Fun facts about Netherlands

1. Neanderthal traces have been found near Maastricht, thought to trace back at least 250,000 years.
2. There are 20 national parks in the Netherlands, as well as hundreds of woods and lakes.
3. Only 50% of the Netherlands has land exceeding one meter above sea level.
4. Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in the Netherlands and home to at least 200 different nationalities.
5. Netherlands has been ranked fourth happiest country in the world.
6. The Dutch are the biggest licorice eaters in the world.
7. There are still over 1,000 traditional working windmills in the Netherlands.
8. Dutch national airline, is the oldest national airline in the world. It was founded in 1919.
9. There are almost no streets in the village of Giethoorn, but there are many canals, which is why it's also known as the Venice of the Netherlands.
10. The audiotape, the videotape, and the CD were all invented in Eindhoven by the Dutch company Philips.
11. Amsterdam is entirely built on wooden poles 11 meters deep.
12. There are about 15,000 km of bike lanes in the Netherlands.
13. Dutch people are the tallest in Europe with an average height of 1.81-1.84m for adult males and 1.67-1.70m for females.
14. There are more bikes in the Netherlands than there are people.
15. Planes at Schipol Airport Amsterdam actually land about 3 to 4.5 meters below sea level.
16. The Netherlands are famous for their tulips, but tulips originally didn't grow there.
17. Today, the Netherlands is the biggest producer and exporter of tulips in the world.
18. 75% of the world's flower bulbs come from the Netherlands.
19. Home births are very popular in the Netherlands, with almost 30% of all Dutch babies born at home.
20. Almost 17% of Netherlands land area is reclaimed from lakes and sea.
21. The Dutch Max Havelaar certificate was the first fairtrade certificate in the world..
22. The lowest point in The Netherlands is Zuidplaspolder, which lies seven meters below sea level.
23. The Dutch national flag is also the oldest tricolor flag, dating back to 1572.
24. Rotterdam has the largest seaport in Europe.
25. The Netherlands was a founding member of the Euro, swapping their gulden to the euro currency in 1999.
26. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange Hendrik D-de Keyser is the world's oldest stock exchange.
27. The microscope was invented in the Netherlands in the 16th century.