15 Things You Didn't Know About Netherland
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Today we're talking at 15 things you didn't know about the netherlands so we are happy to have you back for yet another Article about a very special country why special well there's a lot to love about the Netherlands from their freedom of speech universal health care education and general well-being for its citizens for example the Netherlands is also the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage so it's a very liberal and opened change country the country's name means lower countries since the land is mostly flat and as made out of 12 provinces including nord and zod holland which together form holland yes we're going to leave this one here the Netherlands does not equal Holland even though most people use Holland to refer to the whole country if you are new here welcome be sure to subscribe and follow us on Instagram at Alex so sit back relax and join us for the 15 things you didn't know about the Netherlands
1 Viktor and Rolf is a fashion house created by Dutch cofounders when we think about the fashion industry we mostly think about Italy France or even the UK it turns out the Netherlands has its own share of talented people in this field who are also world renowned Victor horse Singh and Rolf Soren started their own fashion house Viktor and Rolf in 1993 their collections are mostly avant-garde designs that borrow heavily from the art world blending different concepts to create stunning theatrical fashion runways Viktor and Rolf will celebrate 25 years of activity this May with a collection of wearable art designs going back to Rotterdam as kings of the Netherlands fashion world celebrities such as Black Panthers Danai gurira and zendaya have worn their dresses at film premieres and award shows.
2 In South Africa people speak the 17th century Dutch language Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands it's a Germanic language that's also known as Flemish in northern Belgium South Africa was colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century and the settlers language evolved to modern-day Afrikaans a variant of Dutch nowadays it's a distinct language having its own characteristics but back then it was called Cape Dutch or kitchen Dutch a not so nice way to refer to the dialect spoken by slaves or servants of the colonial settlers the language is also used in other African countries such as Namibia and Botswana.
3 Gouda cheese comes from the Netherlands it's creamy and rich texture makes it one of the most loved cheese's in the world in fact it's responsible for around half of the global cheese consumption we're talking of course about Gouda cheese which happens to be a Dutch specialty records show that this food is one of the oldest cheese delicacies we have left originating in the 12th century in a city called Gouda in the Netherlands nowadays Gouda is the generic name we use for the type of cheese but it doesn't mean that the product is made from a more original recipe so if you happen to be in the country you can also visit the markets in Gouda which are of course the oldest cheese markets in the Netherlands and have a taste of the real deal.
4 Their national football team has a weird nickname Clockwork Orange the football team is named Clockwork Orange and no it's not named after the book or the film if you're wondering the players are very proud of their bright orange t-shirts orange being also the national colour of the Netherlands the colour also has a royal history since it has its origins in the titles given to the head of state Prince of Orange the football team has qualified five times in the World Cup semi-finals and apparently also prides themselves on their speed since other nicknames include the Flying Dutchman.
5 The richest man in the Netherlands is frits Goldschmidt hang with a net worth of 5.2 billion dollars the Netherlands has its share of billionaires and at the top of the list is frits Goldschmidt the octogenarian who holds the largest share of Randstad holdings Randstad holding is a human-resources consulting company currently present in nine countries the company which has also the second largest staffing agency in the world took a hit last year because of brexit the magnate had a net worth of 5.2 billion dollars and apparently lost twenty five point five percent last year because of brexit he currently resides in Amsterdam and while in his 80s he's no longer a part of the management team of the company.
6 Thousands of contaminated eggs from the Netherlands infected Europe the Netherlands became the center of a food controversy last year after failing to alert other European countries of contaminated eggs the country is actually a large global exporter of eggs having sent around 700,000 contaminated products in the UK only the culprit seems to have been an insecticide called soprano that is used to treat chickens and is illegal since it can affect the quality of the eggs around 180 Dutch farms bought the birds from a supplier that treated them with fipronil the neighbouring country Belgium was especially upset and authorities accused the Netherlands of withholding important information that could have prevented this situation from happening.
7 The government wanted to pass a law that would allow them to have access to private information on their citizens the recent world data scandal has affected the country as well a fear of terrorism and other online threats saw the proposal of a law that would essentially grant authorities the right to spy on its citizens however such a law cannot pass in the Netherlands without a referendum the result this year around 6 million Dutch voters said no to government access to their emails and other online data critics of the law decried the invasion of privacy that such a measure would entail Amnesty International also condemned it as being a human rights breach.
8 Black Piet is associated with racism and slavery by some the Netherlands colonial past has echoes in the present take for example black Piet or smart Piet a character that acts as a sidekick to st. Nicholas st. Nicholas is a beloved character that is similar to Santa Claus black Piet first appeared in 1850 in a book written by a Dutch school teacher and a appears as a vestige of slavery to many today it's not hard to see what they mean since those who portray him usually use blackface dress and colorful clothes put an afro wig on and red lipstick scholars attribute this to the Dutch legacy of slavery that is seldom taught in Dutch schools as if this part of history didn't really exist or its effects appear to be minimized which of course is not accurate.
9 Coffee shops in Amsterdam are also places where you can buy weed many of the five million people that visit the Netherlands capital of Amsterdam each year also go there for the famous coffee shops Amsterdam has the best coffee shops in the country and that is saying something since cities such as Rotterdam and The Hague also have a lot of them however only 175 establishments are left in Amsterdam and the number was double that in the 90s of course people also visit coffee shops since it's perfectly legal to buy and consume marijuana while enjoying a cup of coffee or a meal so if visiting the world capital of weed is on your bucket list make sure to purchase a ticket to Amsterdam the next time you plan a vacation.
10 Vincent van Gogh sports wada dr. Gachet was sold for eighty two point five million dollars painter Vincent van Gogh is one of the most beloved artists of all time belonging to the Dutch post-impressionist movement although he died young and impoverished in 1890 he left us with astounding paintings such as Porte wada dr. Gachet a work that depicts the artists doctor who was described as carrying the desolate expression of our time exactly 100 years later in 1990 the original version was sold for eighty two point five million dollars setting a new record as the highest price that has ever been paid for a painting it also set a record time since the auction only lasted three minutes there's also a second version of the painting which can be seen at musee d'orsay in paris france want to find out some more about the impressive Vincent van Gogh check out our video 15 things you didn't know about Vincent van Gogh by clicking in the top right corner.
11 People have a high living standard in the Netherlands the Netherlands is a great place to live and even a greater place to work boasts the sixth highest hourly wage in the European Union to give you an idea if you work in the business sector you would make an average of thirty eight point eight euros per hour or around forty five US dollars however in Denmark you would earn fifty dollars hourly four percent of Dutch employers earn the minimum wage and they are mostly young people who are employed in hotels and restaurants or work in agriculture and Fisheries that is still pretty good since the average salary for these workers is around one thousand five hundred and sixty-five u.s. dollars.
12 A sandstorm over the Netherlands made the sunsets bolder who said that the Netherlands was all about rain and gloomy skies a very cool phenomenon took place in April of 2018 when a sandstorm from the Sahara blew across Europe Dutch people were greeted on the 9th with the most colourful sunrises and sunsets they've probably ever seen the phenomenon can be explained like this the particles of sand refract light which in turn makes the colors red orange and yellow appear bolder and thus giving amazing sights however people still had to clean their lawn furniture or wash their cars since the dust got everywhere and also mixed with the rain.
13 Prostitution is legal but not on the streets here is another thing that the Netherlands is famous for its relaxed views on prostitution one of the most popular tourist attractions in Amsterdam is the red-light district or de wallen which is situated in the city centre it's a place where sex workers stand behind windows as if on display for everyone to see in fact there are three hundred windows lit by neon lights they have their own room and what they do is perfectly legal since they don't actually stand in the street since the year 2000 pimping has been abolished by law and brothels must have a license Plus like any regulated industry it also has to pay taxes.
14 Dutch people are the tallest in the world if you visit the Netherlands you'll likely feel like you're visiting the land of giants you're not the only one especially if you're shorter it's pretty much common wisdom by now on average people from the Netherlands are the tallest in the world don't believe us take a look at the study conducted by the Imperial College of London on eighteen point six million people studies show that the average Dutch man is five feet ten inches tall and the average Dutch woman is five feet seven inches tall that is ahead of other countries such as Denmark Norway and Germany actually the average height of a man in the Netherlands is eight inches more than what it used to be 150 years ago.
15 Tulips did not originate from the Netherlands but from Turkey the Netherlands is a tulip paradise and it's well worth a trip if only to see them blooming during the tulip season in spring it's no wonder that everyone believes the flowers originated here however a true tulip lover knows that they came from Central Asia and Turkey turkey cultivate a wide variety of tulips way before it became popular in Europe and they also use them for decorative purposes the flowers have an interesting history since they were first brought to Europe in the 15th century first to Vienna then to the Netherlands nowadays though the country exports tulips all around the world and boasts many vast tulip fields we hope you enjoyed today's Article as always we have a special question for you what do you think of this country's relaxed laws on prostitution and marijuana consumption is it a good or a bad thing let us know down in the comments and as always for sticking with us all the way to the end here's your bonus fact number 16 there are a lot of many houses in Amsterdam Amsterdam is full of stunning architecture and there's no better example than the narrow canal houses that are also on the UNESCO World Heritage List they now function as offices hotels or museums but back in the Dutch Golden Age they were houses for the rich they were made to be so narrow since the building tax was calculated according to the width of a houses exterior side tourists can also visit the narrowest house in Amsterdam it's only about six feet and seven inches wide and has a small room on each floor talk about cramped living space.
Thank you for spending some time with us we will see you soon Goodbye.
