NETHERLANDS M. Rich and Z. Foster

The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. The population of the Netherlands is 16.5 million. NETHERLANDS

CLIMATE OF THE NETHERLANDS Maritime climate Cool summers and mild winters

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IS DUTCH Hello = Hoi Good-bye = Doei

Roman Catholicism is the largest practice religion in the Netherlands Dom Tower of Utrecht is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands RELIGION OF THE NETHERLANDS

TRADITIONAL CLOTHING Women – usually a dress with an apron and a white hat Men – usually wide wool pants, jacket and black hat Wooden clogs – worn mainly on the countryside

TRADITIONAL FOOD Cuisine differs between regions of the Netherlands. Meals: -Breakfast/Lunch -Tea Time -Dinner Main ingredient of Dutch meals are potatoes, accompanied by meats and boiled vegetables.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC Traditional Dutch musical genre is known as: Levenslied (meaning songs of/about life) -Instruments important to Levenslied are: the accordion and barrel organ.

CUSTOMS AND ETIQUETTE When entering a room it is customary to shake hands with everyone present, then to shake hands again on leaving Yelling to an acquaintance from a distance is considered impolite. Compared to most cultures, the Dutch are reserved in public and do not often touch each other or display anger or extreme exuberance. It is polite to keep hands above the table during a meal but elbows should be kept off the table. The Dutch value personal space and tend to avoid physical contact even among friends. When standing in a group, or when talking to one another, they tend to keep a rather large distance.