THE NETHERLANDS

THE NETHERLANDS The Netherlands or often called

as Holland is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a small, densely populated country, lying mainly in Western Europe.

The largest and most important cities in the Netherlands are  Amsterdam, The Hague and the Rotterdam. Amsterdam is the country's capital, while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of government and parliament and the port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe.

Capital and largest city is Amsterdam

Official languagesNational: DutchRegional: West Frisian, English, Papiamento.

Population:2015 estimated 16,912,640

CurrencyEuro (EUR)US dollar (USD)(CaribbeanNetherlands only)

Motto: "Je maintiendrai" (French)

"Ik zal handhaven" (Dutch)"I will uphold"

GovernmentUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy Prime MinisterMark Rutte

MonarchWillem-Alexander(King of The Netherlands) 

RELIGION AND BELIEFS

FESTIVALS Amsterdam Pride is a

citywide gay-festival held annually at the center of Amsterdam during the first weekend of August. The festival attracts several hundred-thousand visitors each year and thus one of the largest publicly held annual events in the Netherlands. Amsterdam Pride was originally organized in 1996.

FESTIVALS Flower Parade

(Bloemencorso), Noordwijk to HaarlemA procession with about 20 floats staging giant dolls made of flowers in addition to jugglers, dancers and players make their way in a 25-mile route from Noordwijk to Haarlem. After completing the course of some 12 hours, their arrival marks the start of well-deserved celebrations. Held from 22 to 26 April 2015.

FESTIVALS Koningsdag or King's

Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 27 April (26 April if the 27th falls on a Sunday), the date marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander.

Koningsdag is known for its nationwide vrijmarkt

("free market"), at which the Dutch sell their used items. It is also an opportunity for "orange madness" or oranjegekte, a kind of frenzy named for the national colour.

FACTS ABOUT NETHERLANDS The Voice originated in

Netherlands There is a place in Netherlands

called fietsstraat (bike street) where cyclists have priority and cars are "guests" and must yield.

The Nazi’s leaded by Adolf Hitler invaded Holland(The Netherlands) on May 10, 1941

Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands. However, prostitutes must be at least 18, and clients must be at least 16. Woooah!*

FACTS ABOUT NETHERLANDS Soft drugs (e.g. cannabis,

"magic mushrooms") are legal in the Netherlands. Only licensed "coffee shops" are allowed to sell such drugs, although people are allowed to grow cannabis at home for their personal use.

The Dutch government has legalised same-sex marriages since 2001 and euthanasia since 2002.

The microscope, the telescope, pendulum clock and the mercury thermometer are all 16th or 17th century Dutch inventions.

FAMOUS ARTISTS/PEOPLE Vincent van Gogh was born on

March 30, 1853, in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands. Van Gogh was a post-impressionist painter whose work, notable for its beauty, emotion and color, highly influenced 20th century art. He struggled with mental illness, and remained poor and virtually unknown throughout his life. Van Gogh died in France on July 29, 1890, at age 37, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

His famous Art Work “Starry Night” (It is also the cover page of the Humanities book here in CPU).

FAMOUS ARTISTS/PEOPLE Antonie Philips van

Leeuwenhoek (October 24, 1632 – August 26, 1723) was a Dutch tradesman and scientist. He is commonly known as "the Father of Microbiology", and considered to be the first microbiologist.

Creator of some of the earliest microscopes, through which he first discovered bacteria and cells. He was the first scientist ever to record microscopic observations of muscle fibers, bacteria, spermatozoa, and blood flow in capillaries.

FAMOUS ARTISTS/PEOPLE Regnier de Graaf (30 July

1641 – 17 August 1673) was a Dutch physician and anatomist who made key discoveries in reproductive biology.

Dutch anatomist best remembered for his key contributions to the field of reproductive biology. He was the first of his colleagues to understand the function of the Fallopian tube and invented the syringe.

10 TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN THE

NETHERLANDS

10. Delta Project The Delta Project or Delta Works are a series of

constructions built between 1950 and 1997 in the provinces of Zeeland and South Holland to protect large areas of land from the sea. The works consist of dams, sluices, locks, dikes, and storm surge barriers. They have been declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

9. Maastricht Vrijthof The Vrijthof is the best-known city square in Maastricht, a

city in the southern most part of the Netherlands. It features the massive Saint Servatius Church and Saint Jan’s Cathedral. The Vrijthof regularly hosts large festivals at various times throughout the year, including autumn and winter festivals.

8. Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the largest and most

prestigious museum for art and history in the Netherlands. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age including works by Vermeer and Rembrandt. Until 2013, the museum is being completely renovated, but the major masterpieces are still on show.

7. Kinderdijk More than 1.000 old windmills still exist in the

Netherlands. The largest concentration of Dutch windmills can be found near the village of Kinderdijk (“Children’s dike”). To drain the excess water from the polders, which are situated below sea-levels, 19 windmills were built around 1740. They have been well preserved to the present day and are now popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands.

6. Hoge Veluwe The Hoge Veluwe National Park is one of the largest

continuous nature reserves in the Netherlands, consisting of heathlands, sand dunes, and woodlands. The Kröller-Müller Museum with it large collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh is located within the park.

5. Keukenhof Gardens Keukenhof Gardens is the world’s largest flower garden,

and actually a promotion for the Dutch flower industry. Approximately seven million flower bulbs are planted annually in the park with not only tulips, but also hyacinths, daffodils and other spring flowers on display. The gardens are open from the last week in March to mid-May. Keukenhof is one of the most visit tourist attractions in the Netherlands.

4. Delft City Hall The City Hall in Delft is a Renaissance style building on the

Markt square across from the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). Originally designed by the Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser, it was heavily changed over the centuries and was restored in the 20th century to its Renaissance appearance.

3. West Frisian Islands The West Frisian Islands or Waddeneilanden in Dutch are a

chain of islands in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. They continue further east as the German East Frisian Islands. The islands separate the North Sea from the shallow Wadden Sea, with tidal mud flats. Under the supervision of licensed guides several islands can be reached by walking on the mudflats during low tides. On the islands cycling is the most favorable means of transport.

2. Leiden Canals Leiden is known for the oldest university in the

Netherlands, the birthplace of Rembrandt and its beautiful canals. The two branches of the Old Rhine enter Leiden on the east and unite in the city center which also contains several smaller canals. The old center of Leiden is one of the largest 17th century town centers in the Netherlands, second only to Amsterdam.

1. Canals of Amsterdam Amsterdam began building its famous canals in the 17th

century during the Dutch Golden Age. The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht form concentric belts around the city, known as the grachtengordel. Today there are over 100 km (60 miles) of canals and 1,500 bridges. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings.

 

LITERATURE OF NETHERLANDS(TURN YOUR BOOK TO PAGE 84)

WHAT IS SHALOM? Most know that the Hebrew

word shalom is understood around the world to mean "peace." However, "peace" is only one small part of the meaning. "Shalom" is used to both greet people and to bid them farewell, and it means much more than "peace, hello or goodbye" .

WHO IS RUTH TUCKER? Ruth Tucker is a former

professor of missiology with a PhD from Northern Illinois University. Tucker has taught alternative religions at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Her book Daughters of the Church was published in 1987. In 2000, Tucker was a professor at Calvin Theological Seminary. Tucker authored the book Walking Away from Faith in 2002

CORRIE TEN BOOM BIOGRAPHY(1892–1983)

Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, in 1892, and grew up in a devoutly religious family. During World War II, she and her family harbored hundreds of Jews to protect them from arrest by Nazi authorities. Betrayed by a fellow Dutch citizen, the entire family was imprisoned. Corrie survived and started a worldwide ministry and later told her story in a book entitled The Hiding Place.

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”

—Corrie ten Boom

Early Life Cornelia ten Boom all

her life, she was the youngest child, with two sisters, Betsie and Nollie, and one brother, Willem. Their father, Casper, was a jeweler and watchmaker. Cornelia was named after her mother.

The ten Boom family lived in the Beje house in Haarlem (short for Barteljorisstraat, the street where the house was located) in rooms above Casper's watch shop. Family members were strict Calvinists in the Dutch Reformed Church. Faith inspired them to serve society, offering shelter, food and money to those in need. In this tradition, the family held a deep respect for the Jewish community in Amsterdam, considering them "God's ancient people."

World War II Changes Everything

In May 1940, the German Blitzkrieg ran through the Netherlands and the other Low Countries. Within months, the "Nazification" of the Dutch people began and the quiet life of the ten Boom family was changed forever. During the war, the Beje house became a refuge for Jews, students and intellectuals.

The entire ten Boom family became active in the Dutch resistance, risking their lives harboring those hunted by the Gestapo. Some fugitives would stay only a few hours, while others would stay several days until another "safe house" could be located.

Corrie ten Boom became a leader in the "Beje" movement, overseeing a network of "safe houses" in the country.

Through these activities, it was estimated that 800 Jews' lives were saved.

STUDY GUIDE What did the ten Boom family do for a

living? Why were they prisoned? Where did corrie get her strength to survive

the concentration camp? What did she do after she left the camp? Do you agree with the teaching on

“forgiving your enemies”?

THE ENDtsk… tsk… tsk…

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