2. Official name: Kingdom of the Netherlands Form of government: Constitutional Monarchy Capital and the largest city : Amsterdam Government base in: The Hague (2009) Population: about 16 million Official language: Dutch Nationality : Dutch, Frisian spoken only in Friesland Religion: 63% Christian, 3%Muslim, 34% other. Money: Euro Highest point: 323 m (Vaalserberg, Limburg ) Lowest point: 6.7 m (Zuidplaspolder) Average temperature in July: 17.4 °C Average temperature in January: 2.8 °C

3. Climate : cool summers and mild winters Major Cities : Amsterdam,Rotterdam,The Hague National Symbols : Orange Lion, Tulip, Windmill Motto - I will maintain

4. A small country between Belgium and Germany in Western Europe. The North Sea is located in the north and west. The 'Netherlands' means "Low Country" in Dutch because 26% of the Netherlands is under sea level. Netherlands, sometimes known as Holland. Holland is the name of two provinces, North and South Holland, which border the North Sea in Amsterdam and The Hague. Has 12 provinces.

5. The Netherlands has no mountain ranges or natural borders so it was not able to protect itself from invading neighbors. Foreigners occupied the country for much of its history. In the late 1500s, the Dutch tried to overthrow their Spanish rulers. They fought Eighty Years and finally gained independence in 1648. During the Napoleonic Wars, France’s Napoleon took over Holland and put his brother Louis on the throne. In 1814, the people claimed independence from France. During World War II, Germany occupied the Netherlands for five years and killed many people. Rotterdam after German air raids in 1940

6. The Netherlands has have king or queen. The queen or king selects ministers who become part of the cabinet. Now, the head of country is King Willem-Alexander. He became king in April 2013, aged 46 when his mother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated at the age of 75. He's the first Dutch king in 123 years, following three queens.

7. The Netherlands is one of the world’s top 5 biggest exporters. Lot of cheese and milk are exported per year. Famous Dutch companies include: Philips, a major Dutch company, developed CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray. The KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) is the longest running national airline in the world. Rotterdam is in South Holland, is the largest seaport in Europe.

8. Windmill There are over 1,000 windmills still standing from 1850. Traditionally used for irrigation and grinding grain. Today there are other sources of flood control and sources of power. The Kinderdrijk area is a UNESCO World Heritage site home to 19 traditional windmills.

9. Klompen Wooden shoes which traditionally were used as protective footwear for farm and industrial workers.

10. Tulips are still popular. There are over 1,500 varieties. The Netherlands is the world's first producer and exporter of tulips. Haarlem is home to many commercial fields as well as a Flower Parade and Keukenhof park, which displays dozens or hundreds of varieties. Tulips aren't native to the Netherlands. The tulip was imported from Turkey in the 16th century.

11. The largest flower garden in the world.

12. Holidays and festivals There are several holidays such as: Queen's Day : Birthday of Queen-Mother, 30 April king’s Day : The biggest celebration of the year. People dress in orange color (the color of the royal family), April 27 In February, carnival is celebrated in many regions, with traditional costumed parades and partying.

13. The most popular sports in the Netherlands are football, hockey, cycling, golf, and ice- skating. Many Dutch football players are internationally famous such as Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, they lost to Spain, giving Spain their first world cup win.

14. Rijksmuseum National museum in Amsterdam The Erasmus Bridge in the centre of Rotterdam Cube houses in Rotterdam

15. The village of Giethoorn does not have any roads. All transport is done by water over one of the many canals. It is known as the " Venice of the Netherlands ".

16. The miniature city of Madurodam in The Hague

17. Python Bridge in Amsterdam Amsterdam's Canals De Haar Castle in Utrecht

18. Vincent van Gogh is the most famous Dutch painter. The microscope, the telescope, pendulum clock and the mercury thermometer are all were invented in 16th or 17th century by Dutch people. The Dutch company ' Philips ' invented the audio tape,the video tape,the Compact Disk(CD) and the CD-ROM.

19. The Dutch are the tallest people in the world. Soft drugs are legal. The home to more bikes than people. Has the most museums in the world. Difference time with Tehran : 2:30 hours behind Dutch drivers use the right-hand side of the road. The tap water is of excellent quality and drinkable. The metric system for weights & measures, meters for length, liters for liquids and kilos for weight.

20. Prepared by : MAHBOD Tajdini Grade: 6A