By: André van Ballinveld

The Netherlands is a small country, but more than 16 million people live there, so it is one of the most densely-populated countries in the world. On the map to the right, that little patch of blue is the Netherlands. Some people also call it Holland, but that is not strictly correct, because Holland is actually the name of two of the twelve provinces: North Holland and South Holland. These two provinces played an important role in the history of the Netherlands, so the name has stuck.

On special days, on the birthdays of members of the royal family, for instance, all over the Netherlands you will see red, white and blue flags flying. The red stripe, on the top, used to be orange. The flag is also known as the Prince’s flag. That is a reference to Prince William of Orange, the Queen’s most famous ancestor. On really special days, an orange pennant is attached to the flag in honour of the royal family. There are a lot of people living in the Netherlands, most of them in the west of the country. This is where you will find the Netherlands’ four biggest cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. This area is called the Randstad. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, but not the seat of government. That is The Hague. The Randstad is very built up, but there is some room for nature. This nature area is called the Green Heart, and a big effort is being made to keep it the way it is. There are lots of paths through the area, so that people can walk there and enjoy the views. The Dutch government now has plans to expand the area, and to link nature areas together.

Now I have written quite a lot about the Netherlands, but so far I have said nothing about the people that live there, the Dutch. The Netherlands is a truly multicultural society. The population in the cities, especially, is very mixed. People of more than two hundred different nationalities live in Amsterdam, for example. A lot of Moroccan and Turkish people live there. But people from different cultures have always lived in the Netherlands – even more so after William of Orange came to power. He brought peace to the country, and people could stand up for their own opinions and were free to choose their own religion. William of Orange did so much for this country that he became known as the father of the nation.

There are quite a few well-known Dutch people, even though the Netherlands is such a small country. After the Second World War, Anne Frank became famous all over the world for her diary. Anne was a Jewish girl. During the Second World War, Jews were persecuted, so she had to go into hiding with her family. Anne died in a concentration camp. Her diary was found after the war. It has been translated into very many languages.

There are also many famous Dutch painters, from different periods. Many of them have become world famous. Very well known names are Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Johannes Vermeer, Vincent van Gogh, Piet Mondrian, Karel Appel and Willem de Kooning. Here you can see a picture of Vincent van Gogh. He painted it himself, so it is known as a self-portrait. You can find his paintings in museums all over the world. In Amsterdam he has his own museum, the Van Gogh Museum.

But we Dutch can do a lot more. There are also a number of famous Dutch inventors. Phillips, the Dutch electronics company, invented the compact disc. The first CD came on the market in 1982. Scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) is famous for inventing the pendulum clock. This is a clock that is driven by a hanging weight that swings back and forth.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) invented the microscope. He built at least 500 of them, with copper or silver plates and lenses that he made himself. He also discovered bacteria.

Dutch people are active in many fields, and they are also mad about sports. They like practically all sports. The most popular are football, speed skating, hockey, cycling, swimming, sailing and horse riding. Football is a very popular sport in this country, especially when major events are on, like the European Championship or the World Cup. When the Dutch team plays abroad, thousands of fans go with them. They are easy to recognise, with their orange hats and clothes. A few well-known Dutch clubs are Ajax, Feijenoord and PSV. Famous footballers include Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten (who later also became famous managers), Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjan Robben.

The Elfstedentocht is a very special sporting event – a very hard 200-kilometre skating marathon that passes through eleven Frisian towns. It isn’t often cold enough for the marathon. But when it is, the Elfstedentocht is a very special event, almost like a national holiday. People come to Friesland from all over the Netherlands and beyond to cheer on the 2,000 skaters who take part. Every person who reaches the finishing line receives a hero’s welcome. The Dutch are always in for a party, and they like to have them as often as possible.

My favourite day is St Nicholas’ Eve. It is celebrated every year on 5 December. It is mainly for children. On St Nicholas’ Eve, Dutch people give each other presents. St Nicholas’ Eve is named after St Nicholas, the patron saint of children and sailors, who lived from AD 280 to 342. My brother says he doesn’t exist, but I’m not so sure about that. Every year, during the month of November, he comes to the Netherlands. He sails into the harbour on an old steamer. After he comes ashore, he rides through town on a white horse. Thousands of children and their parents come out on the street to watch, and the children sing special songs. The arrival of St Nicholas is even on television. St Nicholas has a big book that says whether you have been good or naughty during the past year. When he is in the Netherlands, children place a shoe beside the fireplace or the radiator. St Nicholas sometimes puts a little present in the shoe. He is accompanied by his helpers, who are known as Zwarte Pieten. They dress up in brightly coloured costumes and paint their faces black. They hand out sweets to children, including schuimpjes and pepernoten, which are a bit like marshmallows and ginger nuts.

Another special day in the Netherlands is Queen’s Day, when the Queen celebrates her birthday. Queen Beatrix’s birthday is actually on 31 January, but she celebrates it on 30 April, the birthday of her mother, Queen Juliana.

On Queen’s Day, the whole country joins in the celebrations. Some people dress up in orange clothes, as a sign of national pride. Bicycles, houses and prams are decorated. People who have Dutch flags hang them outside their houses. The flags are decorated with an orange pennant (a kind of ribbon). This is the symbol of the royal house.

On the Queen’s Birthday, hundreds of thousands of people go to cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht. There are large flea markets where people are allowed to sell whatever they like.