34 Incredible Facts About Netherlands

The country is one of the most prosperous countries in the European Union. The Netherlands (or Holland) may be a small country, but it is chock-full of world-famous icons and inventions. The Netherlands’ culture is diverse, reflecting regional variations as well as international influences accumulated over centuries by the Dutch people’s mercantile and exploratory spirit. The Netherlands and its people have long been recognized as a center of cultural tolerance and liberalism.

1. Netherland is bordered by the North Sea in north and west and share land borders with Germany in the east and Belgium in the south. The country also shares maritime borders with France and the United Kingdom.
2. The official name of the Netherland is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. While the old name of the country was Holland, meaning ‘woodland.’
3. Every year in the Netherlands, 1.6 trillion insects are killed because of colliding into cars.
4. In the Netherlands, there are special traffic lanes for bicycles. There is approximately 35000 km of cycle lanes with special bicycle traffic lights.
5. Netherlands has twice the number of bicycles than the population. The country has about 22.8 million bicycles in total.
6. Netherlands is the only country on the globe to have a national dog. Keeshond is their national dog which is also known as “the smiling Dutchman.”
7. Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the European Union and in the world. Over 488 people per km2 live in the country.
8. The country is the 6th happiest country on the planet.
9. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the first stock exchange market on the planet and was opened in the year 1602.
10. Some very important inventions took place in the country. Some of them are the submarine, the telescope, the microphone, the eye test, speed camera, compact disk(cd), versatile digital disk(DVD), Blu- ray disk, Bluetooth, and the Olympic flame.
11. In 2001 the country became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage.
12. The country has planned to ban all petrol and diesel cars by the year 2030 and replace it with electric vehicles.
13. Netherlands has the highest English proficiency on the planet, just after Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
14. Around 43.8% of the population of the Netherland follows Christianity, 50.1% are unaffiliated, 4.9 % follow Islam, 0.6% are Hindus, 0.4% are Buddhism, and 0.1% follow Judaism.
15. Netherlands is the world’s tallest country, with people having an average height of 1.838 meters (6 ft).
16. The country is the second biggest exporter of beer on the globe averaging 13.3% of all world production. In 2019 the country made $2.1 billion revenue from beer exports.
17. The lion is the national animal of the country. Whereas black-tailed godwit is the national bird.
18. The country does have a national color which is orange.
19. The Netherlands is the biggest exporter of flowers, with 48.9% of the total world exports. The country earned a revenue of US$4.6 billion from the exports in the year 2019.
20. The capital city Amsterdam has the 2nd spot in terms of most bridges in a city on the globe.
21. The country has over 1281 bridges and has over 165 canals.
22. The national anthem of the Netherlands is the oldest in the world. It was officially adopted in the year 1932 but was written in the year 1569 to 1572.
23. The Netherlands has the 6th best healthcare system on the globe.
24. The country has pledged to bring greenhouse emission cut to 95% by the year 2050 and switch to green energy.
25. By the end of 2015, the country had 2,525 onshore wind turbines producing about 3000 MW which is projected to be doubled to 6000 MW by the end of the year 2020.
26. Netherlands has 20 national parks, out of which Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park is the biggest with an area of 100 km2.
27. Netherlands has 20 national parks, out of which Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park is the biggest with an area of 100 km2.
28. Netherlands is the 6th biggest exporter of food in the world.
29. It is the 20th most complex economy in the world.
30. The Netherlands’ top exports are refined petroleum ($68.1 billion), broadcasting equipment ($21 billion), machinery with individual functions ($19.9 billion), packaged medicines ($16.3 billion), and crude petroleum ($15.3 billion), with the majority exported to Germany ($131 billion), Belgium ($94.3 billion), France ($59.9 billion), the United Kingdom ($38.2 billion), and Italy ($34.5 billion).
31. The Netherlands’ largest imports include crude petroleum ($68.9 billion), refined petroleum ($51.1 billion), petroleum gas ($34.7 billion), broadcasting equipment ($23.4 billion), and computers ($22.3 billion), with the majority coming from Germany ($109 billion), China ($94.5 billion), the United States ($68.3 billion), Belgium ($65.7 billion), and the United Kingdom ($41.9 billion).
32. Nijmegen is the oldest city in Netherlands, and its history goes back over 2,000 years.
33. Proosdij is the oldest building or house in the Netherlands and was formed in the year 1130.
34. The country is the 5th best country in terms of the press-free index with an underlying situation score of 9.96%.