• How big is the Netherlands?

• Is there a difference between the Netherlands and Holland?

• What is the system of government? Which city is the capital?

• How flat is the Netherlands?

• What is the weather like?

• What language is spoken?

• Which currency can you use?

• What is the best way to travel in the Netherlands?

• When is the day of national celebration?

How big is the Netherlands?

The Netherlands is not very big. The whole country covers an area of 41,528 km2. About 16 million people live there.

Is there a difference between the Netherlands and Holland?

The Netherlands is often called Holland. But North Holland and South Holland are two provinces in the west of the country. They played an important part in the country's history. The official name is the Kingdom of the Netherlands or the Netherlands for short.

What is the system of government? Which city is the capital?

The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. It has a parliament and the government is made up of the Queen and the ministers. The Hague is the seat of government, but Amsterdam is the capital. Queen Beatrix is the head of state.

How flat is the Netherlands?

Very flat. A quarter of its surface area is below sea level. The lowest point in the Netherlands, near Rotterdam, is 6.7 metres below sea level. Its highest point, the Vaalserberg, is 323 metres above sea level. The Vaalserberg is in the province of Limburg, where the borders of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany meet.

What is the weather like?

The Netherlands usually has fairly cool summers and mild winters. The average temperatures are 18°C in summer and 3°C in winter. An average of 800mm of rain falls each year.

What language is spoken?

The official language is Dutch. A second official language, Frisian, is spoken by about 400,000 people in the province of Friesland.

Which currency can you use?

The euro is now the official currency in the Netherlands. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 eurocents and 1 and 2 euros, and notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 euros. The notes are the same in all 12 euro countries. The coins have a European and a national side. You can pay with the euro in many European countries – the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Ireland, Austria and Greece.

What is the best way to travel in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands has good roads and public transport services. The Dutch themselves like to get around by bike.

When is the day of national celebration?

Queen’s Day is on 30 April.  Events like parades, street markets and sports days are organised all over the country.