The Netherlands is a relatively small country in the North-West of Europe. Its total area is five times smaller than the area of Florida, but its population has almost the same number. On the North-West side of the Netherlands there is the North Sea and on the other sides its neighbors are Germany and Belgium. Almost half of the country area was created by the Dutch people themselves. The sea covered almost the entire country or there were swamps. By the use of mills and dams they dried the land to live on it, so most areas are still below sea level.

Because so many people live in dense and small areas, many traffic jams exist in the morning and evening. For this reason many working people and students use public transportation like trains and busses. Distances within the cities are done by busses, metros, subways and mostly by bicycle. Students live is houses together which are very often rented by housing corporations. The houses have multiple floors and don’t have AC’s for its unpredictable but comfortable climate.

Most people know the Netherlands for Amsterdam, which is the capital of the country. A visit to this city is of course very recommended to see the history of the country. During the Golden century, the Dutch people traded everywhere in the world. The VOC which was founded in 1602 was the great organization of Dutch sailors who traveled around the world. The Netherlands owned a lot of colonies like Indonesia, New York (New Amsterdam), South Africa and many islands in the Caribbean. The Netherlands also knew a lot of famous painters like Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Mondriaan. In the “Stedelijk Museum” in Amsterdam you will find these and many other beautiful works. In the capitol you can find many museums like the Anne Frank House and typical cultural events like flower markets. The style of the painter Mondriaan was the highlight of the Modernism and in the biggest harbor of the world, Rotterdam, you’ll find much beautiful architecture made in this style. Other cities which might interest you are Utrecht for its historical buildings, The Hague (Den Haag) as the political capitol and house of the International Court, Eindhoven as the technological center of its region (Philips) and Maastricht for a nice daytrip in a roman, medieval context with a Bourgondian life style.

The Netherlands are also known for its progressive political standards. This country was the first country with a government and founded the principle of Amendment. Now, the government is still a front runner in issues like gay marriages, euthanasia, the use of marihuana and prostitutes which are legal and pay taxes. The Netherlands are also a kingdom with the queen Beatrix and her son Willem-Alexander van Oranje Nassau. Most Dutch are very proud on their royal family and the whole country celebrates the queen’s birthday on April 31st. The national sports teams wear orange clothes to represent the kingdoms colors. Famous national sports are soccer, swimming and ice skating.