Holland | Country (Week 1)

It is time to unpack our suitcases at our 8th destination.  We will stay on the continent of Europe but the climate (FYI: the overall temperature and weather conditions) will be considerably different here because we will be further north. This is a country where bicycling as a form of transportation is very common, wooden clogs and windmills are very traditional, and orange is the national color. Maybe you even saw this team playing in orange uniforms at the World Cup a few weeks ago.

So where are we? You guessed it…the country of Holland or The Netherlands! You can see the Dutch National Flag below. You might also enjoy these Dutch flag printables over at Activity Village. They will help you remember what Holland’s flag looks like.

Country Facts

1. Size:  16,040 sq. miles/41,543 sq. km

2. Population:  16,805,037 (countryreports.org)

3. Capital & Largest City:  Amsterdam

4. Religion:  Roman Catholic 30%, Protestant 20%, Muslim 5.8%, Other 2.2%, None 42% (CIA World Factbook)

5. Currency:  Euro (EUR)

6. Languages:  Dutch (official language), Frisian (official language) – Learn 10 Dutch phrases with this video!

7. Around 20% of the Netherlands is below sea level (Here are a couple descriptions of sea level: Desc. #1 & Desc. #2)

8. Vincent van Gogh is a very famous Dutch Painter who lived from 1853-1890

Self-Portrait with Straw Hat

9. Many of the world’s tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers are exported from the Netherlands.

10. The majority of Dutch people can speak more than one language.