machines or producing solar panels are no he firs hing ha comes o mind when

    you’re hinking abou Duch expors. Bu masses o hese machines are being

    expored o China. Duch manuacurer OTB Solar has almos ripled is urnover as a

    resul o he huge demand.

    Every year, Duch musicians’ oreign sales climb even higher. André Rieu, Tiëso and

    Ferry Corsen are op Duch expors, and several Duch DJs – Laidback Luke and

    Marco V, or example – are rising sars on he oreign club scene. Rock band Wihin

    Tempaion is doing paricularly well abroad.

    21

    Illustrious shipbuilder from the NetherlandsIndusrialis and shipbuilding magnae Cornelis Verolme (1900-1981) was

    he Neherlands’ greaes shipbuilder. His yard, Verolme Unied Shipyards,

    buil he bigges ships. One would break he record or bigges Duch ship,

    he nex or bigges ship ever buil in Holland. For Verolme, i was always a

    mater o big, bigger, bigges. A man wih grea charisma, and grea plans.

    These days Keppel Verolme (KV) is par o Keppel Offshore & Marine o

    Singapore, a global marke leader in he building and repair o offshore

    plaorms and specialis ships

     

    Tulip maniaA bunch o ulips in a Duch shop will cos you around hree euros hesedays. A ar cry rom he 17h cenury, when he ulip was all he rage. Ahe heigh o he ‘ulip mania’, he bulbs eched eye-waering prices.

    One was sold or 5,400 guilders, which a ha ime would have bough

    you a magnificen canalside propery in he hear o Amserdam.

    On 1 January 2002 he

    euro was inroduced in 12 European Union

    member saes, Monaco, San Marino and

    Vaican Ciy. Many Duch people were sad o

    say goodbye o heir old currency, he guilder.

    Source: Rijksmuseum Phooservice

    Source: KeppelVerolme

    Phoo: Rob Verhors/Hollandse Hooge Source: NL Agency

     |

    Around a quarer o oal expors by value go o Germany, and anoher quarer

    o he res o Europe. This is ollowed by Arica, a 20%. Expors o Asia are

    currenly running a 15%, and o Norh a nd Souh America a slighly over 10%.

    Fruit and veg from the hothouseRows o greenhouses as ar as he eye can see, anoher ypically Duch

    scene. The firs commercial greenhouses were buil in he Neherlands

    around 1850, when i was discovered ha plans grow aser in

    coninuous ligh and an environmen wih a consan emperaure.

    The qualiy o he greenhouses gradually improved over he years. The

    firs official sandards or greenhouses were drawn up in he 1970s,

    in consulaion wih pioneers rom indusry. And modelling has led o

    consan improvemen. Wih over 10,000 hecares o greenhouses,

    he Neherlands now has more han any oher counry in he world.

    |Economy, Trade& Agriculture

    Say cheese! Holland and cheese. An inseparable combinaion. The Duch have been

    exporing cheese since he Middle Ages. The bes known are Edam

    and Gouda, which have enjoyed proeced saus since 2010. Only he

    cheese made here may be called ‘Gouda Holland’ or ‘Edam Holland’,

    and i also carries a qualiy label. Cheese manuacurers in he res o

    he world may only use he words ‘Gouda’ and ‘Edam’. Mos Edam and

    Gouda cheese is in ac made in Poland and Germany, and quie a lo is

    produced in New Zealand and he Unied Saes.

    Kids’ TV news asexport product Since 2004 Kids News Nework has

    been exporing he kids’ TV news show

    Jeugdjournaal o developing counries.

    The show, which has been running or 29

    years in he Neherlands, is unique. Fellow

    programme-makers in developing counries

    are given 18 monhs’ raining in how o

    produce heir own programme. The idea is

    ha kids who are given ruhul inormaion

    will pass i on o ohers. In developing

    counries, 40% o he populaion are aged

    15 or under; he figure in he Neherlands is

    15%. The concep has now been ‘expored’

    o Suriname, Peru, Souh Arica, Indonesia,

    Zambia, Burma and he Anilles. I is up o

    local programme-makers o decide on he

    conen o he programme, as long as i fis

    ino he basic concep.

    Every year, our hundred million onnes o goods arrive

    a he Por o Roterdam o be ranserred o oher

    reighers, inland shipping or rucks. The magazine in

    your hands was probably shipped via Roterdam.

    ,,

    Phoo: Naionale Beeldbank

    Source: ECT Source: FloraHolland

    The Neherlands is he world’s bigges flower exporer, even hough some o hem

    are grown abroad. Chinese rade delegaions show paricular ineres in our profiable

    flower rade. Our knowledge o logisics and he global rade in flowers remain

    unparalleled, however.

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    23|

    Globeroters and mediaorsThe Neherlands’ inernaional oulook has deep roos

    The Duch have been swarming ou across he world’s oceans

    and coninens ever since he 17h cenury. And we sill have

    a endency o look beyond he dikes ha proec us. We are

    keen ravellers, bu we also like o bring he res o he world

    here, oo. Our deep-rooed ineres in oher counries and

    peoples is no resriced o culure and ravel, however. The

    Neherlands also lobbies hard or a sable rading environmen

    and inernaional peace and securiy.

    Alhough he Duch armed orces are among he mos up-o-

    dae and bes equipped in Europe, h e Duch see hemselves as

    a peace-loving, non-miliarisic people. We have seen our air

    share o wars down he cenuries, however. In he 16h cenury

    we rose up agains he Spanish, in he 17h cenury we ough

    sea batles wih he English over rade. And here is also a more

    siniser side o our hisory. The Duch slave rade coninued

    unil he lae 19h cenury, and in he m id-20h cenury we

    were involved in armed conflic wih Indonesia.

    Responsible and commited

    In he 21s cenury, he Duch are keen o se an example.

    We are acively involved in he UN, are home o several

    inernaional cours and ribunals and are aware o our

    inernaional responsibiliies and commimens. The Duch

    consiuion even requires he governmen o promoe he

    developmen o he inernaional legal order. The Duch

    governmen also spends a relaively large amoun on

    developmen cooperaion and miliary operaions. Curren

    miliary operaions are mainly inended o mainain peace or

    help counries rebuild afer armed conflic.

    European cooperaion

    Cooperaion wih oher European counries is increasingly

    imporan o he Neherlands, given he issues we ace: climae

    change, energy supply and inernaional securiy. Though we

    are individualisic, demanding he reedom o run our lives as

    we see fi, we are also keen on equaliy, and are known or

    our preerence or cooperaion and unflagging effors o

    achieve consensus.

    Phoo: NaionaalArchief 

    | International Peace&Security 

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    25People&Society|

    A sable counry

    The Inernaional Cour o Jusice (ICJ) was

    esablished in he Peace Palace in The Hague

    in 1945, and was ollowed by many more

    legal insiuions. They had good reason

    o choose The Hague as heir locaion. The

    Neherlands had good ravel connecions,

    and was well-known as a sable, sae and

    reliable counry where he rule o law was

    respeced. Furhermore, an amendmen o

    he Duch consiuion in he 1950s made he

    Neherlands eminenly suiable as a cenre or

    inernaional law.

    Working or peace

    In essence, he amendmen decreed ha he

    Neherlands would henceorh do is bes o

    ensure ha oher counries rea each oher

    and heir own populaions wih respec.

    This is indeed he case: wih all he judges,

    negoiaors and inspecors in The Hague, he

    Neherlands seeks o achieve he aims se ou

    in is consiuion: o work or peace, jusice

    and securiy, no only a home bu all over

    he world. The Inernaional Cour o Jusice

    is responsible or dealing wih iner-sae

    conflics, excep hose o a poliical naure.

    Principal judicial organ 

    The Inernaional Cour o Jusice is he prin-

    cipal judicial organ o he Unied Naions. Is

    role is o adjudicae in specific inernaional

    conflics, o setle legal dispues and o clariy

    legal norms. The Cour also plays an advisory

    role. I advises he General Assembly, he

    Securiy Council and UN organisaions. I is

    no always easy o disinguish beween a

    poliical dispue, a legal dispue and a conflic

    o ineres. The rule o humb is ha or i o

    be a legal dispue, he issue a sake mus be

    a rule o law.

    The Neherlands is he only counry in he world whose

    consiuion saes explicily ha he governmen mus promoe

    he inernaional legal order. I is herefore wih good reason

    ha The Hague is known as he legal capial of he world. Many

    inernaional legal insiuions, including he mos famous of

    hem all – he I nernaional Cour of Jusice – are based here.

    The Hague: legal capialo he world

    Did ormer Liberian presiden

    Charles Taylor give Naomi

    Campbell an uncu diamond in

    1997 or no? The supermodel

    gave evidence on he mater

    o he Special Cour or Sierra

    Leone in Leidschendam. Taylor

    is suspeced o war crimes. He

    is alleged o have used blood

    diamonds o und he bloody civil

    war in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

    Campbell’s appearance beore

    he cour atraced a grea deal o

    media atenion.

    The Special Cour or Sierra

    Leone is jus one o many

    inernaional cours and ribunals

    in The Hague, evidence ha he

    inernaional communiy – and

    paricularly he Unied Naions

    – regards our counry as a sae

    place or inernaional rials.

    Such rials are highly sensiive,

    involving people suspeced o

    errorism and war crimes.

    Since Charles Taylor can sill

    coun on widespread suppor

    in Sierra Leone, he UN Securiy

    Council decided he should sand

    rial in The Hague. The Unied

    Kingdom has said ha i he

    cour imposes a prison senence

    on Taylor he may serve i in a

    Briish jail.

    & Former president and supermodel in court in The Hague

    25

    Phoo: EPA/VINCENT JANNINK/POOL

     ||International Peace& Security 

    Duch consiuion says ‘Promoe inernaional legal order’

    ith allthose

    judges, negotiatorsand inspectors inThe Hague, weseek to achieve theaims set out in ourConstitution’

    ‘W 

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    27

    The Netherlands and democracy:individual freedom of choiceThe Neherlands is a parliamenary democracy. Every our

    years he Duch elec a new parliamen, which moniors

    he governmen’s acions on behal o he people. Officially

    he governmen is made up o he head o sae and he

    minisers, bu in ac he monarch has mainly a represenaive

    role. Civil liberies and he rule o law are firmly embedded

    in he consiuion. The Duch se grea sore by individual

    reedom, preerences and choice, so you will hear ew

    proess agains gay marriage, aborion and euhanasia.

    Mos Duch people regard hem no as poliical issues, bu as

    maters o individual choice.

    Law through thecenturiesEvery sae has is own legal sysem. Many o hese

    sysems are so similar ha hey are regarded as par

    o a legal radiion. We have wo legal radiions in

    Europe: civil law and common law. The Neherlands is

    one o he counries wih a legal sysem based on he

    principle o civil law. Mos counries in mainland Europe

    use his sysem, whereby law is enshrined in codes

    and proessional judges hand down judgmens on he

    basis o hem. The oher sysem, based on common

    law, emerged in England in he 14h cenury, and spread

    all over he world, mainly hrough he Bri ish Empire.

    Counries wih a common law radiion do no have

    writen codes. Law is developed here in case law or

    preceden, raher han by he legislaor.

    Rigorous measures to tackleSomali piratesOperaion Aalana is he code name o he ani-piracy campaign

    in he Gul o Aden and he Indian Ocean. I was se up o proec

    ships, especially hose carrying World Food Programme supplies,

    agains piraes operaing along he coas o Somalia. This is no

    mean ask, given he size o he area and he ac ha some

    20,000 o 30,000 ships pass hrough he Gul o Aden every year.

    Piraes operae up o 750 kilomeres offshore. In April 2010 naval

    vessel HNLMS Johan de Wit lef or Somali waers o ake par

    in Operaion Aalana. The Johan de Wit is he sixh Duch ship

    in succession o have been deployed agains piraes. The piraes

    who are capured and brough on board he ship become he

    responsibiliy o he Duch Public Prosecuion Service.

    he Neherlands is home o some 30

    inernaional organisaions, rom

    inernaional cours and ribunals

    and European insiuions o

    organisaions like he OPCW (he Organisaion

    or he Prohibiion o Chemical Weapons).

    Togeher hey employ around 8,000 saff,

    accompanied by almos 6,000 amily members.

    Here are jus a ew.

    |International Peace& Security 

    T

    The Treay o Maasrich was signed

    in December 1991, when he Neherlands held he

    Presidency o he European Union. This EU Treay laid

    he basis or poliical and moneary union. I enered

    ino orce in 1993.

    The Treay o Paris was signed by

    he Neherlands, Wes Germany, France, Belgium,

    Luxembourg and Ialy on 18 April 1951. This marked

    he birh o he European Coal and Seel Communiy,

    which laer became he EU.

    The Iran-Unied SaesClaims

    Tribunal resolvesclaimsrelaingo

    he naionalisaiono American

    propery inIran.Iwas esablished

    afer he Unied Saesreleased

    rozenIranianassesinexchange

    or he release o hosages.

    The EuropeanSpace Agency ESA

    hassiesinseveral European

    counries.The largesis he

    EuropeanSpace Researchand

    Technology Cenre (ESTEC),he

    echnological hubo he

    organisaion.I islocaed in

    Noordwijk.

    The Inernaional Criminal Cour

    inThe Hague wasseupory

    individuals suspeced o war

    crimesand crimesagains

    humaniy.

    Europol  gahersand analyses

    criminal inelligence,inanatemp

    ocomba inernaional crime.A

    he headquarersin The Hague,

    over 620memberso saffwork 

    closely ogeher wihcolleagues

    rom he EuropeanUnion and

    oher parner saeslike Ausralia,

    Canada,he US and Norway.

    The Inernaional Criminal Tribunal

    or he ormer Yugoslavia was

    esablished by he Unied Naions

    duringhe war inhe Balkans.Is

    purpose is ory individuals

    suspeced o commitingwar

    crimesduringhiswar,and o

    punishh em i necessary.

    Phoo: Peervan Baselaar/AVDD

     |

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    People&Society||People&Society  29

    Counry of  omorrowThe Neherlands has he bigges radioelescope in he world

    The Duch are an innovaive people. No enough

    land? Then we’ll make our own. Over 40% o he

    counry has been creaed since he Middle Ages,

    hanks o wha were (in heir day) ingenious soluions

    or reclaiming land and creaing polders.

    LOFAR (LOw Frequency ARray) is a recen example

    o a Duch echnological innovaion in asronomy. In

    an effor o see he birh o he universe, housands

    o sensors wihin a radius o 50 kilomeres o Exloo

    in Drenhe province creae a single highly sensiive

    radioelescope. Linked o eigh oher saions in

    Europe, i orms par o wha will be he world’s

    larges radioelescope when i is complee, a hundred

    imes more sensiive han curren elescopes. I

    hey had known ha, Sacharias Jansen and Hans

    Lippershey migh no have ough over he paen on

    heir elescope 400 years ago. Compared o LOFAR, i

    was litle more han a pair o opera glasses.

    Thousands o sensors

    All hose housands o sensors are linked by an

    exensive fibre-opic nework, which is also available

    o oher disciplines. Agriculural scieniss can, or

    example, use i o conduc research ino precision

    arming, using wireless sensors, which help hem

    opimise producion processes. Geophysiciss are

    mapping he geology o he norhern Neherlands

    using seismic sensors. This is producing ineresing

    inormaion abou gas exracion and subsidence.

    And abou waer managemen, somehing we’ve

    been doing since he Middle Ages, which remains as

    imporan as ever. Tha’s wha you ge when more

    han hal he counry is below sea level.

    ||Water, Technology& Innovation

    Source: Asron sichingLofar

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     31People&Society|

    island o Neelje Jans. Afer he barrier was

    complee, he island was convered ino he

    Neelje Jans educaional heme park, where

    he 66h pillar (which was never used) can sill

    be seen, as well as a memorial sone bearing

    he words ‘Conrolling he ides: he moon, he

    wind and us’.

    Biggest threat: the major rivers

    For cenuries, however, he sea has no

    been he greaes hrea o he Duch. The

    hree major rivers ha flow hrough he

    counry – he Rhine, Maas and Waal – have

    long posed more o a danger. Having learn

    rom experience, we have developed ino

    he undispued world champions o waer

    managemen. Flooding used o be a requen

    occurrence, bu he las ime a river dike burs

    was in 1926. Things go a litle ense in 1995,

    when 250,000 people were orcibly evacuaed,

    bu he dikes held. Rigorous measures have

    since been aken, and innovaive soluions

    ound.

    Textbook example

    Duch waer managemen serves as a major

    source o inspiraion or he res o he world

    and a exbook example o how hings should

    be done. One Duch company locaed in he

    Unied Saes is helping consider ways o

    proecing New Orleans rom a recurrence

    o he flooding caused by Hurricane Karina

    in 2005. The Duch are happy o help he

    Americans and he res o he world keep heir

    ee dry.

    ‘One of he seven modern wonders of he world’ is how he

    American Sociey of Civil Engineers refers o he Dela Projec,

    he sysem of coasal defences ha proecs he Neherlands

    from high ides. We are a litle more modes perhaps, bu no less

    proud of his unique fea of engineering.

    ‘Conrolling he ides:he moon, he wind and us’

    1953, he nigh o 31 January. A

    sorm is raging, and i’s high ide,

    bu ha’s nohing new. Tha

    nigh, however, he sorm builds

    o hurricane orce. The disaser

    happens in jus a ew hours.

    Seawaer pours over he sea

    dikes. The polders are inundaed,

    he waer reaches he nex ring

    o dikes, and hey burs. Large

    pars o he provinces o Zeeland,

    Braban and Souh Holland are

    flooded, and 1,800 people drown.

    Over hal a cenury laer he

    principle seems quie simple: as

    soon as he waer reaches hree

    meres above NAP, or Amserdam

    Ordnance Daum, he gaes are

    |

    closed so ha he floodwaers

    canno ener he Easern Scheld.

    Sixy-five huge concree pillars

    suppor he sorm surge barrier.

    They in urn sand on mas laid

    on he sea-bed specially or he

    purpose. The hydraulic cylinders

    ha conrol he floodgaes are

    also a miracle o echnology. They

    no only raise he gaes, hey can

    also lower hem i necessary.

    From he pah jus above he

    Easern Scheld sorm surge

    barrier you can hear he waer

    hundering pas he open gaes.

    The sheer orce o he waer can

    be seen, heard and el here. Bu

    he barrier sands firm, a unique

    ea o innovaive engineering

    proecing boh Zeeland and he

    environmen.

    Taming the sea

    Phoo: Marijke Volkers

     31

    Protecting the Netherlands

    The series o coasal deences ha now

    proec he Neherlands rom he sea ook

    57 years o hard work o build. Work sared

    afer he disasrous floods o 1953. The Dela

    Commission was se up hree weeks laer.

    From dam to flood barrier

    The sorm surge barrier in he Easern Scheld

    is wihou a doub he mos impressive

    par o he Dela Projec. The esuary was in

    ac o have been closed off wih a normal

    dam, bu i was never buil. Cuting i off

    compleely would have damaged he naural

    environmen. Evenually, he Easern Scheld

    sorm surge barrier was buil rom he arificial

    utch watermanagement servesas a major source ofinspiration for therest of the world’

    ‘D

    A unique ea o engineering

    |Water, Technology& Innovation

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     33 |

    here would the

    Netherlands be without

    bridges, windmills and

    pumping stations? The

    modern versions are powered by electricity,

    are ofen plain in design and hundreds o

    metres long (or tall). The more traditional

    wooden bridges and windmills are manually

    operated, and ofen unique. Whether

    traditional or modern, however, they all play a

    key role in transport and water management.

    W

    I rains a lo in he

    Neherlands: an average o 600 hours a year

    – bu here’s pleny o sunshine beween he

    showers, a 1,550 hours a year.

    There are 135,470 km

    o public roads in he Neherlands, and 57.5 km o

    moorway per 1,000 km2. This gives he counry he

    denses moorway nework in Europe, in a counry

    wih a land area o only 41,526 km2.

    ,

    ,

     33

    Water management: a royal affair In a counry where wo-hirds o he land i s below sea

    level, waer managemen is a ruly Duch affair. Even heir

    o he hrone Prince Willem-Alexander has been working in

    he field or many years, boh a home and abroad. In he

    Neherlands he chairs he Waer Advisory Commitee. And

    as chair o he Unied Naions Secreary-General’s Advisory

    Board on Waer and Saniaion he helps solve waer-

    relaed problems all over he world.

    Dutchman in spaceThe firs Duchman in space was Wubbo Ockels. In 1978 he was

    seleced by he European Space Agency o work on a Spacelab

    programme. Afer compleing he asronau raining programme,

    he ook his firs rip in o space on board he space shutle

    Challenger in 1985. Wubbo was responsible or he monioring

    equipmen on he fligh. A physicis by raining, he now works on

    susainable energy. His uurisic yach Ecoluion is a susainably

    buil ship ha is also energy-neural o run.

    Coffee, wineand rainThree Duch invenions have ensured ha coffee,

    wine and rain will never be he same again. U nlike

    oher coffee-making equipmen, he Senseo

    coffee machine uses pads. Douwe Egbers’

    Senseo producs have been a grea success in

    boh Europe and he US.

    The Vacu Vin consiss o a sopper and pump ha

    preven wine in an open botle rom oxidising,

    allowing i o be kep or longer. I has been a

    huge success: more han 30 million have been

    sold in over 80 counries.

    Sorm umbrella Senz makes ligh work o wind

    and rain. While oher umbrellas flap and break,

    he clever design o Senz sops i urning inside

    ou. This grea invenion rom Delf Universiy o

    Technology can even cope wih orce 10 winds.

    |Water, Technology& Innovation

    The Neherlands hasmore han 3,000 pumpingsaions. There are varioustypes, designed to pumpdifferent quantities of waterover different heights in

    different locations. This is theelectrically-driven J.L.Hoogland pumping stationat Stavoren in Friesland.The building with the curvedroof that houses it wasdesigned by Dutch architectPiet de Vries.

    The amous ‘SkinnyBridge’ (Magere Brug) inAmserdam is over 300years old. The bridge wasbuilt at the request of thewealthy Mager sisters, or

    so the story goes. Theylived opposite each other,on either side of the Amstel. The woodenfootbridge allowed themto visit each other moreeasily. A true story? Whoknows? But we do knowthat the original bridgewas very narrow –or ‘skinny’.

    The Grea Mill a Marrumin Friesland was buil in1845. It is still used to pumpwater in the polder from alower to a higher level. This isquite rare, as modern

    pumping stations usuallydo the job these days. Theirgreater capacity allowsthem to raise the water overgreater heights in allweather conditions.

    Source: Culural Heriage Agency, Amersfoor Phoo: Maurice Boyer/Hollandse Hooge Phoo: Paul van Riel/Hollandse Hooge

    Phoo: George Burggraaff/Hollandse Hooge

    Phoo: KrisKrasDesign

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    35People&Society||People&Society 

    Lucor e emergoLiving on he waer

    Gaining ground The Duch have always lived wih waer.

    Los o waer. And hey have ough wih i on occasion. Bu hey

    were always vicorious. In he pas he Duch did batle wih dwelling

    mounds (or terps), dikes and major coasal deences like he Dela

    Projec. They even closed off par o he sea – he Zuyder Zee – o

    creae new land, or polders. And heir effors were successul. Wihou

    hem, 40% o he counry would be under waer.

    Go wih he flow These days, he Duch also enjoy he

    waer. Sreams and rivers are increasingly being allowed o go heir

    own way, and we adap o hem. We are going wih he flow, building

    our houses around he waer. Or on i. More and more residenial

    areas eaure homes wih a boa ied o a jety a he botom o

    he garden. And, alongside he radiional houseboas, people are

    increasingly choosing o live in homes buil on sils, or floaing on

    he waer.

    Waer ciy There are now a number o residenial areas buil

    compleely on he waer, like his one in Houen. Seigereiland (‘Jety

    Island’) in he Amserdam disric o I Jburg, was one o he firs and,

    wih 110 homes buil on he waer, one o he bigges oo. Groningen

    is even building an enire own based on waer, known as Blauwesad,

    or ‘Blue Town’, wih some 1,500 homes on or beside he waer.

    Phoo: Siebe Swar/Hollandse Hooge

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    37 People&Society||People&Society 

    300kilomeres

    The Hague

    Roterdam

    DenHelder

    Amserdam

    Urech

    ‘s Herogenbosch

    Maasrich

     35Groningen 

    Longest train journey in the

    Netherlands: Roodeschool –

    Maastricht Randwyck, 5 hours 39

    minutes (three changes).

    Drenthe

    Most sparsely populated

     province, with fewer than

    200 inhabitants per km 2 

    (the majority of whom live

    in rural areas). 

    Flevoland

    Once water, now the

    Netherlands’ newest province

    (since 1986), and home to

    400,000 people.

    Friesland  

    Afsluitdijk: 30-km barrier and

    road between the provinces of

    Friesland and North Holland

    (part of the Zuyder Zee project).

    Tall and blondLots of Dutch people are tall, blond and blue-eyed. But

     with over three million people from ethnic minorities,

    almost two million of whom have a non-Western

    background, the Netherlands is quite multi-coloured

    these days.

    Neat and tidy Lots of things are perfectly acceptable in

    the Netherlands. Freedom and tolerance

    are considered very important. But

    we separate our waste in an orderly

    fashion, are very punctual and like to

    keep our doorsteps clean.

     World famousThe most famous Dutch person of all time is Anne Frank,

    who wrote the best known diary in the world, followed by

    footballer Johan Cruijff in second place and alleged double

    agent Mata Hari in third.

    CurainsThe Dutch keep theircurtains open in the

    evening because they have

    nothing to hide, do not

    want to exclude anyone,

    or because they want to

    show off their fine interior

    decoration. Perhaps we

    don’t actually know the

    reason, and that is why we

    are doing in-depth studies

    into this custom.

    Polders The Neherlands is famous for

    is ‘polder model’. Doing hings

    in consulaion, always seeking

    consensus. People of all social ranks

    used o work ogeher o build dikes

    and creae polders (hence he erm

    ‘polder model’).

    GezelligheidGezelligheid  is a ypically Duch word for which here is no

    good equivalen in oher languages. I is used o describe anevening playing board games wih he family, or drinking

    coffee wih he neighbours, or siting by an open fire. In fac

    any pleasan occasion shared wih friends or family.

    Clogs and windmillsHolland is sill associaed wih clogs and windmills.

    Bu clogs are ound mainly in souvenir shops hese

    days, and only around 1,200 windmills are sill in

    operaion oday, down rom over 10,000 in heir

    heyday in he 19h cenury.

    CelebrationsThe most important days of

    celebration in the Netherlands

    are Queen’s Day (the Queen’s

    official birthday), Liberation

    Day and St Nicholas’ Eve, or

    Sinerklaas. But the Dutch also

    like to take to the streets when

    their football team (almost) wins

    a European championship orWorld Cup.

     The ulip The ulip has proudly held is ground hrough he

    cenuries. The Neherlands is by far he world’s bigges

    exporer of flowering bulbs, accouning for 83% of

     world expors, 33% of which are ulips. In Holland,

    however, roses are he mos popular cu flowers.

    Facts &Figures |

    Cover picure: Delf blue

    The radiional Duch sea shany Daar was laatst een meisje

    loos (1744) inspired 41-year-old designer wins Truus and

    Rie Spijkers o creae heir Delf-blue skir wih nauical

    deails. Feisy emales like he song’s heroine who runs

    away o sea are a recurren heme in heir work. Truus

    commens ‘Our syle is influenced by he 1920s, when

    he modern woman firs appeared on he scene.’

    Phoo: Cynhia Boll

    Hello Holland! is a special publicaion by he Duch Minisry o

    Foreign Affairs.

    Ediorial board: Communicaions Deparmen, Minisry o

    Foreign Affairs Ediors: JCM Conex (Urech)

    Ar direcion & design: Kris Kras Design (Urech)

    Prined by: OBT bv, The Hague

    Aricles may no be reproduced wihou he writen

    permission o he publisher.

    © Minisry o Foreign Affairs, he Neherlands

    P.O Box 20061 | 2500 EB Den Haag

    www.minbuza.nl/en

    Ineresing facs

    North Holland 

    Schiphol: the biggest airport in

     the Netherlands (handling an

    average of 45,000,000 passengers

    and 1.5 million tonnes of freight

     each year).

    Limburg

    Drielandenpunt in Vaals, where

     three countries meet: you can go

     from the Netherlands to Germany

    and Belgium (and back) in just

    a few steps.

     Zeeland  

    Western Scheldt tunnel: at 6.6

    km, the longest road tunnel in the

    Netherlands, connecting Zeeland-

    Flanders with Zuid-Beveland.

    North Brabant  

    Road of the future (N329):

    with a sunken carriageway,

    LED lighting and lots of

    other technical wonders, both

    an example and a source of

    inspiration.

    Gelderland

    30% of continental container

     transport is by inland waterway

    (much of it along the rivers Maas

    and Waal).

    Overijssel  

    Full of lakes and criss-crossed by streams and

     the river IJssel, Overijssel province has 300 km of

    navigable waterways (frequented by commercial

     shipping and 200,000 leisure craft a year).

    South Holland 

    Rotterdam is home to the three

     tallest buildings in the country,

    at 151, 158 and 165 metres; it

    also has the Euromast, which is

    185 metres tall.

    Utrecht

    More room for car and rail

     traffic around the heart of the

    Netherlands thanks to its network

    of cycle routes.

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     38 | People & Society 

    Welcome o heNeherlands!

    Every hour of he day, he Duch Minisry of Foreign Affairs is hard a work somewhere on

    earh helping o build a safe, sable and prosperous world. And represening he ineress ofhe Neherlands. Because i is a unique counry, wih a surprising pas, an energeic presen

    and an ineresing fuure. Welcome o he Neherlands!

    Phoo: Karel Tomei/Foonaura

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