|
|
|
Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 100 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
Special Topics
|
 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Netherlands
16 million. That's a lot of people for a small country like The Netherlands.
| Not something to be proud of, but it is likely to be the best known Dutch word worldwide: apartheid. What country was known for using this horrible kind of political system? | Simple Facts About The Netherlands
|
South Africa. Apart means different. It was a system based on skin colour. Several centuries ago, the Dutch ruled South Africa and introduced apartheid (literal meaning - 'aparthood', 'apartness', but more often translated by the euphemism 'separate development'). As I said, not something to be proud of.
| In the north of the country you can find several islands, called 'De Waddeneilanden'. Which big island is the one that you will get to, if you take the ferry in Den Helder? | Simple Facts About The Netherlands
|
Texel. Texel is the biggest one and is part of the provence of North Holland. The other ones belong to Friesland and Groningen. Texel can also be looked at as the Fort Lauderdale of Holland. Many young boys and girls have their holiday over there.
Tulips. Everywhere you look in Holland, you can find tulips. Mostly for tourists. A big tourist attraction are the tulip fields in the spring. Very colourful.
| In July 2002 the dead Elvis Presley scored a number one chart-hit with his song 'A little less conversation'. The song was used by Nike for a worldwide commercial for the 2002 World Cup Soccer in South-Korea and Japan. The song was remixed by a Dutch artist: JXL. What does JXL mean? | Simple Facts About The Netherlands
|
Junkie XL. It means Junkie XL, his stagename for many years. But the other people involved thought it was better to not use the name Junkie XL. By the way, this man Tom Holkenborg, isn't a junkie. He was given the name because he was always obsessed with his music, like a junkie is with his drugs.
Rembrandt van Rijn. The Nightwatch was damaged several years ago by a lunatic, but it has been restored.
Queen Beatrix. It is Queen Beatrix. She is the daughter of the former Queen Juliana and the former Queen Wilhelmina is her grandmother. Maxima is married to her son, Willem-Alexander.
Amsterdam. Millions of tourists (and others) come each year to see women behind windows.
Johan Cruijff. Cruijff started playing soccer at Ajax. He won the European Cup 1 three times in the early seventies. After Ajax he also played for teams like Barcelona and Feyenoord.
| This beer is originally from Amsterdam and it comes in green bottles. People all over the world are drinking it. It is named after a well known Dutch family. What is the name of this beer? | Simple Facts About The Netherlands
|
Heineken. Mr. Freddie Heineken only died a few years ago.
Germany and Belgium. Belgium borders the Netherlands in the south and Germany in the east. Denmark borders Germany in the north, but doesn't border the Netherlands. Luxembourg doesn't border the Netherlands ...
Constitutional monarchy. A Constitutional monarchy is a system of government that is established under a constitution, yet still has a ruling monarch. The monarch of the Netherlands, is Queen Beatrix, has been queen since 1980.
| What is the total land area of the Netherlands compared to that of the United States? | Netherlands Trivia
|
Around 1/270. The total land area of the Netherlands is 33,883 sq km. The total land area of the United States is 9,158,960 sq km.
| What is the size of the population of the Netherlands compared to that of the United States? | Netherlands Trivia
|
Around 1/17. The total population of the Netherlands is 16,067,754 (July 2002 est.). The population of the United States is 280,562,489 (July 2002 est.).
12. The provinces are: Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland and Zuid-Holland.
Vlieland. Vlieland is one of the islands to the north of the Netherlands. Utrecht is a tricky one; it is the name of the province AND its capital.
| We all know Amsterdam, the capital, biggest and most important city in the Netherlands. But which city comes second (in order of population)? | Netherlands Trivia
|
Rotterdam. Rotterdam is the second city in the Netherlands. The Hague comes 3rd, Eindhoven 5th and Groningen (my home town) 7th.
Heineken. Carlsberg is from Denmark and Bit is from Germany. The right to use the name Budweiser is disputed by the Czech Republic and the U.S.
Heineken is the best selling beer in the Netherlands, still owned by the Heineken family.
Groningen. While in Groningen, you might like to visit the Shipping and Tobacco Museum. An odd combination? Well, these were the two main activities in old Groningen. Hold your nose as you pass Rem Koolhaas' glass open-air urinal, and enter the Groninger Museum, which appears to have been built of scrap metal. The interiors are just as striking, even in the rooms displaying 18th century Dutch china.
| Our train deposits us at Centraal station, in a city dominated by the Dom Tower. Let's visit the Rietveld Schroder House, an unmissable example of the colourful, Lego-like de Stijl style of building. Where is this? | Journey through Belgium and the Netherlands
|
Utrecht. Utrecht, in the centre of the Netherlands, benefits enormously from the pedestrian wharves alongside its many canals and the narrow, shop-lined streets in the city centre. The other highlight is the Museum Quarter, but after twelve train journeys, I really couldn't face visting the Dutch Railway Museum!
| We could be anywhere, but I don't think this is Liverpool or Rome ... This city of gleaming skyscrapers also possesses the Euromast and the majestic Erasmusbrug soaring over the Nieuwe Maas. Which port is this? | Journey through Belgium and the Netherlands
|
Rotterdam. One of the world's largest ports and Netherlands City of Architecture has a charming side. See it in the windmill and 17th century buildings of the Delfshaven, the implausible Cube Houses (resting on one corner!), the 30 museums (many in the excellent Museumpark) or chill out at the Hotel New York, perfectly located at the end of the Wilheminapier.
| This attractive city has many canals. Near the cobblestoned Grote Markt in the centre there's a castle, with part of the old city walls and harbour, and the Grote Kerk church known as the 'white lady'. But where are we? | Journey through Belgium and the Netherlands
|
Breda. Breda benefits from an acclaimed annual jazz festival and balloon fiesta, but at other times of year there's plenty for tourists in the city centre and the former village of Ginneken (now part of Breda). Ginneken apparently has great shopping, as well as the 15th century Bouvigne castle and an 18th century town hall.
| We arrive at a city on the Belgian border. Hopefully the Festival Mundial is on. If not, we could visit the nearby Efteling theme park, or the textile museum. Where is this place? | Journey through Belgium and the Netherlands
|
Tilburg. Tilburg boasts the Museum de Pont (yet another contemporary art museum) and a pleasant new concert hall. The best bit of the city, though, is the Veemarktkwartier, with a huge pop music complex supporting a community of musicians and artists.
| We've arrived in a city dominated by the Philips and DAF companies. I can't say I've always dreamt of visting the 'first incandescent light factory', although its 'Artificial Light in Art' gallery sounds more to my tastes. Which Dutch city is this? | Journey through Belgium and the Netherlands
|
Eindhoven. Eindhoven is little known outside the Netherlands, but its Van Abbemuseum has a great range of modern art, the Bergen area has great shopping, and you can always visit the living 'Historic Open Air Museum' in the attractive Genneper Parks, a few minutes' walk from the city centre.
| Arriving in the Guillemins station of the 'fiery city', it's time to eat a waffle and head to Place St Lambert, where we can visit the stunning former palace of the Prince-Bishops, and then scale the exaggeratedly named Montagne de Beuren. Where would we be? | Journey through Belgium and the Netherlands
|
Liege. Also in Liege, you could see a puppet show starring Tchantches, visit the arms museum (Liege being the traditional centre of the world arms trade), the Museum Curtius - as much for the elaborate building as the decorative arts inside, or the Museum of Religious Art reminding visitors that St Lambert's martyrdom here resulted in the city's early importance.
| Passing through industrial outskirts, we arrive at the Sud station of this old coal mining city. Just outside the station is Place Albert Ier, but the attractions lie around the city's other main square. I hear the glass museum is good! Where are we? | Journey through Belgium and the Netherlands
|
Charleroi. Charleroi, in the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium, has several museums and art galleries around its Place Charles II. It's a good base for day trips to the Ardennes (who says Belgium has no hills?), Waterloo and Chimay, where monks brew some of the world's best - and strongest - beer.
Antwerpen. Antwerpen (or Antwerp) is the diamond centre of the world. The architecture is also world class. There's the gothic Our Lady's Cathedral, then there's the world's first Stock Exchange and the Meat Hall (which is a soaring guildhall, not the cold store it sounds like). Also, it's well worth seeing the art nouveau facades of the Zurenborg district.
Gent. Gent (or Ghent) is another city full of glorious mediaeval buildings. Notable among them is the 14th century belfry where four soldiers would blow their horns every hour - and presumably, wake everyone up! If you can, visit in late July when the massive Gentse Feesten festival a.k.a. 'Ten Days Off' occurs.
| This Belgian city, if you take away the throngs of tourists, looks much as it did five hundred years ago. Let's visit the 12th century beguinage and 12th century St John's hospital. Can you remind me which city this is? | Journey through Belgium and the Netherlands
|
Bruges. Bruges (Brugge) must surely be the only city in the world where the longbow archer's guild is still a major attraction! The chapel of the Holy Blood is also unmissable, although the relic inside is extremely unlikely to actually contain Christ's blood. The best of all Bruges, though, is right in the centre: the cloth hall and belfry on the Grote Markt.
Woodland. Holland probably derives from the old Dutch holt lant "wood land"
Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas (aka Sinterklaas), arrives by steamboat and on December 5th, sets off for a journey through the country. Riding the rooftops with his grey horse, he throws his presents through the chimneys,while his black servants (originally they were Moors and are called Zwarte Pieten, literally translated Black Peters) treat the young folk with gingerbread nuts, meringues and chocolate letters.
|
Play Now! 