A dutch village
A dutch village
the Netherlands
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1. 17 million people live in the Netherlands, 2 million people come from abroad.
2. The Netherlands in Dutch is "Nederland".
3. The Netherlands is divided into 12 areas. We speak of provinces. The Dutch name for provinces is: "provincies".
4. Here you can see a map of the Netherlands. The name of the sea is: "Noordzee”.
5. Amsterdam is de capital of the Netherlands.
6. Rotterdam has a big port.
7. Major cities have a town hall. Smaller villages share a town hall. We call the town hall "gemeentehuis"..
8. For important documents you have to go to the town hall. For a example for a passport". Documents in Dutch is: "documenten".
9. You speak to someone at a counter. A counter in Dutch is: "loket".
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12 provinces = region with own government and capital
The Netherlands is a small country. It is much smaller than, for example, Morocco and Turkey. If you drive the car from north to south it is about 300 kilometers and from east to west it is about 180 kilometers. The highest point is
You can also see the provinces on the map by means of the colored regions. A province is an area with its own government. The Netherlands has twelve provinces and each province has its own capital. On a separate map all provinces are indicated.
Of course you don't need to know all those names. But you do need to know in which city and province you live. They can ask about it on an exam.
At least you should know the names of the big cities like Amstrerdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. Together they form an area that is called "Randstad".
Can you indicate on the map in which provence you are now?
The names of the provinces are: Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Gelderland, Utrecht, Flevoland, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Noord-Brabant, Zeeland, Limburg
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As you can see, the Netherlands is located on the North Sea and has two neighboring countries, namely Germany in the east and Belgium in the south.
1 Nederland
2 België
3 Duitsland
4 Noordzee
5 Amsterdam
6 Den Haag
7 Rotterdam
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1 Nederland
2 België
3 Duitsland
4 Noordzee
5 Amsterdam
6 Den Haag
7 Rotterdam
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test
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Amsterdam, canal (Photo Cor Gaasbeek via Pixabay)
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. The big airport Schiphol is situated near Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is a very beautiful city, known for its canals with beautiful houses. It is the capital of the Netherlands. Famous places in Amsterdam are:
the "Dam" = large square with the royal palace
Rijksmuseum, famous museum with paintings of famous Dutch painters for instance Rembrandt.
the canals: they are unique.
Dam, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt, canals in Dutch:
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Te Hague (Photo Cor Gaasbeek via Pixabay)
The Hague
The Hague is the city where the government is located. A famous place in The Hague is de place were the ministers and the deputies of the different political parties meet each other to discuss important points like proposals for new laws.
The Netherlands is a democracy meaning that the inhabitants of the Netherlands choose who will reprensent them by elections. We have also a monarchy but in fact the king and queen have no real power and are very important to represent our country. By law they have no political viewpoints.
The Hague in Dutch is:
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Rotterdam
Rotterdam is known as the largest port in Europe. Therefore it is sometimes called "the port of Europe". During World War II Rotterdam was completely destroyed by bombardments. So Rotterdam looks like a new town.
Like other big cities many people that are originated form different countries like Turkey, Morroco and Surinam live in these big cities.
Rotterdam in Dutch is:
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Utrecht, Domtoren (photo, Brian Dorff via Pixabay)
Utrecht
Utrecht is located in the middle of the Netherlands. It's an old city. The Dom Tower, which is 700 years old, was for a long time the tallest building in the Netherlands.
Utrecht in Dutch is:
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Image Description
Eindhoven is een gemeente. Er wonen ongeveer
Dikes, polders
In the Netherlands, there are areas that used to be underwater but are now land. These areas are called polders. They are surrounded by dikes, which are like walls to keep the water out. The water is then pumped away into canals around the polders. The biggest polder in the Netherlands used to be part of a large lake called the IJsselmeer. The IJsselmeer used to be connected to the sea, but now there is a dike that separates it from the North Sea.
On the map, you can also see some rivers like the Rhine, Waal, Maas, and IJssel. These rivers are used for transportation by boats.
The words dikes, polders are:
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Flat, only hills in the south of the country
When you look at the Netherlands, one thing you'll notice is that it is very flat. There are only hills in one region called Limburg, but there are no mountains in the country. The highest point in the Netherlands is in the southern part, and it's just over 300 meters high.
The province of Zeeland is protected from the sea by big walls called dikes. In 1953, there was a terrible disaster in Zeeland. The area got flooded, and nearly 2000 people drowned. Because there are many places with water in the Netherlands, children are taught how to swim from a young age.
Now we will have to learn some names.
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1 Rijn
2 Maas
3 IJsselmeer
4 Noordzee
5 Wadden
6 IJssel
7 Zeeuwse wateren
8 Waal
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test
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water
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The weather in the Netherlands is changeable and can be different every day. Have you ever heard of seasons. Those are certain months with a certain kind of weather.
The Netherlands has 4 seasons:
1. Winter: December – March. In the past, the lakes and canals froze and there was a lot of skating. This has diminished with climate change. The great rivers no longer freeze. That used to be the case. But sometimes it snows (see picture).
2.
Spring: March – June. That is the period when leaves are coming again. We also sometimes speak of “spring” when we talk about this period.
3.
Summer: June – September: this is the warmest period in the Netherlands with temperatures above 30 degrees. It is also the time when many people go on vacation.
4.
Autumn: September – December. That is the period when the leaves fall from the trees again. The weather is getting colder. We also speak of “autumn” when we talk about this period.
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In the Netherlands, many people come from different countries. The largest groups of people in the country have backgrounds from Turkey, Morocco, or Suriname. The Turkish and Moroccan groups are the biggest, with nearly half a million people in each group. These groups have been growing in recent years, especially due to the second generation being born.
The Dutch names for people coming form Turkey, Morocco and Suriname are:
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The Netherlands has almost 18 million people living there, which means it's a crowded country. On average, there are 500 people living in each square kilometer, making it the most densely populated country in Europe.
More than 10% of the people in the Netherlands are not born there, but they often have Dutch nationality. Queen Maxima is a good example of this. She is originally from Argentina.
Many foreigners live in big cities in the Netherlands. They either work there or have a relationship with a Dutch person. People from Suriname live in the Netherlands because of the historical connection between the two countries. Turks and Moroccans came to the Netherlands as guest workers in the 1970s.
Nowadays, many refugees come to the Netherlands from countries like Iran, Iraq, and Somalia. However, not all refugees have a residence permit. Once you have a residence permit, you are called a "status holder." Besides refugees, many people from Poland and Romania have also come to the Netherlands.
The Dutch word for refugee is : vluchteling":
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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima
Unlike countries like France and Germany, the Netherlands is not a republic. It still has a royal family that has some rights, but those rights are very limited. The king and queen, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, mainly have a role to represent the country and its people. They do not get involved in politics. They have three children together.
The Netherlands is a democracy, which means that the people choose their representatives in parliament through elections. Every four years, the Dutch citizens are allowed to vote for parliament. In parliament, the government's plans are discussed. The government proposes new laws, and parliament has the power to approve them. The debates between the government and parliament take place in a famous location in The Hague called "De Tweede Kamer" (The Second Chamber).
The government and parliament are located in The Hague.
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St Kan Cathedral Den Bosch
Roman Catholics and Protestants
Religion in the Netherlands is diverse. Around 60% of Dutch people do not follow a specific religion, and this number has decreased in recent years. The majority of those who do practice a religion are Christians. Christians are divided into two main groups: Roman Catholics and Protestants.
Muslims
In addition to Christianity, Islam has also become a prominent religion in the Netherlands due to the arrival of many foreigners. There are approximately 1 million Muslims in the country.
Traditionally, Sundays are considered a day for attending church in the morning. However, it's worth noting that supermarkets are also open on Sundays, allowing people to go shopping if they choose to do so.
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The main language spoken in the Netherlands is Dutch, and it has various dialects. In Friesland, a province in the Netherlands, the second language spoken is Frisian. If you plan to live in the Netherlands permanently, it's important to learn Dutch. Many people from other countries find it challenging to learn Dutch, but it's worth noting that Dutch has similarities to English, which can be helpful if you already know English.
To assess Dutch language proficiency, different levels have been established:
A0 or possibly -A0: This is the lowest level. At this level, you know simple words, phrases, and basic sentences.
A1: This is a beginner level where you can express your needs and understand simple questions. If you are not familiar with writing, you would need to learn the letters. This apps helps you learn to learn the Dutch level at level A1.
B1: This level allows you to communicate and understand simple conversations effectively.
Learning Dutch will help you better integrate into the society and communicate with others in the Netherlands.
The Dutch word for their language is "Nederlands":
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European flag
The Netherlands is a member of the European Union. The European Union is a partnership between countries in Europe. In the Netherlands people pay with the euro. Most countries of the European Union pay with the euro.
The Dutch words voor European Union and euro are:
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The flag of the Netherlands consists of 3 bars. The top one is red. The middle one is white and the bottom one is blue. That is why we speak of red-white-blue flags. If there is a holiday that is linked to a birthday of someone from the royal family, we see another orange pennant (small flag, see photo).
The Dutch for the Dutch flag is:
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the Netherlands, well known places
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The main cities are Rotterdam, the Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Rijn, Waal, Maas, IJssel
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima
The names are: winter, spring, summer and autumn. The hottest period is the summer.
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