Netherlands: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts

About Netherlands

The Netherlands is a small, flat country in northwestern Europe on the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany. Much of its land was won from the sea using dikes, canals and pumps. It is famous for windmills, tulips, cheese and bicycles.

About Amsterdam

Amsterdam lies in the west of the country on the IJ waterway and the Amstel River. Its ring of 17th-century canals lined with tall, narrow houses is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fun facts about Netherlands

1. About a quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level.
2. The 19 windmills of Kinderdijk, built to drain water from the land, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. About 7 million flower bulbs are planted each year at Keukenhof, one of the world's largest flower gardens.
4. The Delta Works, a huge system of dams and storm barriers, protects the southwest of the country from the sea.
5. Dutch engineers turned lakes and marshes into dry farmland, called polders, by pumping out the water.
6. Famous painters Rembrandt and Vincent van Gogh were both born in the Netherlands.