Radamer is not a Dutch cheese. It has been produced in Poland since 1991. It was created by accident, as a result of mixing up a battery vaccine. The resulting cheese resembles Mazdamer in taste and large holes, hence the idea for the name. ¹⁾

Giethoorn is called the Venice of the Netherlands. Located in the eastern part of the Netherlands, it was founded around 1230 by a group of Mediterranean refugees. It was flooded in 1421; since then, there are no roads in the old part of Gethoorn except for bike paths and 175 bridges. Some properties can only be reached by boat. The village became famous after Ben Haanstra filmed the comedy “Fanfare ” there in 1958. In 2015, it became part of the game “Monopoly.” ²⁾

The national anthem of the Netherlands is the oldest song of its kind. The text of the anthem “William of Nassau” was written between 1568 and 1572 in honor of William of Orange to the tune of a French soldier's song. Despite its enduring popularity among the Dutch, it was not officially recognized as an anthem until 1932. ³⁾

During the Japanese attack on the United States, Hr. Ms. Abraham Crijnssen was stationed in Dutch East Indies waters. After receiving orders to withdraw to Australia, the ship was fitted with camouflage to disguise it as a section of one of the Pacific islands to avoid detection by Japanese aircraft. After successfully reaching Australian waters in 1942, the ship was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (as HMAS “Abraham Crijnssen”), where it served as an escort carrier. ⁴⁾

Pieter Jansz Saenredam was a Dutch painter and printmaker of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known as the portraitist of churches. Saenredam painted architecture, and he was particularly interested in church interiors. His favorite church was the church of St. Bavon in Haarlem, where he was buried; he also painted in Utrecht, Amsterdam, Alkmaar, Rhenen, and Assendelft. He was able to render with pedantry the minutest architectural details of the depicted buildings. ⁵⁾

The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and the second-largest port in the world. It was also the busiest port in the world from 1962 to 2004. ⁶⁾

The Netherlands is generally liberal and one of the most progressive countries in the world. Abortion, prostitution, and Euthanasia are legal throughout the country. Dutch prostitutes pay taxes to the government. ⁷⁾

The largest international airport in the Netherlands is Schiphol Airport. It is located 4 meters below sea level. ⁸⁾

With 1.316 inhabitants per square mile, the Netherlands has the highest population density of any European country with more than one million inhabitants. ⁹⁾

Because Amsterdam's soil consists of a thick layer of peat and clay, all buildings are built on wooden posts that are embedded in the sandy layer. ¹⁰⁾

The Royal Palace at Dam Square is built on at least 13.659 wooden poles. ¹¹⁾

By 2025, the country's authorities will ban the sale of gasoline and diesel cars. ¹²⁾

The most well-known Dutch companies are Shell, Philips, Aegon, ING, Heineken, and TNT. ¹³⁾

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, but the government is based in The Hague. ¹⁴⁾

Gin was invented by the Dutch and is said to have become popular in Britain after William of Orange took the throne. ¹⁵⁾

According to the EU report, 94 percent of Dutch people could speak two languages, well above the EU average of 54 percent. ¹⁶⁾

The Dutch have three times as many bicycles as cars. ¹⁷⁾

Drug policy in the Netherlands allows coffee shops to sell government-approved drugs but in limited quantities. ¹⁸⁾

It is the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage since 2001. ¹⁹⁾