Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of twelve provinces in Northwestern Europe and three islands in the Caribbean. The European part of the Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as "Holland", although North and South Holland are actually only two of its provinces.

Did you know that:
1. The herring with chopped raw onions and pickles is a national dish. The Dutch consume 12 million kilograms every year, which translates to at least 5 fish per person.
2. The first country to legalise same sex marriages in 2001.
3. 70% of the world's bacon comes from Netherlands.
4. 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.
5. Gin was invented in the Netherlands. Called "jenever", it was originally used for medicinal purposes in the 16th century.
6. The famous Dutch windmills were used to pump away water for hundreds of years.
7. Rotterdam is the second largest port in the world.