Country Background
The Netherlands is also known as Holland. In total, Holland's land area amounts to just 33,920 square kilometers, meaning that the entire country is a little less that two times the size of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Holland's natural geography is composed largely of flat coastal lowlands and a small, hilly area to the southeast, a situation that makes the country prone to flooding. In the Middle Ages, people built dikes to enclose the polders, which are areas below sealevel. In this way, they could control the water levels and protect their homes and land.

The people who live in the Netherlands are referred to as Dutch. In the past, Holland had colonies in other parts of the world like Indonesia and South Africa. The Dutch East India Company was important in expanding the Netherlands trade routes. Holland also boasts famous explorers like Peter Stuyvesant and Dirk Hartog, who was the first foreign visitor to set foot on the continent of Australia. Most former Dutch colonies are now independent. Currently, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba are still part of the Netherlands, though they are self-governing.

Windmills, clogs, and tulips are symbols commonly associated with Dutch life. Windmills were once widely used for grinding grain. Now the windmills are often used as homes or museums. The Dutch grow tulips in an exciting variety of colors to sell in domestic and international markets. Wooden shoes are another traditional symbol and a popular tourist souvenir.

Related Links

There is a lot more to learn about Netherlands!

Explore these sites for facts and figures about the Netherlands: • ABCNews.com Country Profile: Netherlands • Atlapedia Online: Netherlands • CIA World Factbook 1999: Netherlands • Discovery School A-Z Geography: Netherlands Let Atlapedia's "Click-A-Map" show you physical and political maps of the Netherlands. Discover the miniature city of Madurodam, the largest miniature city in the world. Take a virtual tour of Madurodam to see "all of Holland in just one city!" Access fast facts about important events that happened during the Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928. Amsterdam is home of the Anne Frank House, where Anne Frank and her family hid for 25 months to escape persecution during World War II. Read Anne's diary or view a scrapbook of her secret life. Learn about the famous painter Rembrandt, who hailed from Holland. Take a virtual visit to Rembrandt's studio. Then check out the Webmuseum to find out how Rembrandt's paintings can be used as an historical aid to research what life was like in Amsterdam in the 18th century. Another important painter from Holland was Vincent Van Gogh, who was famous for his self-portraits and impressionist paintings. Enjoy Van Gogh's art online. Examine the history of wooden shoes, why they are made, how they are decorated, and when they are worn. Investigate the official Holland site to find out more about all aspects of Holland from museums to cheese and windmills to castles.

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3-D Atlas Discovery School A-Z Geography National Geographic Sydney 2000: Countries USA TODAY Parade of Nations