Portal:Netherlands

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Welcome to the Netherlands Portal!
Welkom bij het Nederlandportaal!

The Netherlands is one of four constituent countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, located in northwestern Europe. It borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east.
Since 2010, the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius have become part of the country of the Netherlands, whereas Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are considered separate countries within the Kingdom, however only the Kingdom functions internationally as a sovereign state.

Although the Netherlands is often referred to as Holland, this use is strictly incorrect, as Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands, consisting of only two of the country's twelve provinces. The country's constitutional capital is Amsterdam, but the seat of government is in The Hague. The Hague also locates most international embassies, as well as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

The Netherlands is a very densely populated and geographically one of the most low-lying countries in the world (its name literally means "Low lands") that is popularly famous for, among other things, its dikes and canals, windmills, wooden shoes, tulips, bicycles and social tolerance. Its liberal policies, for instance regarding drugs, homosexuality or prostitution receive international attention.
As of 2014^[update] the country ranks fourth in the world on the United Nations Human Development Index, or third on the inequality-adjusted H.D.I.. The Netherlands also ranked as the fourth happiest country in the world in the U.N.'s 2013 World Happiness Report, reflecting its high quality of life.

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An Amsterdammertje is the typical red-brown steel bollard that is used to separate the sidewalk from the street in Amsterdam. Amsterdammertje means literally 'little one from Amsterdam' in Dutch. The bollards have the three Saint Andrew's Crosses from the coat of arms of Amsterdam.

Around 1800, more and more individual people in Amsterdam started to use bollards to protect the sidewalk in front of their houses. These bollards were made of metal (of old cannons), stone, or wood. In the late 19th century the first cast iron bollards were made. From 1915 onwards there was a standard bollard of 70 kg cast iron with three Saint Andrew's Crosses from the coat of arms of Amsterdam. This bollard already looked like the modern Amsterdammertje, although, amongst other differences, it was thinner and heavier.

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Credit: Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands

The former Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam, built between 1925-1931, is considered a prime example of the International architectural style, comparable to Constructivism. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, and has been called the most beautiful factory in the world.

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Did you know...

... that Dutch Nuna solar racing team, guided by former Space Shuttle astronaut Wubbo Ockels (pictured) won the World Solar Challenge six times out of the last eight events ?
... that The Hague is home to over 150 international organisations (including NGOs) working in the field of peace and justice ?
... the Netherlands is a very densely populated country for its size ? With 406 people per km² – or 498 if inland waters are excluded – only Bangladesh, South Korea and Taiwan have both a larger population and a higher population density.
... the Netherlands is nevertheless the world's second largest exporter of food and agriculture products, after the United States ?
... and that it has the most plentiful, nutritious and healthy food, according to a 2014 comparison of 125 countries by Oxfam ?
... a UNICEF report published in 2007 ranked the Netherlands as the best country for children to live in ?
... the Netherlands also exports more flowers and flower bulbs than the rest of the world combined ?
... the KLM is the longest running national airline in the world ?
... the Port of Rotterdam was the world's busiest port from 1962–2002, and is now still the world's largest seaport outside of East Asia, measured by total cargo tonnage handled ?
... that two major clusters of flood control and land reclamation projects: the Delta Works and the Zuiderzee Works, were declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. ?
... of which the Maeslantkering storm surge barrier is one of the largest moving structures on Earth ?
... of which the 1932 Afsluitdijk is still one of the world's longest dams and causeways ?
... and of which the Flevopolder, at an area of 970 km² (370 sq. mi), is by far the world's largest artificial island ?

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Nicolaas "Nico" Hessel Rienks (born 1 February 1962) is a former rower from the Netherlands and two-time Olympic gold medallist.

Rienks won the gold medal in the men's double sculls at the 1988 Summer Olympics, alongside Ronald Florijn. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, he repeated his gold medal performance winning the eight with coxswain event with the Holland Acht (Holland Eight). He also competed at the 1984 and 2000 Olympics but finished outside the podium.

With Henk-Jan Zwolle he won the gold medal in the double sculls competition at the 1991 World Rowing Championships. He also won three silver medals at the world championships in 1989 (double sculls), 1994 and 1995 (eights).

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