homemaking friendsworld infoglobal etiquette
Offical name
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Capital
Amsterdam
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Language
Dutch, Frisian
Area
41,526 sq km
Population
16,491,461 (2006 est.)
Currency
euro (EUR)
Religion
Roman Catholic, Protestant
Time zone
GMT/UTC +1 ()
Country dialing code
31
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The Netherlands, famous for windmills and tulips, is also called ‘Holland.’ As a quarter of the country’s territory is below sea level, windmills were used for a long time for drainage purposes. Today, windmills became the symbol of the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, the Capital of the country, antique buildings from the 17th~18th century make a beautiful scene with the waterways flowing between them. On the edge of the waterways stand boathouses with water supply and electricity facilities. Amsterdam also holds the hideout place of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who wrote a diary during World War II. The hideout place is now remodeled and displayed as a museum called ‘Anne Frank’s House.’ The diary of Anne Frank was first published in Dutch in 1947, and soon became a worldwide best-seller book. The Netherlands is also famous for its talented painters. Some of these painters include Rembrandt, famous for his drawings of night views, Van Gogh, and Mondrian, a leader in 20th century’s abstract paintings. The Van Gogh Museum located in Amsterdam was established with the masterpieces contributed by Theo, the younger brother of Gogh. In the museum, there are various masterpieces of this great artist, including ‘The Self Portrait,’ ‘The Sunflower,’ etc.
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