It’s often windy in the Netherlands. The Dutch started using the wind hundreds of years ago by building windmills. At one time there were almost 10,000 windmills in the Netherlands, but there are now only about 1,000 left.

Windmills have their own language. The position of the sails has a special meaning for people living nearby. When a baby is born or when there is a wedding, the miller attaches little flags and other decorations to the sails of his windmill.

Windmills are still in use today. These modern windmills are used to generate electricity in an environmentally friendly manner.