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- How many parts does the Kingdom of the Netherlands have?
- Is there a difference between the Netherlands and Holland?
- What is the system of government? Which city is the capital?
- How flat is the Netherlands?
- What is the weather like?
- What language is spoken?
- Which currency can you use?
- What is the best way to travel in the Netherlands?
- When is the day of national celebration?
- Do people with the Korean nationality need a tourist visa?
- Where can you buy Hamel's journal (English edition)?
- Where can you get more information on the Netherlands in
Korean language?
Q: How many parts does the Kingdom of the Netherlands have?
A: The Kingdom of the Netherlands has three parts and two countries in the Caribbean - the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. With an area of 41,528 km and a population of 16 million, the Netherlands (the European part of the Kingdom) is one of the world's smaller countries.
Q: Is there a difference between the Netherlands and Holland?
A: The Netherlands is often called Holland. But North and South Holland are in fact the two coastal provinces in the west that played an important part in the country's history.
Q: What is the system of government? Which city is the capital?
A: The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, in which the government consists of the queen and the ministers. For historical reasons, The Hague is the seat of government, but Amsterdam is the capital. The current government is a coalition between the Christian democrats (CDA), the liberal democrats (VVD) and the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF). Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA) is the Prime Minister. Queen Beatrix is the head of state.
Q: How flat is the Netherlands?
A: Very flat. Nearly a quarter of its surface area is below sea level. The lowest point in the Netherlands, near Rotterdam, is 6.7 metres below sea level. Its highest point, the Vaalserberg, is 312 metres above sea level. The Vaalserberg is in the south-east of the country, where the borders of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany meet.
Q: What is the weather like?
A: The Netherlands has a temperature climate, thanks to its long coastline. The average temperatures are 18 degrees Celsius in summer and three degrees Celsius in winter. Average annual rainfall is 800 mm.
Q: What language is spoken?
A: The official language is Dutch, but a second official language, Frisian, is spoken by approximately 500,000 people in the province of Friesland. Frisian bears some similarities to English and the Scandinavian languages. Dutch is the language of instruction in schools throughout the Netherlands.
Q: Which currency can you use?
The Euro is now the official currency in the Netherlands. As part of the drive towards European integration, many European countries replaced their national currencies with the Euro on 1 January 2009. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 eurocents and 1 and 2 euros, and notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 euros. The notes are the same in all 12 Euro countries. Only the coins have a European and a national side. You can pay with the Euro in many European countries - the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Ireland, Austria and Greece.
Q: What is the best way to travel in the Netherlands?
A: The Netherlands has an excellent infrastructure, with good roads and first-rate public transport services, thanks to its close-knit network of trains and buses. The Dutch themselves like to travel by bike.
Q: When is the day of national celebration?
A: The Queen's Birthday on 30 April. Queen Beatrix's actual birthday is on 31 January, but she celebrates it on 30 April, her mother'' birthday. Events like parades, street markets and sports days are organised throughout the country.
Q: Do people with the Korean nationality need a tourist visa?
A: No, people with the Korean nationality can travel up to 90 days in the Netherlands for touristic purposes without a tourist visa. For work or study, see www.nlembassy.or.kr (consular section).
Q: Where can you buy Hamel's journal (English edition)?
A: You can buy Hamel's journal at the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch. For more information, see www.raskorea.org
Q: Where can you get more information on the Netherlands in Korean language?
A: You can get more information on the Netherlands in Korean language at www.amsterdam.co.kr and www.holland.com
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