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8/19/2019 Bz Holland Brochure Engels
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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’
W
|
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’
W
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
D R 4 4 7 2 / E