The ten most frequently asked questions about the Netherlands
1. Which countries make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands?
The Kingdom of the Netherlands comprises three countries: the Netherlands itself and two countries in the Caribbean: the Netherlands Antilles (the islands of Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba and St Eustatius, plus part of St Martin, known as Sint Maarten) and Aruba. Each of these countries runs its own affairs, except in relation to issues known as ‘Kingdom affairs’. With a surface area of 41,528 km2 and a population of almost 16.4 million, the Netherlands is relatively small and one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
2. Is there a difference between 'the Netherlands' and 'Holland?
The official name is the Kingdom of the Netherlands, or ‘the Netherlands’ for short. The Netherlands is also often called ‘Holland’– which is actually wrong, because ‘Holland’ comprises only two provinces, in the west of the country: North Holland and South Holland. These two provinces played an important role in the country’s history, so the name ‘Holland’ is common, especially outside the Netherlands.
3. What is the system of government? Which city is the capital?
The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, in which the government consists of the monarch and the ministers. The current government is a coalition, with members from the Christian Democrats (CDA), the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Christian Union (CU). The prime minister is Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA). The head of state is Her Majesty Queen Beatrix. For historical reasons, the seat of government is The Hague, but the capital is Amsterdam.
Click here for more information on this subject. For more information about the Dutch system of government,
click here. The sites
www.government.nl and
www.koninklijkhuis.nl contain more information about the current Dutch government and the Royal House.
4. Are drugs legal in the Netherlands?
Contrary to what is frequently thought abroad, all drugs are prohibited in the Netherlands. It is an offence to import, export, sell, produce, or possess either hard drugs or cannabis. Only the use of drugs is not an offence. And although it is illegal for coffee shops to sell cannabis, they are not prosecuted for doing so provided they sell it in quantities not exceeding five grams and adhere to certain other strict conditions. Similarly, individuals are not prosecuted for possessing small quantities of cannabis for personal use. More information on Dutch drugs policy appears elsewhere on this site.
Click here.
5. How flat is the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is very flat. More than a quarter of the country lies below sea level. The lowest point in the Netherlands is close to the city of Rotterdam, 6.74 meters below sea level. The highest point is the summit of the Vaalserberg, a 321-metre-high hill in the south of the province of Limburg.
6. Where can I find tourist information about the Netherlands?
You can find tourist information about the Netherlands on a dedicated site:
www.holland.com. Look for the 'Travelling from....' dropdown menu to select an English-language version of the site.
7. Where can I find information about studying in the Netherlands?
There are various opportunities for foreigners to study in the Netherlands. For more information, go to
www.nuffic.nl.
8. What are the main public holidays in the Netherlands?
Queen’s Day, 30 April, is a national holiday in the Netherlands. Although Queen Beatrix’s birthday is on 31 January, she celebrates it officially on 30 April, which was her mother’s birthday. On Queen’s Day, events such as unregulated street markets, processions, and music festivals are organised throughout the country. But the Netherlands also has other public holidays. More information about public holidays and Dutch traditions appear elsewhere on this site.
Click here.
9. Where can I find information about the Dutch national football team?
Football (soccer) is a very popular sport in the Netherlands. The country’s football clubs together have more than one million members. The national team is in the top 10 of the FIFA Rankings. The current national coach is Marco van Basten, himself a celebrated international footballer. For more information about the national football team, go to the site of the
Royal Dutch Football Association Whenever the national team qualifies for European or world championships, the Netherlands soon changes colour. Streets, homes, pubs, and even people are draped in orange (the colour of the Royal House) or red, white, and blue (the colours of the Dutch flag).
Click here for pictures of football mania in the Netherlands during the World Cup in 2006.
10. Where does the tulip come from?
Ask foreigners what they know about the Netherlands, and they will probably mention the tulip as a typically Dutch flower. However, tulips originated not in the Netherlands, but in Kazachstan and Xinjiang (northwest China). They first arrived in Europe via Antwerp in the mid-16th century and in the Netherlands shortly later. Not only tulips, but many other flowers, too, now constitute an important part of the Dutch economy. The world’s two biggest flower auctions – trading cut flowers, potted plants, garden shrubs, etc. – are both to be found in the Netherlands. The biggest is
Floraholland, and the second biggest is Aalsmeer United Flower Auctions – which also has the world’s biggest building devoted to trading.
