Today we will be talking about a very famous country which has many interesting facts: Netherlands or Holland.
NETHERLANDS (HOLLAND)
- Name as written in its native language: Nederland
- Language: Dutch
- Capital: Amsterdam
- Currency: Euro (BRL 4.99 – exchange rate on 09/23/2022)
- Main soccer player: Virgil van Dijk
- Typical dish: Stamppot
Interesting Facts
Despite being a well-known country worldwide, the Netherlands has characteristics that many are unaware of. Starting with its own name. The country’s official name Nederland, which, in Dutch, literally means lower country. The Netherlands is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is made up of the following countries: the Netherlands (Holland), Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. As it is a kingdom, the Netherlands, as well as all of the other countries comprising the kingdom, is a Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy, which has a Head of Government – the Prime Minister – and a Head of State – the King. Currently, the king is Willem-Alexander, who was crowned in 2013, after the abdication of his mother, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
In economy, the Netherlands stands out for being the second largest importer of food products in the world, after the United States only. Sixty percent of the country’s agricultural production is exported, and the country is one of the largest producers and distributors of oil and natural gas, which allows for a great economic stability, even during times of crisis.
The official language is Dutch, spoken in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname. Dutch is one of the official languages of the European Union, and documents issued in these countries are often translated in Brazil, as here we have a large community of Dutch immigrants and descendants, especially in São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul.
In terms of cuisine, the most famous dish is stamppot, which consists of mashed potatoes with lots of legumes and vegetables served with rookworst, a type of smoked sausage. As in Brazil, the Dutch also love fries, but the difference is that their favorite sauce is mayonnaise, instead of ketchup.
The Dutch national team also features several famous soccer players, such as Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay, Wijnaldum, but their star is the center-half Virgil van Dijk, the Liverpool player. Van Dijk is considered by many in the specialized press as one of the best defenders in the world, and until the last season, he was Mané’s partner, that is, there will be an interesting duel in group A in Qatar.
With the Netherlands, we have completed Group A. If you liked this, follow us on our social media (Instagram: @ekostraducoes / LinkedIn: ekostraducoes) and come back next week, because we will start Group B, speaking about England.
