The document provides information about the Netherlands. It notes that the Netherlands and Holland are not synonymous, with Holland referring to the western coastal region. It was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. The Dutch are the tallest people on average in the world. The Netherlands has over 4,000 km of navigable waterways. Its highest point is only 323 meters above sea level. Rotterdam is the second largest port in the world. The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy since 1815 and a parliamentary democracy since 1848. Over 30% of the country lies below sea level, so it has extensive waterworks to prevent flooding from the sea and rivers.

1. About the Netherlands
Did you know…?
1) Netherlands and Holland are not
synonymous. Holland is largely the
western coastal region of the
Netherlands, comprising of
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem,
Leiden and the Hague
2) The first country to legalise same
sex marriages in 2001.
3) 6) The Dutch are the tallest in the
world with an average height of
184 cm for men and 170 cm for
women. Some believe its the
combined result of DNA and dairy.
4) It has more than 4,000 km of
navigable canals, rivers and lakes.
5) 15) The highest point in
Netherlands, Vaalserberg, is only
323 meters above sea level. The
rest of the nation is as flat as a
pancake.
6) Rotterdam is the second largest
port in the world.
The Netherlands

2. Constitutional Monarchy
Since 1815 The Netherlands has been a
constitutional monarchy. Historically for
centuries before, it had been the proud
republic, a union of provinces. Since 1848,
the Netherlands is also a parliamentary
democracy. Dutch monarch has no real
political power, but serves as representative
head of state and a symbolic person uniting
the divided parliamentary politics.
The parliament
The parliament consists of two chambers.
The Lower House wich
is elected every four years in a direct
national elections
Prime Minister
Prime Minister is the head of the
government. Mark Rutte from the People's
Party for Freedom and Democracy.
The King
King Willem-Alexander van Oranje-Nassau is
the nominal head of state of the Netherlands.
The King has several mostly representative
functions. He nominates all the mayors in the
Netherlands as well as the politician who
forms the government after the general
elections
WATERWORKS
Over 30% of the Netherlands lies below
sea level. Floodings of sea and riverwater
caused many victims as for example the
1953 flood disaster during which 1850
people were drowned. To stop this the
dutch government created a delta in the
entry of the north sea that detects if
there will be heavy storms the next days.
If it detects it will rain a lot it closes so
Holland doesn’t flood.
Places to visit
1-Amsterdam
-Cannels
-Anna Franks Museum
-Vincent van Goch’s Museum
2-Rotterdam
-Euro mast
-Markthal
-Cube houses
3-Tipical Dutch windmill
4-Waterworck
5-Tulipan fields