41 Dutch Facts: History, Flag, Population & Much More!

The Dutch are a group of people who are from the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is a beautiful country in western Europe that has become a traveler's paradise for its abundant natural bounty. The Dutch have been pioneers in a variety of fortes including art, politics, architecture, and music.

While the Netherlands is the most prominent country where people speak Dutch, there are also other Dutch countries like Flanders, Suriname, Dutch Antilles, and Aruba where the Dutch language is commonly spoken. You will be surprised to know that Dutch is primarily spoken by about 23 million people in the world.

Also, another four million people can speak and understand Dutch as an additional language. Dutch people are fun-loving and there are a lot of things unique and special about the food they eat, their lifestyle, their culture, and their beliefs.

Historically, the Dutch community has a rich past that everyone should know about. This article will give you amazing facts about the Dutch.

Once you have finished reading this article, why not discover Salvador facts and Cuba culture facts here on Kidadl?

Cultural Facts About Dutch

Dutch culture is intriguing and rich. How many of these 11 cultural facts about the Dutch did you know before?

When it comes to religion, you may be surprised to know that more than half the population is irreligious. A nationwide survey reports that about 68% of Dutch men and women follow no specific religion. Amongst those who follow a specific religion, the majority of them belong to Christianity.

The Netherlands is divided into two major regions that are northern Dutch and southern Dutch. This demarcation is mainly based on religious differences. People in the north are mostly Protestants while people in the south are mostly Catholics. This religious differentiation still exists.

Art and media have always played a pivotal role in uplifting the lives of the Dutch. One of the most noticed painters of all time, Vincent Van Gogh, was Dutch. Van Gogh had about 2100 artwork in total and is a very influential painter when it comes to western artwork.

The Dutch Golden Age Painting is a group of paintings done during the 17th Century, portraying the Dutch Golden Age. Thousands of Dutch painters created artwork during this period and most of these works received posthumous recognition.

Did you know that Dutch men, women, and children are great fans of comics? They love comics so much that the country has its own comic book traditions. Secret agent comics, literary comics, and children's comics are hugely in demand here.

Cabaret is a popular dance form in the Netherlands. Unlike other places where cabaret is only for entertainment, here, the Dutch dancers incorporate thought-provoking messages, sentiments, and sometimes even comedy in the dance form!

Sint Nicolaas (Sinterklaas) is one of the most loved and celebrated festivals that the Dutch celebrate. You may not know this but Sinterklaas was one of the inspirations behind the creation of the Christmas figure Santa Claus. This festival is celebrated by giving out gifts to little children and distributing candies and sweets.

Just like how Americans celebrate Halloween, the Dutch have a festival called Old Halloween or Sint Maarten. This falls on the evening of 11th November and children dress up and go door to door with candles and lanterns. They sing songs and receive treats in return. This holiday is widely celebrated in north Holland, south Holland, Groningen, and Limburg.

The love for football makes it a cultural aspect of the country. The Dutch absolutely love football and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the sport is ingrained in the blood of the Dutch.

Did you know that when the Dutch team plays, about 17 million coaches gather in the country, trying to better the game for the team!

About one-fifth of the population density in the Netherlands is made up of foreign individuals! This is one of the facts about the Netherlands that will tell you how friendly the Dutch people are. A lot of people from Morocco, Aruba, Turkey, and Surinam have immigrated here for good.

Another interesting fact about the Netherlands is that the Dutch are one of the healthiest people. This is a country that offers nutritious and affordable food for everyone. Also, the Netherlands' universal healthcare system is the best in the world. This densely populated country is home to exceptionally qualified doctors and healthcare experts.

Funny Facts About Dutch

There are a lot of fun facts about the Netherlands that make the Dutch people even more interesting. Check out these 14 fun facts.

One of the fun facts about Dutchmen that you will love is that they are some of the tallest people in the world! Yes, the average height of men there is 6 ft (1.8 m). The women are not short either. On average, they measure5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) in height.

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. Did you know that it has more than 1281 bridges? Most of these bridges are brightly lit at night and decorated and look spectacular.

Licorice is a sweet made from the roots of the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant. Did you know that the Dutch are the largest consumers of this sweet? An average Dutchman consumes about 4.4 lb (2 kg) of this sweet a year!

Did you know that about one-third of the Netherland's territory lies below sea level? In fact, the lowest point in the country is 206 ft (676 m) below sea level. Netherland, one of the densely populated countries, the Dutch Government had to reclaim parts of land submerged under sea level to create more living areas.

The Netherlands has been an official kingdom since 1815. The Dutch Royal Family lives in Villa Eikenhorst in Wassenaar, a royal palace dedicated to the King, Queen, and their children. King Willem Alexander, head of the royal family, is the current king of the Kingdom of Netherlands.

The Dutch celebrate April 27th as King's Day. King's Day is the birthday of the Dutch king and is celebrated all over the country with pomp.

The Dutch flag is tricolored with stripes of red, blue, and white. One of the very interesting facts about the Netherlands is that parents hoist the national flag with a school bag in the mast in their homes when their children have passed their final exams.

Here is another of the Netherlands facts to surprise you. Keukenhof is the largest flower garden in the world and this is located in Holland. Every year in spring, more than seven million flowers bloom in this garden.

The Dutch love their flowers. Most of the Dutch farmers ship out a majority of the world's flower bulbs. The Netherlands is the world's biggest exporter of flower bouquets.

The Netherlands has an average of 22,990 mi (36998.8 km) of exclusive cycle paths. This bike-friendly country has over 22 million bicycles. A Dutch cycle tour is one of the popular ways to explore the country.

Did you know that one in eight babies born in the Netherlands are a home birth? Home births are very common and accepted delivery modes in the country.

Another of the must-know facts about the Netherlands is that it ranks in the top five in the list of the World's Happiest Countries of 2021. This list is published every year by the United Nation's Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

There is a term called Dutch courage which refers to the courage that people suddenly get after being intoxicated! This is one of the funny facts about the Netherlands that revolves around the story of the Englishmen drinking Dutch alcohol and suddenly getting the courage to fight in the Anglo-Dutch War.

Beer lovers should definitely try out some of the popular Dutch brewers in the country. They offer the finest brews which are exported throughout the world.

For coffee lovers, coffee shops are the place to hit. The slow Dutch process they use ends up with a complex and wonderful brew. Did you know that the Dutch drink an average of four cups of coffee a day?

Historic Facts About Dutch

The Netherlands and the Dutch have their own share of inspiring history. These nine historical facts are just the tip of the iceberg.

Though the Netherlands has people from all over the world, the official language spoken here is Dutch. The official language Dutch is understood by a majority of people there along with English and Frisian.

During World War II, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands and captured 100,000 Dutch Jews. Most of them were sent to extermination camps and did not survive.

One of the most destructive wars fought in the history of Europe is The Thirty Years War. This was fought within the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch played a major role in the war. This is still remembered in the Netherlands because of the millions of casualties.

One of the historical fun facts that will awe you is that the Dutch National Anthem is one of the oldest in the world. This country's national anthem was created in 1572 and has both a melody and lyrics.

Dutch Independence is a historical miracle by itself. The Netherlands War of Independence stretched all through the 16th and 17th centuries and is popularly known as the 80-year war!

Vaals is a town that is the highest point in the Netherlands above sea level. It is, in fact, a border area where Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany meet and is of historical importance.

Before King Willem Alexander, Queen Beatrix ruled the Netherlands. She gave up her throne in 2013 so her son could rule.

Queen Beatrix is 83 'years old now. Another of the popular facts about the Netherlands is about its wooden shoes. Also known as clogs, these shoes are a Dutch icon and have been used in the country by Dutch people for centuries together.

Another of the Netherlands facts you should know is about Dam Square. This is one of the monumental locations in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the place where the Nazis shot thousands of Dutch people during the Second World War.

Political Facts About Dutch

The political scenario of the Netherlands keeps changing with time. Read these seven interesting facts to understand the country and the Dutch better.

The Netherland is a part of the Benelux countries. This is a politically formed union of three neighboring states: Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

The Netherlands is also a part of the European Union. There are a total of 27 member states that make the union, including the Netherlands. This group of states is now being called the 'Emerging Superpower', thanks to their combined gross domestic product.

The Netherlands is one of the most developed world nations and has a Human Development Index of 0.944. The Netherlands ranks high in the HDI levels, thanks to the political and economic interventions. Though the Netherlands is a parliamentary democracy, it is also a constitutional monarchy because of the king and the position he holds.

One of the political fun facts you should know is that the Netherlands was a kingdom between 1806 and 1810. It became a part of France for a few 'years after that and later on, functioned as a constitutional monarchy.

Even though the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries, the government has ensured there are enough green parks, maintained grass, forest and woodland, and public gardens for people to spend time in.

Noord Holland is located on the North Sea and is one of the provinces of the Netherland. It contributes largely to the Dutch economy and is a tourist hot spot too. The provinces of central Netherlands are also equally rich, with abundant natural beauty.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 41 Dutch facts, then why not take a look at Alabama state flag facts or Azerbaijan facts.