Netherlands
The Region Netherlands
[ne&thstrok;urlundz]
Netherlands, Dut. Nederland or Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, officially Kingdom of the Netherlands, constitutional monarchy (1994 est. pop. 15,341,600, 15,963 sq mi (41,344 sq km), NW Europe. It is bounded by the North Sea on the north and west, by Belgium on the south, and by Germany on the east. It is popularly known as Holland. Amsterdam is the constitutional capital; The Hague is the administrative and governmental capital. The kingdom includes two overseas territories, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean Sea. Both are self-governing parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Geography
The Netherlands, on the coast of the North Sea, is twice the size of New Jersey. Part of the great plain of north and west Europe, the Netherlands has maximum dimensions of 190 by 160 miles (360 by 257 km) and is low and flat except in Limburg in the southeast, where some hills rise to 300 feet (92 m). About half the country's area is below sea level, making the famous Dutch dikes a requisite to the use of much land. Reclamation of land from the sea through dikes has continued through recent times. All drainage reaches the North Sea, and the principal rivers - Rhine, Maas (Meuse), and Schelde - have their sources outside the country.
Cultural Artifact of Netherlands
Clogs have been traditional footwear for hundreds of years. Did you know that the oldest preserved clogs were found in Rotterdam and Amsterdam and date from the thirteenth century? These wooden shoes look exactly like the clogs still being made today.
Today, most of the Dutch do not wear clogs and it is mostly tourists who buy them to take home as souvenirs. Farmers do still wear clogs "in the wild" small villages where people still wear traditional clothing. A Dutch cap or bonnet is a style of women's hat associated wit the various traditional Dutch woman's costumes. Usually made of white cotton or lace it is sometimes characterized by triangular flaps or wings that turn up on either side.
Regional Fun Fact
The Dutch love mayonnaise. They love it so much that every chip shop in the land will automatically add it to your order if you don't explicitly tell them not to. Anyone who does request not to have it is seen as an oddity. In The Netherlands mayonnaise is basically considered its own food group.
Never get into an argument with the Dutch about which country drives on the correct side of the road. You will lose. they will use your own language (English) against you to explain why driving on the right side of the road makes them right and you wrong.