NETHERLANDS CULTURE

THEY HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP  AND REGIONAL DIFFERENCES.  THE DUTCH CULTURE HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR CENTURIES IN THE GOLDEN AGE.  DURING 1500'S MANY PAINTERS FLED TO NORTHERN NETHERLANDS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS.  THESE REGIONS WERE GROWING ECONOMICALLY.  SOME GREAT PAINTERS CAME FROM HERE, SUCH AS VINCENT VAN GOGH.  BY 1581 NETHERLANDS WAS FREE FROM SPAIN.

THEY MAINLY SPEAK DUTCH WHILE THEY ALSO SPEAK DIALECTS.  LOW SAXON. NETHERLANDS HAS BEEN WHERE FOLKS HAVE BEEN WHERE FOLKS HAVE MOVED WHO WERE FLEEING FROM DISCRIMINATION;  THEY ALSO DREW REFUGEES FROM WAR COUNTRIES IN THE 1900'S.  THE PEOPLE HERE LIKE TO ENJOY CULTURAL DIVERSITY.  THEY HAVE BUILT  DIKES AND DUNES TO PROTECT THEIR LAND FROM STORMSTHEY HAVE 12 PROVINCES AND IT IS THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED COUNTRY IN EUROPE.  THEY ALSO SPEAK CREOLE IN SOME PARTS.  THEY HAVE PRIDEN SINTERNATIONAL  COMPETITIONS.  PEOPLE RAISE ORANGE FLAGS TO BE PATRIOTIC AND HAVE A GOOD FEELING OF THEIR ATHLETES.  THEY HAVE A BIG FESTIVAL ON QUEENS DAY TO CELEBRATE HOPE AND UNITY DURING WAR THE QUEEN BRINGS THEM HOPE AND UNITY DURING WAR.  THE QUEEN BRINGS THEM HOPE AND UNITY DURING THE WAR IN 1940 - 1945.  

IN 1940 TO  1945 THE DUTCH PEOPLE WERE OCCUPIED BY NAZI GERMANY.  THEY SHELTERED 25,000 FOLKS INCLUDING JEWS.  OVER 100,000 WERE DEPOSITED TO CONCENTRATION CAMPS. ANNE FRANK AND FAMILYWERE HARBORED BY DUTCH FAMILY FOR 2 YEARS BEFORE BEING BETROYED BY DUTCH COLLABORATORS. 

THEY MAINLY SPEAK DUTCH WHILE THEY ALSO SPEAK DIALECTS OF LOW SAXON.  NETHERLANDS HAS BEEN WHERE FOLKS HAVE MOVED WHO WERE FLEEING FROM DISCRIMINATION.  THEY ALSO DREW REFUGEES FROM DISCRIMINATION IN THE 1900'S.  THE PEOPLE HERE LIKE TO ENJOY CULTURAL DIVERSITY.  THEY HAVE BUILT DIKES AND DUNES TO PROTECT THEIR LAND FROM STORMS.  THEY HAVE 12 PROVINCES AND IT IS THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED COUNTRY IN EUROPE.  THEY ALSO SPEAK CREOLE IN SOME PARTS.  THEY HAVE PRIDE IN CONQUERING THEIR  MYSTERY OVER THE SEA.  THEY ALSO TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN SOCCER INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS.  PEOPLE RAISED ORANGE FLAGS TO BE PATRIOTIC AND HAVE A GOOD FEELING OF THEIR ATHLETES.

THEY HAVE A BIG FESTIVAL ON QUEENS DAY TO CELEBRATE HOPE AND UNITY DURING THE WAR.  IN 1940 - 1945 THE DUTCH PEOPLE WERE OCCUPIED BY NAZI GERMANY.  THEY STARTED $25,000 FOLKS INCLUDING JEWS.  OVER 100,000 JEWS WERE TO CONCENTRATION CAMPS.   ANNE FRANK AND FAMILY WERE HARBORED BY 2 YEARS BY DUTCH FOLKS BEFORE BEING BETRAYED BY DUTCH COLLABORATORS.

THE DUTCH STRUGGLED FROM 16TH TO 18TH CENTURIES FOR INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN DURING THE 80 YEAR WAR.  NETHERLANDS WAS UNIFIED WITH BELGIUM AFTER 1648.  THEIR POLITICS BECAME MORE DEPENDANT ON CONSENSUS AND NEGOTIATION THANON AUTHORITARIAN RULE AS POWER RESTED IN THE HANDS OF VICEROYS. THEY CREATED TRADE RELATIONS THAT CREATED NAVAL DOMINANCE AND WEALTH FOR MERCHANT CLASS.  A SMALL POPULATION RESULTED AND EVEN SO THE WEALTHY MERCHANT CLASS RESULTED IN THE SO CALLED GOLDEN AGE WITH GREAT ART WORKS.

BY 1750 THE NETHERLANDS WAS ONE OF THE POOREST NATION.  ONLY AFTER 1851 THEY BEGAN THEIR INDUSTRIAL AGE.  IN 1878 DUTCH POPULATION PARTICIPATED IN SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING LABOR UNIONS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, POLITICAL PARTIES, SOCIAL CLUBS, CHURCHES, NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO STATIONS.  THEY HAD NO NATIONAL IDENTITY, YET RELIGIOUS, CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY ARE CONSIDERED THE ESSENCE OF DUTCH CULTURE.  THE 1990'S WERE MARKED BY THE IMMIGRATION OF THE GROUPS FROM WEST AFRICA, SOMALIA, SRI LANKA, AFGHANISTAN AND BALKINS.  THEIR MAIN CITIES ARE CONSTATNTLY SUBJECTED  TO URBAN  RENEWAL POJECTS WITH PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS.

THEIR SPATIAL ORGANIZATION IS ALL CAREFULLY DIVIDED WITH CANALS AND DIKES. THEIR CITIES ARE UNIFORMALLYDESIGNED, ESPECIALLY IN SUBURBAN HHOUSING.

THE NETHERLANDS HAS NO STRONG DISTINCT AND CULINARY BECAUSE OF ITS PROTESTANT ETHNIC AND LACK OF CULTURAL TRADITION.  THEY EAT SOUPS, A THICK STRAW, RAW HERRING, AND CHEESES ARE EXPORTED.  THE DUTCH EAT A TWO COURSE MEAL FOR DINNER.  THEY EAT POTATOES AND MEAT AND SOUP.  NEIGHBORS INVITE EACH OTHER OVER FOR COFFEE.  THEY LOVE DRINKING COFFEE AT WORK OR AS A SOCIAL ENTITY.

THEIR ECONOMY PERFORMS SMOOTHLY, AND IT HINGES ON GOVERNMENT AND EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATIONS.  BY 2000 THERE WERE 7 MILLION PEOPLE HERE.  THERE AVERAGE INCOME IS $23000.  THEY ARE MOSTLY ORIENTED TO AGRICULTURE, TRADE AND SERVICE.   ONLY 2% ARE IN AGRICULTURE.  GERMANY  IS THEIR MAIN TRADING PARTNER.  SOME OF THE OTHER PARTNERS ARE BELGIUM, FRANCE AND U.S. 

MOST OF THE NETHERLANDS IS MIDDLE CLASS.  FIVE TO 10 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION LIVES AT SUBSISTENCE LEVEL.  LOWER INCOME HOUSE HOUSES AVERAGE  ABOUT $10,000 AFTER TAXES.  WOMEN ARE 38% OF LABOR FORCE AND WORK PART TIME.  THEIR LOW RATE IS THE CARE OF CHILDREN.  MEN STILE MAKE MORE THAN WOMEN - OVER HALF.  WOMEN WORK MOSTLY IN NURSING AND CLEANING JOBS.

THESE FOLKS ARE FREE TO CHOOSE THEIR SPOUSES.  MANY FOLKS MARRY FROM THE SAME KIN GROUP.  THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY MAY CONSIST OF TWO SEPARATE EVENTS AND A CITY REGISTRATION AND A RELIGIOUS CEREMONY.   THE LATER IS OPTIONAL. 1/2 OF THEIR POPULATION IS MARRIED.  80,000 FILE FOR MARRIAGE EACH YEAR.  A NUCLEAR FAMILY IS THE MOST COMMON HOUSEHOLD, ALTHOUGH  IT IS LOSING GROUND TO SINGLES PARENT FAMILIES.THEY HAVE A TREND TOWARD MORE EQUALITY OF THEIR PARTNERS.  EXTENDED FAMILY HOUSEHOLD ARE RARE.

THE CHILDREN ARE CARED FOR PRIMILY BY THEIR PARENTS IN THE HOME.  JUST LIKE USMANY PARENTS BOTH WORK AND THE TODDLERS ARE IN A NURSERY WHEN AT WORK.  BY 4 YEARSOLD THEY GO TO PRIMARY SCHOOL.  TEENAGERS HAVE A WIDE ARRAY OF SUBCULTURES THEY EXPLORE.  ABOUT 70% OF HIGH SCHOOL KIDS GO ON TO COLLAGE.

THESE FOLKS HAVE A STRONG AGENDA TO ORDER TIME ON CALENDARS.  THE CHILDREN ARE GIVEN AN AGENDA IN PRIMARY SCHOOLFOR A FULL LIFE.  THEY ARE VERY PUNCTUAL.  THEY HAVE TIMES TO WORK, CLEAN THE HOUSE, AND VISIT FRIENDS.  THEIR WAY OF ADDRESSING A PERSON  WITH
'YOU" SHOWS EQUALITY.THEY ARE MOSTLY CATHOLIC FOLLOWED BY PROTESTANTS AND DUTCH REFORMED.

FORTY PERCENT ARE NOT RELIGIOUS.  AFTER 1960'S RELIGION PLAYED A DECREASING ROLE IN ORDERING PEOPLE'S LIVES.  AMONG THE 60'S THOSE WHO SAY THEY ARE RELIGIOUS PROFESS TO NOT ACTUALLY GET INVOLVED IN RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES.  THE ROMAN CATHOLICS IN THE SOUTH HAVE RICH PROFESSIONS DATING BACK TO THE MIDDLE AGES SUCH AS BLOOD PROCESSIONS PROFESS TO NOT ACTIVELY GET INVOLVED  IN RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES.  

EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND THE UNEMPLOYED  ARE EVEN PROTECTEDBY PUBLIC HEALTHINSURANCE.  THE GOVERNMENT IS NEEDING TO TAKE CARE OFTHE AGED SINCE CHURCH COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO TAKE PERFORM THE TASK.  WOMEN GENERALLY RAISE CHILDREN AND MEN ARE THE MAIN INCOME MAKERS.

THEY HAVE MANYMUSICAL FESTIVALS THAT ATTRACT MANLY THER MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASSES.

MUCH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS AT UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH LABS.  THEY HAVE 13 UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH LABS.  THEY HAVE AN AGENCY FOR FUNDING SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL SCIENCES.  IN CORPORATE LABS THEY SPEND $3.8 BILLION DOLLARS FOR RESEARCH.

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