Hello Holland

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Hello Holland!

Typically Dutch All together now

Culture, design and education ‘Dutch talent leads the way’

Technology and innovation Unusual source of inspiration

5 | People & Society

Frank and open People, society and health care

4-9

Historic and contemporary Design, culture and education

10 - 13

Gateway to Europe Economy, trade and agriculture

14 - 19

Globetrotters and mediators International law, peace and security

20 - 25

Country of tomorrow Water, technology and innovation

26 - 31

And also Affordable care for all International students on the Netherlands We want healthy food! ‘The Hague: legal capital of the world’ A unique feat of engineering Living on the water Interesting facts Map of the Netherlands

6 14 16 22 28 32 34 35

Photo: United Photos/Hollandse Hoogte

Foreword | 3

Pleased to meet you Thank you for your interest in the Netherlands. We may be a small country, but we like to think we’re a big presence. The Netherlands has a great deal to offer!

Countries the world over call on our water management knowledge and experience.

Dutch design can be seen in a wide range of locations, including international airports and conference centres. And Dutch traders and entrepreneurs can be found in almost every country in the world.

Hello Holland! shares these and other interesting facts and stories with you. Get to know our culture, economy and society. We hope to see you soon in our little country.

The Dutch have a reputation for being sober and down-to-earth. Find out for yourself if it’s true!

4 | People & Society

No fuss The Dutch are not keen on etiquette. We will happily go to a reception in jeans – we don’t stand on ceremony. So here Queen Máxima simply bends down to talk to this little girl.

They are probably having a fun conversation, because the idea that children should be ‘seen and not heard’ does not apply in the Netherlands. Some would find this rude, but to the Dutch, directness is a virtue.

All together People of different backgrounds and social status live happily side by side in the Netherlands. In the past, we all had to pull together to keep our polders and our feet dry, and we continue to pull together now. When money needs to be collected after a natural disaster somewhere in the world. When the Dutch football team needs our support. Or when we can help reduce global warming a little by using low-energy light bulbs or separating our waste. Dutch society is caring, with a strong sense of solidarity. There are all kinds of schemes to help people on low incomes, a first-class healthcare system, and clubs and associations with very active memberships.

A frank and open people Everybody’s equal, even the royal family

Detox day Our welfare state promises all Dutch citizens a decent life. And Dutch health care is among the best in Europe.

We want to keep it that way, too, even as the demand for care inevitably rises due to demographic ageing. This will cost a lot of money, and the Netherlands is already a big spender on health care. That is why we are letting the market do its job, and why more attention is being focused on information and prevention.

The ‘detox day’ after a heavy meal or party is now a well-known concept in the Netherlands.

Freedom and tolerance At the same time, the Dutch do what they like. We set great store by freedom and tolerance, so we are more willing to accept things that are controversial or even prohibited in other countries. Like legalised prostitution and the sale of soft drugs. Provided they are strictly regulated, that is, because we do like to have things properly under control.

People & Society | 5

Photo: WFA

6 | People & Society

Football, the weather and health care: three hot topics

Affordable care for all Everyone in the Netherlands is guaranteed good health care.

Everyone is allowed to make their own choice of insurance company each year, and insurers must accept anyone who applies for the basic package. This is the result of a unique Dutch mix of the advantages of public and private health care.

‘W

e have a dense network of primary care services and some top-class hospitals’

top-class hospitals. So health care is always available locally. The way health care is organised here is unique too. The system is dictated by market forces. The government sets the parameters, but within them health insurance companies and care providers have to battle for the consumer’s favour. The idea is that the consumer – the patient – gets a good product at a fair price.’

How important is health care to the Dutch?

One person who knows all about how health care is organised in the Netherlands is Roger van Boxtel, former minister and now CEO of health insurance company Menzis, one of the four biggest in the country (with 2.1 million policyholders). He was even invited to the US Senate to tell them about our system.

‘Very important! Football, the weather and health care: the three hottest topics in the Netherlands. Health care is also economically important. The sector offers great opportunities for innovation in the sphere of ICT, the internet and medical technology.

Health care is an export product we can use to attract patients from abroad.’

What is so unique about Dutch health care?

What do health insurance companies in the Netherlands actually do?

‘Firstly, standards of medical care are very high here. The Netherlands is the only country that can consistently be found in the top three of every European index published by the Health Consumer Index since 2005. Added to that, we have a dense network of primary care services and many

‘Our job is to buy in the best care as costeffectively as possible. We are a non-profit cooperative without shareholders. We also run a number of prevention programmes to benefit our policyholders’ health. For example, the SamenGezond savings scheme rewards healthy lifestyles.’

So it’s about being progressive.

Are you equally progressive when it comes to using modern technology?

‘The internet has increased patient power spectacularly. Patients are getting in contact with each other via forums and sharing their treatment experiences. The Parkinson’s network is a good example. At Menzis we have a social media team that answers policyholders’ questions instantly via Twitter or email. Policyholders can also manage their account online via MijnMenzis. We also have a platform for input from policyholders.

They help shape our policy and share their care experiences with us. We have 14,000 participants already and the number is growing!’

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Photo: zorginbeeld.nl/Frank Muller

‘my teddy is ill’ Special surgery for sick toys

Toddlers who are fretting about a sick teddy bear can have their toy examined and treated by a special doctor. The doctors are medical students who do their very best to make the toy better.

The aim of this special project at the Netherlands’ eight teaching

hospitals is to give children a better idea of what happens in a hospital and reduce their fear of illness, hospitals and doctors.

At the same time, the students learn how to deal with children.

And they gain an insight into paediatrics and child psychology.

The sick bears are treated at a special outpatients’ clinic. The doctor might listen to their chest with a stethoscope, or apply a bandage. Letting the children play the role of parent teaches them that a visit to the doctor is sometimes necessary.

The Teddy Bear Hospital is organised once a year by Dutch medical students who are members of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations.

8 | People & Society

Traditional costume In the past, you could tell exactly where a Dutch person came from because every village had its own distinctive form of dress.

Nowadays, the custom has largely died out. But there are still people living in Volendam, Staphorst and Arnemuiden who wear local costume every day to keep the tradition alive.

Kilos and kilos of liquorice

The Netherlands is the biggest producer of liquorice – known as drop in Dutch – in the European Union. We each eat an average of two kilos every year. Where the word drop comes from is a mystery. The German for liquorice is Lakritz, the Italian liquirizia and the French réglisse. But their version tastes different from our drop. The strange thing is that we are not entirely sure what actually constitutes drop, as all sweets can in fact be referred to by this name.

Photo: James Arthur Gekiere/ Hollandse Hoogte

Photo: Ton Borsboom

Lose yourself in the music, until you are in a trance, aware of nothing else.

The newly reopened A2 to Amsterdam makes the heart of the seasoned motorist beat a

Hardwell can make it happen like no other. In 2013, readers of British magazine DJ

little faster. It has been widened from three to six lanes, and there are now far fewer traffic

Mag voted him the world’s best DJ. Hardwell is the youngest DJ ever to have

jams. Strange but true: since the road reopened, it has been raining speeding fines

achieved this.

140

In Holland you get one biscuit with your coffee. Fortunately, we drink a lot of coffee: an average of three cups a day, or around 140 litres a year.

A carrier cycle full of kids

Photo: AFAC

The cycle paths of the Netherlands’ cities are being plagued by a phenomenon that has risen like a phoenix from the ashes: the carrier cycle.

Mothers and fathers who take their parental duties seriously use them to transport their offspring from home to school to the sports club and back home again. In the rain, some carrier cycles can be converted into a covered wagon with a transparent hood, like a mobile incubator. And the bikes are not only useful for transporting kids. They have also been spotted carrying shopping, pets and sports bags.

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Hurray, it’s a boy!

The Dutch eat rusks with aniseed sprinkles (known as beschuit met muisjes) to celebrate the birth of a baby. Pink sprinkles for a girl, blue for a boy. This is a typical Dutch tradition. The sprinkles are known as muisjes, or ‘little mice’. Historians do not agree as to the origins of the name. Some say that the shape of the sugar-coated aniseed, with its little tail, gave rise to the name. Others believe it comes from the mouse’s natural tendency to breed rapidly.

Photo: Ton Lammerts

Photo: Inge Yspeert/ Hollandse Hoogte

Photo: Taco van der Eb / Hollandse Hoogte

King’s Day, football matches, skating: the perfect excuse for the Dutch to go clad from

Skating 200 kilometres on natural ice in a single day. Madness? Probably, but if the

head to toe in orange. Orange wigs, glasses, hats ... the crazier the better. The national

winter is harsh enough, the Elfstedentocht – a marathon race through eleven towns

colour orange goes back to William of Orange, the father of the nation, who led the

– is held in Friesland. It is a national event of almost mythical status. And although it

revolt against the Spanish in the 16th century.

hasn’t been held since 1997, every winter the Dutch follow the weather forecast with keen interest, to see if the ice will be thick enough this year. Or, as they say in Friesland, ‘It giet oan?’

Singing by the fireplace The streets of the Netherlands are virtually deserted on the evening of 5 December. Everyone is indoors, children and grown-ups alike, waiting excitedly for a visit from St Nicholas, who rides across the roofs of Holland on his white horse with his faithful helpers. In the run-up to the 5th, children put their shoes by the fireplace and sing special songs, in the hope that St Nicholas will fill them with gifts and pepernoten (spiced mini cookies).

Photo: Gaby Kooijman

1871

The first female medical student, Aletta Jacobs, went to study in Leiden in 1871. She went on to become the first female general practitioner in the Netherlands.

Jacobs fought for her place in society, and took the first step towards equality for women in the Netherlands.

10 | Cultuur & onderwijs

Masterpiece Travelling along the

Historic and contemporary Amsterdam’s canals:

canals of Amsterdam, visitors might feel they are in an open-air museum of the 17th century. The canals, lined with magnificent houses, fan out in parallel curves and eventually flow into the River Amstel.

‘A masterpiece of human ingenuity’ according to UNESCO. The canal district is a unique example of architecture and planning, a reflection of the Netherlands’ economic, political and cultural heyday in the Golden Age.

Blooming culture The Golden Age produced artists whose work is still admired throughout the world – Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer, for example. The philosopher Spinoza was their contemporary and the humanist Erasmus their forebear.

The masters of the Golden Age were followed in the 19th and 20th centuries by painters like Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondrian. The latter inspired many modern Dutch designers, including Gerrit Rietveld.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Typically Dutch The Netherlands is now a veritable cultural haven. Dutch society is steeped in foreign influences: fashion, food, sport, festivals, interior design.

Dutch culture is growing and flourishing.

Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw orchestra ranks among the five top symphony orchestras in the world, and the Nederlands Danstheater is a world-class modern dance company. Everywhere in the world you will find Dutch designers, industrial designers and architects whose work is internationally acclaimed. Every year, around 200 books are translated into 50 different languages.

And the future? This looks particularly promising for Dutch e-culture.

Society is digitising and we can no longer manage without interactive media. So it is only logical that universities and other higher education institutions should offer degrees in interactive media and game design. Dutch dance, design, music and literature are trendsetting, thanks to our open cultural climate and arts education.

The range of higher education courses is unparalleled, and almost everyone has a chance to study. The education system fosters independence, and works to high academic standards. No wonder that so many youngsters are keen to come to the Netherlands to study.

Photo: Siebe Swart/Hollandse Hoogte

Culture & Education | 11

Photo: Rijksmuseum/Eric Smits

rijksmuseum amsterdam A museum of art and history Every day, visitors flock to the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and marvel at Rembrandt’s masterpiece The Night Watch.

The Rijksmuseum’s collection boasts over one million artefacts, most of which are works by 17th-century Dutch masters. The Rijksmuseum is the

Netherlands’ largest and most important national museum.

The main building first opened on 13 July 1885. Numerous modifications were made over the years, from double ceilings and secondary walls to climate control systems and offices of all kinds. The building has recently

undergone thorough renovation and restoration – an operation of unimaginable complexity and scale. The new-style Rijksmuseum, which opened its doors on 13 April 2013, radiates the atmosphere of the 19th century, yet also has the most up-to-date facilities. Millions

of people from the Netherlands and abroad can again enjoy the nation’s rich collection in all its glory.

Photo: Siebe Swart/Hollandse Hoogte

12 | Culture & Education

Handy in town

The qugo is a clever piece of brand new Dutch design. Small and compact, and driven by an electric motor, handy for getting around town and quite unique.

With its three wheels, this vehicle is dynamic, manoeuvrable, yet stable.

The qugo, designed by the founder of Spyker Cars, has a top speed of 25 km per hour.

T

he Design Academy Eindhoven and Delft University of Technology have excellent reputations beyond the country’s borders. Their degree courses produce talented graduates, from the Netherlands and from countries far afield. But what is it like to live and study in the Netherlands?

Alessia Cadamuro, Italy ‘I found out on the internet that I could do a unique Master’s here in Holland: the Man and Humanity Master’s.

Once I arrived here I noticed straightaway that people are friendly, and speak English.

But I made most of my friends here through my course.’

Indira Nurtanti, Indonesia ‘I’m used to there being people everywhere, like in Jakarta, but it’s not like that in Holland. It’s like there are more bikes than people here! Except when there’s a market, it’s always busy then.’

Sources: Design Academy Eindhoven, Silvestris, TU Eindhoven, Centraal Museum Utrecht, Hella Jongerius, Frank Willems, Pieke Bergmans

55,000

The Lowlands festival attracts some 55,000 visitors every summer. It has a wide audience, interested not only in pop music but also in alternative music, video art and other forms of entertainment.

Dayo Oladunjoye, Nigeria ‘The thing that struck me from the plane when I arrived was the flat landscape.

I had been warned about the cold, but it was freezing! There are lots of good architects from Holland. That’s why I came to study here.’

Rubenesque comfort

Ever thought your old mattress deserved a second life? And what a life! Designer Frank Willems devised and produced this ‘Madame Rubens’ concept, transforming an old mattress into an elegant designer chair. Willems (35) is a promising graduate of Design Academy Eindhoven. The water- and airtight polyurethane coating keeps Madame Rubens fresh and clean – a thoroughly modern lady.

1900

The Netherlands introduced compulsory education in 1900: all children aged 6 to 12 had to attend school. 85 years later, primary school as we now know it was introduced. Children have to start school at the age of 5.

The school-leaving age is 16.

Amazing bulb

This amazing lamp doesn’t bring forth a genie, but it does produce a wackily-shaped bulb. Or ‘light blub’ as young designer Pieke Bergmans calls them: light bulbs in all kinds of unexpected shapes and sizes.

Kristun Thors, Iceland ‘I was looking forward to the cycling culture in Holland. I bought a bike as soon as I arrived in Eindhoven. I also like the wacky food, like herring, stroopwafels (toffee waffles) and stamppot (potatoes mashed with vegetables). But what I notice most are the tall men with curly hair. You don’t get them in Iceland.’

Rony Chan, Hong Kong ‘After studying in Eindhoven I set up a studio here in Holland. I’m now used to life here, know people, and I’m close to major cities like London and Paris.

Dutch design inspires me more than Chinese design. It’s creative, innovative and a bit crazy here.’

Garance Echazarreta, France ‘I think you have to do your best to fit in. So I invited my neighbours round, I go to small shops and I like to try Dutch food. What’s typically Dutch?

Things displayed on the windowsill of a large sitting room window.’

Henry Wilson, Australia ‘I did get a bit of a culture shock when I arrived here. I came to Holland to study design. But by studying with students from other countries and travelling around Europe I learned more about myself and other cultures.’

High-tech for tiny tots

Porcelain, glass and plastic tape Long Neck Bottles by Dutch designer Hella Jongerius (1963) are special vases that are both artworks and useful objects at the same time. This is typical of Jongerius’ work. One of the most important industrial designers of her generation, she became known for her innovative ideas, introducing imperfections into her designs and deliberately producing misfits.

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Less stress for premature babies thanks to the Smart Jacket. It is soft, with integrated textile sensors so that electrodes no longer need to be attached directly to the baby’s sensitive skin.

Babies wear the jacket either in the incubator or outside, so their parents can hold and cuddle them. A clever piece of technology from Eindhoven University of Technology.

14 |

European giant With a total terminal capacity of around 420 million tonnes, Rotterdam is one of the biggest ports in the world. It is way out front on the European leader board. Situated at the economic heart of the continent, on the North Sea and with a direct link to the European hinterland, ‘Mainport Rotterdam’ is one of the busiest ports in the world. Apart from container transshipment, bulk goods and oil tanker handling also account for a major proportion of the port’s activities.

And thanks to its economies of scale, Rotterdam has long been a favourite port of call for fuel oil buyers.

Healthy industry Although most Dutch people traded in their clogs for smart shoes many years ago, the country’s agricultural sector is one of the most competitive in the world. We are the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural products, after the US. Thanks to innovation and tough legislation Dutch farmers, market gardeners and food processing companies are reliable producers of natural, healthy food. Our leading scientific institutes, like Wageningen University – one of the world’s foremost centres of agricultural expertise – also make a major contribution.

Setting the standard Besides innovating in food technology and in agriculture and horticulture, the Netherlands also sets the standard for logistics and water management, both in Europe and beyond. Many established and emerging companies are moving into the fields of biotechnology and life sciences. They benefit from the country’s large reserves of agricultural knowhow, a strong chemicals industry and a highly developed healthcare sector.

Sustainable giants No one disputes the fact that the Netherlands has produced some of the world’s leading multinationals, like Philips, Heineken, Akzo Nobel, DSM and Unilever, and has a strong position in the international financial sector. It is also a fact that Dutch multinationals have a good record when it comes to sustainability. Akzo Nobel, for example, leads the chemical industry table. Philips does well in the market for personal care and domestic appliances. And Unilever heads the list of food and drink companies. We’re quite proud of all that.

Gateway

Economy, Trade & Agriculture | 15

to Europe

Knowledge and innovation drive the Netherlands forward

Photo: Marijke Volkers

16 | Economy, Trade & Agriculture

Multinationals invest in Dutch food research

We want healthy food!

Healthier, safer and more sustainable food. That is what Dutch companies want, and that is why they are investing so much in research. They have helped make the Netherlands a world leader when it comes to knowledge of food and nutrition.

Foreign scientists and multinationals are very interested in Dutch research, and are keen to invest in it.

‘W

ageningen has a good international reputation in food research’

An unhealthy diet can lead to obesity and illness, like cardiovascular disease. So the Dutch food industry is working on safe, healthy products and sustainable production methods. Companies are keen to profile themselves as sustainable. ‘How do you make a healthy choice the easiest choice for consumers? That’s an important question for many companies,’ says Jan Maat, managing director of Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN), which is partially funded by the government.

Unique partnerships Dutch multinationals are keen to invest in research, into probiotics, for instance, the drinks designed to keep your intestinal flora at healthy levels. Or into reducing the salt and sugar content of food without affecting the taste. The Netherlands is way ahead of the field on these issues. ‘Partnerships between industry and research institutions do not exist on this scale anywhere else in the world,’ says Jan Maat. These partnerships, and the results they have achieved, have also attracted major foreign investors, like Nestlé, Danone and Kellogg’s.

Years of investing in knowledge Food is an important source of income for the Netherlands. Our food industry has a turnover of around €53 billion a year, 21%

of which is accounted for by exports. We also know a great deal about nutrition.

While other European countries were erecting trade barriers during the economic crisis in the 1930s, the Netherlands kept its borders open and invested in knowledge of food, nutrition and farming. As a result, Wageningen University is now a key player in the international food sector.

But it’s not only the big multinationals that are investing in research. Smaller companies can also subscribe to individual studies.

All this investment ensures that leading journals regularly publish research results from the Netherlands.

Good at working together ‘We must not forget that the Dutch are good at working together,’ says Jan Maat. ‘That is undoubtedly one of the reasons behind our success. We look for solutions not through confrontation, but through collaboration.

The way major competitors get together like they do here is quite unique. We really do innovate together.’

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Photo: Marijke Volkers

medical gourmets Welcome to the lab restaurant

It’s impossible to enjoy a meal in private at the Restaurant of the Future. Every bite is recorded.

This articulograph, for example, measures the effects of different chewing behaviour and the way we look at food. The restaurant is unique, the only place in the world where researchers can

monitor diners over a long period under controlled conditions.

Absolutely everything is monitored: the layout and decor of the restaurant, the effect of light, the presentation, the route through the restaurant, taste, packaging and preparation. This

provides great opportunities for food manufacturers who want to test new products. And also for scientists, who can learn a great deal about visitors’ eating habits.

Research into consumer choices and needs is becoming ever more important. The costs involved

in product development and marketing are huge. At the same time, the failure rate of new products is also high, the majority disappearing within a year. Every reason to test them thoroughly beforehand. ‘Waiter, could I have some more, please?’

The Restaurant of the Future was set up by Wageningen University, catering company Sodexo, software developer Noldus IT and industrial kitchens supplier Kampri.

18 | Economy, Trade & Agriculture

Fruit and veg from the hothouse

400,000,000

Every year, four million tonnes of goods arrive at the Port of Rotterdam to be transferred to other freighters, inland shipping or trucks. The magazine in your hands was probably shipped via Rotterdam.

Rows of greenhouses as far as the eye can see, another typically Dutch scene. The first commercial greenhouses were built in the Netherlands around 1850, when it was discovered that plants grow faster in continuous light and an environment with a constant temperature. The quality of the greenhouses gradually improved over the years. The first official standards for greenhouses were drawn up in the 1970s, in consultation with pioneers from industry. And modelling has led to constant improvement. With over 10,000 hectares of greenhouses, the Netherlands now has more than any other country in the world.

Source: ECT

Source: FloraHolland

Around a quarter of total exports by value go to Germany, and another quarter

The Netherlands is the world’s biggest flower exporter, even though some of them

to the rest of Europe. This is followed by Africa, at 20%. Exports to Asia are

are grown abroad. Chinese trade delegations show particular interest in our profitable

currently running at 15%, and to North and South America at slightly over 10%.

flower trade. Our knowledge of logistics and the global trade in flowers remain unparalleled, however.

Kids’ TV news as export product

Say cheese!

Holland and cheese. An inseparable combination. The Dutch have been exporting cheese since the Middle Ages. The best known are Edam and Gouda, which have enjoyed protected status since 2010. Only the cheese made here may be called ‘Gouda Holland’ or ‘Edam Holland’, and it also carries a quality label. Cheese manufacturers in the rest of the world may only use the words ‘Gouda’ and ‘Edam’. Most Edam and Gouda cheese is in fact made in Poland and Germany, and quite a lot is produced in New Zealand and the United States.

Photo: Nationale Beeldbank

Since 2004 Kids News Network has been exporting the kids’ TV news show Jeugdjournaal to developing countries.

The show, which has been running for 29 years in the Netherlands, is unique. Fellow programme-makers in developing countries are given 18 months’ training in how to produce their own programme. The idea is that kids who are given truthful information will pass it on to others. In developing countries, 40% of the population are aged 15 or under; the figure in the Netherlands is 15%. The concept has now been ‘exported’ to Suriname, Peru, South Africa, Indonesia, Zambia, Burma and the Antilles. It is up to local programme makers to decide on the content of the programme, as long as it fits into the basic concept.

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Illustrious shipbuilder from the Netherlands Industrialist and shipbuilding magnate Cornelis Verolme (1900-1981) was the Netherlands’ greatest shipbuilder. His yard, Verolme United Shipyards, built the biggest ships. One would break the record for biggest Dutch ship, the next for biggest ship ever built in Holland. For Verolme, it was always a matter of big, bigger, biggest. A man with great charisma, and great plans. These days Keppel Verolme (KV) is part of Keppel Offshore & Marine of Singapore, a global market leader in the building and repair of offshore platforms and specialist ships Source: Keppel Verolme

Photo: Rob Verhorst/Hollandse Hoogte

Source: NL Agency

Every year, Dutch musicians’ foreign sales climb even higher. Dutch DJs such as

Machines for producing solar panels are not the first thing that comes to mind when

Laidback Luke, Marco V and Ferry Corsten are top Dutch exports. The violinist and

you’re thinking about Dutch exports. But masses of these machines are being

conductor André Rieu is also very popular abroad.

exported to China. Dutch manufacturer OTB Solar has almost tripled its turnover as a result of the huge demand.

Tulip mania

A bunch of tulips from a Dutch shop will cost you around five euros these days. A far cry from the 17th century, when the tulip was all the rage. At the height of the ‘tulip mania’, the bulbs fetched eye-watering prices. One was sold for 5,400 guilders, which at that time would have bought you a magnificent canalside property in the heart of Amsterdam.

2002

On 1 January 2002 the euro was introduced in 12 European Union member states, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. Many Dutch people were sad to say goodbye to their old currency, the guilder.

Source: Rijksmuseum Photoservice

20 |

Dutch merchants We have been swarming out across the world’s oceans and continents ever since the 17th century. And the Dutch still have a tendency to look beyond the dikes that protect them. We are keen travellers, but we also like to bring the rest of the world here, too. Our deeprooted interest in other countries and peoples is not restricted to culture and travel, however. The Netherlands also lobbies hard for a stable trading environment and international peace and security.

Honour and prestige Although the Dutch armed forces are among the most up-to-date and best equipped in Europe, the Dutch see themselves as a peace-loving, nonmilitaristic people. We have seen our fair share of wars down the centuries, however. In the 16th century we rose up against the Spanish, in the 17th century we fought sea battles with the English over trade. And there is also a blacker side to our history. The Dutch slave trade continued until the late 19th century, and in the mid-20th century we were involved in armed conflict with Indonesia.

Committed In the 21st century, the Dutch are keen to set an example. We are actively involved in the UN, are home to several international courts and tribunals and are aware of our international responsibilities and commitments.

The Dutch constitution even requires the government to promote the development of the international legal order.

The Dutch government also spends a relatively large amount on development cooperation and military operations. Current military operations are mainly intended to maintain peace or help countries rebuild after armed conflict.

Shaping freedom Cooperation with other European countries is increasingly important to the Netherlands, given the issues we face: climate change, energy supply and international security. Though we are individualistic, demanding the freedom to run our lives as we see fit, we are also keen on equality, and are known for our preference for cooperation and unflagging efforts to achieve consensus.

International Peace & Security | 21

Globetrotters and mediators The Netherlands’ international outlook has deep roots

Photo: Nationaal Archief

22 | International Peace & Security

Dutch constitution says ‘Promote international legal order’

The Hague: legal capital of the world The Netherlands is the only country in the world whose constitution states explicitly that the government must promote the international legal order. It is therefore with good reason that The Hague is known as the international city of peace and justice. Many international legal institutions, including the most famous of them all – the International Court of Justice – are

‘W

ith all those judges, negotiators and inspectors in The Hague, we seek to achieve the aims set out in our Constitution’

based here.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) was established in the Peace Palace in The Hague in 1945, and was followed by many more legal institutions. They had good reason to choose The Hague as their location. The Netherlands had good travel connections, and was well-known as a stable, safe and reliable country where the rule of law was respected. Furthermore, an amendment to the Dutch constitution in the 1950s made the Netherlands eminently suitable as a centre for international law.

Working for peace In essence, the amendment decreed that the Netherlands would henceforth do its best to ensure that other countries treat each other and their own populations with respect.

This is indeed the case: with all the judges, negotiators and inspectors in The Hague, the Netherlands seeks to achieve the aims set out in its constitution: to work for peace, justice and security, not only at home but all over the world. The International Court of Justice is responsible for dealing with inter-state conflicts, except those of a political nature.

Principal judicial organ The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its role is to adjudicate in specific

international conflicts, to settle legal disputes and to clarify legal norms. The Court also plays an advisory role. It advises the General Assembly, the Security Council and UN organisations. It is not always easy to distinguish between a political dispute, a legal dispute and a conflict of interest. The rule of thumb is that for it to be a legal dispute, the issue at stake must be a rule of law.

Fifteen judges The ICJ has fifteen judges, who are each appointed for nine years. The president and vice-president of the Court are both appointed for three years. The judges are nominated by countries and elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

There is never more than a single ICJ judge from any one country. The staff of the Court is also international, and works in two official languages – English and French. Translations are produced by a permanent staff of sworn translators.

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Photo: EPA/Vincent Jannink/Pool

beauty & the beast

Former president and supermodel in court in The Hague

Did former Liberian president Charles Taylor give Naomi Campbell an uncut diamond in 1997 or not? The supermodel gave evidence on the matter to the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Leidschendam. Taylor was suspected of war crimes. He was alleged to have used blood

diamonds to fund the bloody civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

Campbell’s appearance before the court attracted a great deal of media attention.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone is just one of many international courts and tribunals

in The Hague, evidence that the international community – and particularly the United Nations – regards our country as a safe place for international trials.

Such trials are highly sensitive, involving people suspected of terrorism and war crimes.

Since Charles Taylor can still count on widespread support in Sierra Leone, the UN Security Council decided he should stand trial in The Hague. He is currently serving a prison sentence in a British jail.

24 | International Peace & Security

The Netherlands and democracy: individual freedom of choice The Netherlands is a parliamentary democracy. Every four years the Dutch elect a new parliament, which monitors the government’s actions on behalf of the people.

Officially the government is made up of the head of state and the ministers, but in fact the monarch has mainly a representative role. Civil liberties and the rule of law are firmly embedded in the constitution. The Dutch set great store by individual freedom, preferences and choice, so you will hear few protests against gay marriage, abortion and euthanasia. Most Dutch people regard them not as political issues, but as matters of individual choice.

Law through the centuries Every state has its own legal system. Many of these systems are so similar that they are regarded as part of a legal tradition. We have two legal traditions in Europe: civil law and common law.

The Netherlands is one of the countries with a legal system based on the principle of civil law. Most countries in mainland Europe use this system, whereby law is enshrined in codes and professional judges hand down judgments on the basis of them.

The other system, based on common law, emerged in England in the 14th century, and spread all over the world, mainly through the British Empire.

Countries with a common law tradition do not have written codes. Law is developed there in case law or by precedent, rather than by the legislator.

T

he Netherlands is home to some 30 international organisations, from international courts and tribunals and European institutions to organisations like the OPCW (the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons). A few are introduced here. Together they employ around 8,000 staff, accompanied by almost 6,000 family members.

Europol gathers and analyses criminal intelligence, in an attempt to combat international crime. At the headquarters in The Hague, over 620 members of staff work closely together with colleagues from the European Union and other partner states like Australia, Canada, the US and Norway.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was established by the United Nations during the war in the Balkans. Its purpose is to try individuals suspected of committing war crimes during this war, and to punish them if necessary.

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1991

The Treaty of Maastricht was signed in December 1991, when the Netherlands held the Presidency of the European Union. This EU Treaty laid the basis for political and monetary union. It entered into force in 1993.

Rigorous measures to tackle Somali pirates Operation Atalanta is the code name of the anti-piracy campaign in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It was set up to protect ships, especially those carrying World Food Programme supplies, against pirates operating along the coast of Somalia. This is no mean task, given the size of the area and the fact that some 20,000 to 30,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden every year. Pirates operate up to 750 kilometres offshore. Adopting a rigorous approach to combating piracy at sea has sharply reduced the number of hijackings and attacks on merchant navy ships. No ships were hijacked in this area in 2013. However, as this can always change, it is important that the Netherlands continues its involvement in Operation Atalanta.

1951

The Treaty of Paris was signed by the Netherlands, West Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy on 18 April 1951. These countries are known as the founding fathers of what is now the European Union.

Photo: Peter van Bastelaar/AVDD

The European Space Agency ESA has sites in several European countries. The largest is the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), the technological hub of the organisation. It is located in Noordwijk.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague was set up to try individuals suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal resolves claims relating to the nationalisation of American property in Iran. It was established after the United States released frozen Iranian assets in exchange for the release of hostages.

26 | Water, People Technology & Society & Innovation

Country of tomorrow

The Netherlands has the biggest radiotelescope in the world

Progress The Dutch are an innovative people.

Not enough land? Then we’ll make our own. Over 40% of the country has been created since the Middle Ages, thanks to what were (in their day) ingenious solutions for reclaiming land and creating polders.

Dark streets? The merchants of the Golden Age did not have to head home early thanks to Jan van der Heyden, who developed street lighting using oil lamps. It was not all good news, however, because the oil lamp had a tendency to catch fire now and then. So perhaps it is no coincidence that Van der Heyden also invented the fire hose. A few years later Christiaan Huygens invented the pendulum clock, not because he wanted to keep an eye on the time, but because of his great love of astronomy (Huygens discovered Titan and the rings of Saturn), which required highly accurate timekeeping.

The eyes of the Earth LOFAR (LOw Frequency ARray) is a recent example of a Dutch technological innovation in astronomy. In an effort to see the birth of the universe, thousands of sensors within a radius of 50 kilometres of Exloo in Drenthe province create a single highly sensitive radio

telescope. Linked to eight other stations in Europe, it forms part of what will be the world’s largest radio telescope when it is complete, a hundred times more sensitive than current telescopes. If they had known that, Sacharias Jansen and Hans Lippershey might not have fought over the patent on their telescope 400 years ago. Compared to LOFAR, it was little more than a pair of opera glasses.

Thousands of sensors All those sensors are linked by an extensive fibre-optic network, which is also available to other disciplines. Agricultural scientists can, for example, use it to conduct research into precision farming, using wireless sensors, which help them optimise production processes. Geophysicists are mapping the geology of the northern Netherlands using seismic sensors.

This is producing interesting information about gas extraction and subsidence. And about water management, something we’ve been doing since the Middle Ages, which remains as important as ever.

That’s what you get when large parts of the country are below sea level.

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Source: Astron stichting Lofar

28 | Water, Technology & Innovation

A unique feat of engineering

‘Controlling the tides: the moon, the wind and us’ ‘One of the seven modern wonders of the world’ is how the American Society of Civil Engineers refers to the Delta Project, the system of coastal defences that protects the Netherlands from high tides. We are a little more modest perhaps, but no less proud of this unique feat of engineering.

‘D

utch water management serves as a major source of inspiration for the rest of the world’

The series of coastal defences that now protect the Netherlands from the sea took 57 years of hard work to build. Work started after the disastrous floods of 1953 (see box).

The Delta Commission was set up three weeks later. Its members included Johan van Veen, who had come up with plans for the Delta Project before the floods, because of his concerns about the low dikes in the southwest of the country.

From dam to flood barrier The storm surge barrier in the Eastern Scheldt is without a doubt the most impressive part of the Delta Project. The estuary was in fact to have been closed off with a normal dam, but it was never built. Cutting it off completely would have damaged the natural environment. Eventually, the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier was built from the artificial island of Neeltje Jans. After the barrier was complete, the island was converted into the Neeltje Jans educational theme park, where the 66th pillar (which was never used) can still be seen, as well as a memorial stone bearing the words ‘Controlling the tides: the moon, the wind and us’.

Biggest threat: the major rivers For centuries, however, the sea has not been the greatest threat to the Dutch. The

three major rivers that flow through the country – the Rhine, Maas and Waal – have long posed more of a danger. Having learnt from experience, we have developed into the undisputed world champions of water management. Flooding used to be a frequent occurrence, but the last time a river dike burst was in 1926. Things got a little tense in 1995, when 250,000 people were forcibly evacuated, but the dikes held. Rigorous measures were then introduced. Nature has been left more to its own devices, and the rivers have been given more room. At the same time, innovative solutions have also been introduced. For example using ingenious groynes that increase drainage when water levels are high, and keep the river more navigable when they are low.

Textbook example Dutch water management serves as a major source of inspiration for the rest of the world and a textbook example of how things should be done. One Dutch company located in the United States is helping consider ways of protecting New Orleans from a recurrence of the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Dutch are happy to help the Americans and the rest of the world keep their feet dry.

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Photo: Marijke Volkers

the 1953 floods

not only raise the gates, they can also lower them if necessary.

Taming the sea

1953, the night of 31 January. A storm is raging, and it’s high tide, but that’s nothing new. That night, however, the storm builds to hurricane force. The disaster happens in just a few hours.

Seawater pours over the sea dikes. The polders are inundated, the water reaches the next ring

of dikes, and they burst. Large parts of the provinces of Zeeland, Brabant and South Holland are flooded, and 1,800 people drown.

Over half a century later the principle seems quite simple: as soon as the water reaches three metres above NAP, or Amsterdam Ordnance Datum, the gates are

closed so that the floodwaters cannot enter the Eastern Scheldt.

Sixty-five huge concrete pillars support the storm surge barrier.

They in turn stand on mats laid on the sea-bed specially for the purpose. The hydraulic cylinders that control the floodgates are also a miracle of technology. They

From the path just above the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier you can hear the water thundering past the open gates.

The sheer force of the water can be seen, heard and felt here. But the barrier stands firm, a unique feat of innovative engineering protecting both Zeeland and the environment.

30 | Water, Technology & Innovation

Water management from America to Russia

1,550

In a country where much of the land is below sea level, water management is second nature to the Dutch. The Sand Motor peninsula on the coast at Kijkduin, near The Hague, is one example of the Netherlands’ innovative approach to water. The Netherlands has an international reputation in this field, helping St Petersburg build a flood barrier and advising New York after Hurricane Sandy.

It rains a lot in the Netherlands: an average of 600 hours a year – but there’s plenty of sunshine between the showers, at 1,550 hours a year.

W

here would the Netherlands be without bridges, windmills and pumping stations? The modern versions are powered by electricity, are often plain in design and hundreds of metres long (or tall). The more traditional wooden bridges and windmills are manually operated, and often unique. Whether traditional or modern, however, they all play a key role in transport and water management.

The Netherlands has more than 3,000 pumping stations. There are various types, designed to pump different quantities of water over different heights in different locations. This is the electrically-driven J.L. Hoogland pumping station at Stavoren in Friesland.

The building with the curved roof that houses it was designed by Dutch architect Piet de Vries.

Source: Cultural Heritage Agency, Amersfoort

Dutchman in space

André Kuipers was the third Dutchman in space, following in the footsteps of Wubbo Ockels and Lodewijk van den Berg. In 2002 he was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as a Flight Engineer. On 21 December 2011 Kuipers returned to the ISS as part of Expedition 30/31. He wished the world a happy new year while hanging upside down in space.

135,470

There are 135,470 km of public roads in the Netherlands, and 57.5 km of motorway per 1000 km2. This gives the country the densest motorway network in Europe, in a country with a land area of only 41,526 km2.

Coffee, wine and rain

Three Dutch inventions have ensured that coffee, wine and rain will never be the same again. Unlike other coffee-making equipment, the Senseo coffee machine uses pads. Douwe Egberts’ Senseo products have been a great success in both Europe and the US. The Vacu Vin consists of a stopper and pump that prevent wine in an open bottle from oxidising, allowing it to be kept for longer. It has been a huge success: more than 30 million have been sold in over 80 countries.

Storm umbrella Senz makes light work of wind and rain. While other umbrellas flap and break, the clever design of Senz stops it turning inside out. This great invention from Delft University of Technology can even cope with force 10 winds.

Water, technologie & veiligheid | 31

Photo: Kris Kras Design

The Great Mill at Marrum in Friesland was built in 1845. It is still used to pump water in the polder from a lower to a higher level. This is quite rare, as modern pumping stations usually do the job these days. Their greater capacity allows them to raise the water over greater heights in all weather conditions.

Photo: Maurice Boyer/Hollandse Hoogte

Photo: Paul van Riel/Hollandse Hoogte

The famous ‘Skinny Bridge’ (Magere Brug) in Amsterdam is over 300 years old. The bridge was built at the request of the wealthy Mager sisters, or so the story goes. They lived opposite each other, on either side of the Amstel. The wooden footbridge allowed them to visit each other more easily. A true story? Who knows? But we do know that the original bridge was very narrow – or ‘skinny’.

Photo: George Burggraaff/Hollandse Hoogte

Gaining ground The Dutch have always lived with water.

Lots of water. And they have fought with it on occasion. But they were always victorious. In the past the Dutch constructed dwelling mounds (or terps), dikes and major coastal defences like the Delta Project.

They even closed off part of the sea – the Zuyder Zee – to create new land, or polders. And their efforts were successful. Without them, more than half the country would be under water.

Go with the flow These days, the Dutch also enjoy the water. Streams and rivers are increasingly being allowed to go their own way, and we adapt to them. We are going with the flow, building our houses around the water. Or on it. More and more residential areas feature homes with a boat tied to a jetty at the bottom of the garden. And, alongside the traditional houseboats, people are increasingly choosing to live in homes built on stilts, or floating on the water.

Water city There are now a number of residential areas built completely on the water, like this one in Houten. Steigereiland (‘Jetty Island’) in the Amsterdam district of IJburg, was one of the first and, with 110 homes built on the water, one of the biggest too. Groningen is even building an entire town based on water, known as Blauwestad, or ‘Blue Town’, with some 1,500 homes on or beside the water.

Luctor et emergo Living on the water

Photo: Siebe Swart/Hollandse Hoogte

34 | People & Society

Interesting facts Tall and blond

The tulip

The tulip has proudly held its ground through the centuries. The Netherlands is by far the world’s biggest exporter of flowering bulbs, accounting for 83% of world exports, 33% of which are tulips. In Holland, however, roses are the most popular cut flowers.

Wintry

Lots of Dutch people are tall, blond and blue-eyed. But with over three million people from ethnic minorities, almost two million of whom have a non-Western background, the Netherlands is quite multi-coloured these days.

Curtains

The Dutch keep their curtains open in the evening because they have nothing to hide, do not want to exclude anyone, or because they want to show off their fine interior decoration. Perhaps we don’t actually know the reason, and that is why we are doing in-depth studies into this custom.

Polders

Gezelligheid

Gezelligheid is a typically Dutch word for which there is no good equivalent in other languages. It is used to describe an evening playing board games with the family, or drinking coffee with the neighbours, or sitting by an open fire. In fact any pleasant occasion shared with friends or family.

Clogs and windmills

Holland is still associated with clogs and windmills.

But clogs are found mainly in souvenir shops these days, and only around 1,200 windmills are still in operation today, down from over 10,000 in their heyday in the 19th century.

The Netherlands is famous for its ‘polder model’. Doing things in consultation, always seeking consensus. People of all social ranks used to work together to build dikes and create polders (hence the term ‘polder model’).

Celebrations

The most important days of celebration in the Netherlands are King’s Day (the King’s birthday), Liberation Day and St Nicholas’ Eve, or Sinterklaas.

But the Dutch also like to take to the streets when their football team (almost) wins a European championship or World Cup.

A permanent feature of the Dutch winter dinner table is stamppot: potatoes mashed with kale, sauerkraut or carrots and onions. But you’re less likely to find the same fare in restaurants. The number of establishments offering non-Dutch cuisine is on the rise.

Neat and tidy

Lots of things are perfectly acceptable in the Netherlands. Freedom and tolerance are considered very important. But we separate our waste in an orderly fashion, are very punctual and like to keep our doorsteps clean.

World famous

The most famous Dutch person of all time is Anne Frank, who wrote the best known diary in the world, followed by footballer Johan Cruijff in second place and alleged double agent Mata Hari in third.

Cover picture: Delft blue

Hello Holland! is a special publication by the Dutch

The traditional Dutch sea shanty Daar was laatst een

Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

meisje loos (1744) inspired 41-year-old designer twins

Editorial board: Communications Department, Ministry

Truus and Riet Spijkers to create their Delft-blue dress

of Foreign Affairs

with nautical details. Feisty females like the song’s

Editors: JCM Context (Utrecht)

heroine who runs away to sea are a recurrent theme

Art direction & design: Kris Kras Design (Utrecht)

in their work. Truus comments ‘Our style is influenced

Articles may not be reproduced without the written

by the 1920s, when the modern woman first appeared

permission of the publisher.

on the scene.’ © Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands Photo: Cynthia Boll

P.O Box 20061 | 2500 EB Den Haag www.minbuza.nl/en

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Groningen

Longest train journey in the Netherlands: Roodeschool – Maastricht Randwyck, 5 hours 39 minutes (three changes).

Friesland

Afsluitdijk: 30-km barrier and road between the provinces of Friesland and North Holland (part of the Zuyder Zee project).

North Holland

Schiphol: the biggest airport in the Netherlands (handling an average of 45,000,000 passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of freight each year).

Den Helder

Flevoland

Drenthe

Most sparsely populated province, with fewer than 200 inhabitants per km2 (the majority of whom live in rural areas).

Once water, now the Netherlands’ newest province (since 1986), and home to 400,000 people.

Overijssel South Holland

Rotterdam is home to the three tallest buildings in the country, at 151, 158 and 165 metres; it also has the Euromast, which is 185 metres tall.

Full of lakes and criss-crossed by streams and the river IJssel, Overijssel province has 300 km of navigable waterways (frequented by commercial shipping and 200,000 leisure craft a year).

Amsterdam

The Hague

Utrecht

Utrecht

More room for car and rail traffic around the heart of the Netherlands thanks to its network of cycle routes.

Rotterdam

Gelderland

30% of continental container transport is by inland waterway (much of it along the rivers Maas and Waal).

‘s-Hertogenbosch

North Brabant

Zeeland

Western Scheldt tunnel: at 6.6 km, the longest road tunnel in the Netherlands, connecting Zeeland-Flanders with ZuidBeveland.

Road of the future (N329): with a sunken carriageway, LED lighting and lots of other technical wonders, both an example and a source of inspiration.

Limburg

Drielandenpunt in Vaals, where three countries meet: you can go from the Netherlands to Germany and Belgium (and back) in just a few steps.

300 kilometres

Maastricht

3 | People & Society

Welcome to the Netherlands!

Photo: Karel Tomei/Fotonatura

Every hour of the day, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hard at work somewhere on

BZDR4472/E

earth helping to build a safe, stable and prosperous world. And representing the interests of the Netherlands. Because it is a unique country, with a surprising past, an energetic present and an interesting future. Welcome to the Netherlands!