What unique facts do you know about the Netherlands?

 

1. With over 1,000 windmills still standing since the 1800s, it's no wonder this country is nicknamed the "Windmill Nation."

2. The land is lower than the sea. About 30% of its territory is below sea level, yet strangely, this country rarely experiences flooding. Jakarta should follow the example of the Netherlands, right?

3. There are more bicycles than people. There are approximately 23 million bicycles in the Netherlands, which is more than the population of 17 million. The Dutch are passionate about cycling, and there are numerous dedicated bike paths throughout the country.

4. Kinderdijc is one of the areas in the Netherlands designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many windmills in Kinderdijc, some of which are still functioning.

5. The Netherlands is the tallest country in the world. The average height for Dutch men is around 182 cm, and for women, 168 cm.

In the Netherlands, why are there no fences around the canals or ladders placed at regular intervals?

 Let's look at the situation as it is:

Amsterdam:

Delft:

There are several reasons why these canals (grachten) are not fenced:

• Accidents happen, and yet we're talking about accidents. A large percentage of Dutch people know how to swim, and the canals aren't very deep. In Amsterdam, about 15 people die in the canals every year. The main reason: alcohol.
• The sidewalk is always on the far edge, closest to the buildings
• As you can see, there's little space. It's not convenient to walk along the many canals. Where it's more convenient, the sides are often lower or there are steps.
• When cars can park along the water (pictured above) the space is even smaller.
• Fences are often present where there is a real risk of falling. Bridges and other narrow areas or places with heavy traffic have fences.
• Fences must be high enough to effectively prevent accidents.

We Dutch are also used to water.

This is a common sight in more rural areas:

A small road, when the grass is soft there is often a warning sign on the roads:

Accidents involving a car ending up in water are very rare in cities and much more common on country roads. It's best to be sure you can handle your car when parking near water.

Ultimately, it's about risk. There's very little risk of people falling into the canal, especially considering how many people use it every day. People, when they're not drunk, understand the dangers of the water and are unlikely to fall into the canal.

What are some mind-blowing facts about Netherlands?

 A massive portion of the Netherlands shouldn't geographically exist. If its thousands of pumping stations ever stopped, half the country would be swallowed by the sea.

Nearly a third of the Netherlands lies below sea level, and about 17 percent of its current landmass was reclaimed directly from the sea and lakes. The Dutch have essentially terraformed their own country over centuries. This relentless land reclamation led to the creation of Flevoland, a province officially established in 1986. Flevoland is the largest artificial island on Earth, covering over 370 square miles. Instead of dropping millions of tons of dirt onto the ocean floor to build an island, engineers constructed a massive dike around the shallow Zuiderzee inlet and relentlessly pumped the water out. By draining the ocean, they exposed the fertile sea floor beneath. People now live, farm, and drive on land that was completely underwater less than a century ago.

To protect this deeply sunken country, the Dutch constructed the Delta Works, a sprawling network of dams, sluices, locks, and barriers that is widely considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The crown jewel of this system is the Maeslantkering near Rotterdam.

• Massive Scale: The barrier consists of two immense steel gates, each roughly the same length as the Eiffel Tower is tall.
• Automated Defense: These gates rest on dry land during normal conditions so ships can pass into Europe's busiest port. However, they are entirely automated by a computer system that constantly monitors sea levels and weather data.
• Deployment: If a dangerous storm surge is detected, the massive robotic arms swing out over the water, flood their own ballast tanks to sink to the riverbed, and lock together to form a highly fortified shield against the North Sea.

The continuous survival of the nation relies on these pumping stations and automated defenses working around the clock to keep the ocean at bay.

What are some mind-blowing facts about Netherlands?

 Here are some of the mind-blowing facts about Netherlands -

• When Dutch schoolchildren pass their exams, both a Dutch flag and a school bag is hung outside their homes.

Image Source: A Dutch Flag With A School Bag In Top To Celebrate Graduation Stock Photo 406002223 : Shutterstock

• The telescope was invented in the Netherlands in the 17th century.

Image Source: How Telescopes Work

• CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray were invented in the Netherlands.

Image Source: Disc Repair and Trade-in Blog

• Dutch men are the tallest in the world.

Image Source: Dutch men, Latvian women confirmed as world’s tallest

• A Dutch person will cycles 2.5 km per day on average and 900 km per year.

Image Source: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands? - BBC News

• Pedestrians are not allowed to walk on the specially-designated bike lanes, found all over the country.

Image Source: Why do cyclists fear being banned from busy roads ? Is it faster to cycle on roads than cycle-paths ? What really makes cycling safe and convenient for everyone ?

• The Netherlands is the healthiest country in the world for diet.

Image Source: The Country With The Healthiest Diet (Is Definitely Not The USA)

Thanks For Reading!
Hope you enjoyed reading my answer.

Source:

• http://www.expatica.com/nl/about/30-facts-about-the-Netherlands_108857.html
• 70 interesting facts about the Netherlands

What are some mind-blowing facts about Netherlands?

 

• The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. It did so in 2001.
• Only 50% of the Netherlands has land exceeding one meter above sea level, with most of the areas below being man-made.
• According to the 2013 United Nations World Happiness Report of 2013, the Netherlands was ranked fourth happiest country in the world.
• The Dutch are the largest consumers of liquorice in the world.
• Amsterdam is entirely built on wooden poles 11 meters deep. This is due to its soil which consists of thick layers of clay and fen.
• There are about 15,000 km of bike lanes in the Netherlands.
• The Dutch are the tallest people on average in Europe.
• There are more bikes (over 18 million) in the Netherlands than there are people.
• Because the land is so flat, the country’s highest point, which is 323 meters high, is actually referred to as a mountain. It's located in Vaalserberg.