Netherlands in numbers: striking facts about a tiny place with tall people

Did you know that The Netherlands, or Holland as some call it, grows about 7 million tulips per year? Read further to see other fascinating numbers about the tiny country with tall people!

The Netherlands ranks 136th in the Indexmundi portal's list of large to small countries. With a surface of 41,543 km² (16,040 mi²), it is one of the tiniest in the world.

Image: Calvin Hanson / Unsplash - edited by Showbizz Daily

For comparison, Indexmundi places Russia at the top of the list with a surface of 17,098,242 km² (6,601,668 mi²).

If we consider, however, that Vatican City comes in last with 0.44 km² (0.17 mi²), The Netherlands is not that small either. It's 136th in a list of 248 countries - just a little below the median.

Photo: Howard Roark / Unsplash

But there are many more numbers you didn't know about this tiny country. In the next slides, we present you with some striking statistics!

In the Netherlands, they love black licorice. The Dutch eat about 32 million kilos (70 million pounds) of this black candy every year. That is why they are ranked first among the largest licorice eaters in the world, according to wonderfulwanderings-com.

Photo: Olga Vilkha / Unsplash

The Dutch are the tallest people on our planet. The average man is 183.2 cm (6 feet) and women are on average 170.6 cm tall (5.59 feet). So you won't easily overlook them!

The Netherlands has several 'firsts' in the world. For example, it was the first country to legalize same-se* marriage in 2001. For this and other historical reasons, The Netherlands is known as a tolerant country.

The Dutch can boast of the oldest national anthem in the world. The 'Wilhelmus' was written between 1569 and 1572 by Marnix van Sint Aldegonde as a statement of support for the Prince of Orange during the 80 Years' War. The prince has been remembered as a freedom fighter against the oppressive Spanish kingdom. Since 1932, the 16-verse hymn has officially been the Dutch national anthem. Most Dutch people only know one or two verses though.

The Netherlands literally means 'Low Countries'. Large parts of the country lie below sea level. The lowest point in the Netherlands is about 7 m  (23 feet) below sea level and is located in the Zuidplaspolder, a former lake that was completely drained and turned into land in 1840. Now, it is a great terrain for agriculture - as long as it stays safe from the sea, of course!

Photo: Erik van Anholt / Unsplash

The Netherlands dried another chunk of the seabed in the 1930s and called the dried area Flevoland. Only three times the size of Manhattan, Flevoland became the 12th Dutch province in 1986. Located below sea level, this 'Nether-land' would flood within 48 hours if the dikes were to break.

Photo: Daria Nepriakhina / Unsplash

Maybe not as well known as Venice but definitely worth mentioning, is the town of Giethoorn. In this 'second Venice of Europe,' you will not find streets but only canals. The village is located in the eastern province of Overijssel and thousands of tourists roam its canals every year. In fact, the residents of Giethoorn are the (sometimes reluctant) objects of tens of thousands of tourists' photos!

Photo: Yossi Moalem / Unsplash

The highest hill in the Netherlands is 322.5 meters (352 yards) above sea level. That's not a mountain at all, of course! In the vicinity of this highest point is the Three Nations' Point where the Dutch, Belgian, and German borders meet each other.

Photo: Ron Szalata / Unsplash

A Dutch person cycles an average of about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) per day and about 900 kilometers (559 miles) per year. The Netherlands has approximately 15,000 kilometers (9320.5 miles) of designated cycle paths.

Remarkably, there are more bicycles in the Netherlands than inhabitants. Transport organizations BOVAG and RAI estimate that there are approximately 23.4 million bicycles in a country of 17.7 million people.

The Netherlands occupies an impressive second position in the ranking of countries that export the most food. One of the main reasons why the Netherlands is in second place is its fertile and flat soil. The moderate temperature and climatic conditions make the land suitable for agricultural activities, according to Humboldt University.

Groningen is home to the largest café in Europe. It's called 'De Drie Gezusters' or 'The Three Sisters'. The establishment is a maze with several bars, corridors, and stairwells. The name comes from the three houses that are all connected.

Photo: Denise Jans / Unsplash

Although the previous slides were all about numbers and rankings, there's something typically Dutch that one needs to know about but cannot be expressed in numbers. There isn't even a translation for the word!

Photo: Ansgar Scheffold / Pixabay

'Gezelligheid' or 'conviviality/pleasantness in company' is a typical Dutch concept. It revolves around relaxed togetherness, the Dutch news outlet RTL says. Dutch people value informal social interaction without worrying about whether they are 'better' than others in the group.

According to University of Amsterdam Literature professor Herman Pleij, the use of the word "gezellig" dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the word "gezel" ("guild man/apprentice") which refers to a person who worked in a guild to learn a trade and lived together with other members of the guild.

Solidarity was central in these guilds, Pleij explained to RTL. This appreciation for conviviality later spread to family and group life, where cozy togetherness has since been regarded as the essential Dutch "gezelligheid".

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