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The country that is mistakenly called Holland, attracts millions of tourists not only by their omniscularity and endless fields of tulips. Here are the highest men in the world, police that will help wash the dishes and feed the children, and the king himself can be easily in the plane.

We are in website Found unexpected facts about Motherland Van Gogh and Rembrandt, who will also differ from those tourists who have already been to the Netherlands.

1. The highest men in the world

If you like tall men, then they are easiest to find in the Netherlands. The average height of the Dutch is about 183 cm, and they are considered the highest in the world. The average growth of women is 169 cm, and they occupy the second line in the ranking of the highest nations.

2. Red day

Every year in early September in the Dutch town of Breda (Breda) is the day of red heads. This festival lasts 2 days and collects hundreds of people with solar hair out of 50 countries around the world.

3. Police - Heroes of Social Networks

Dutch police are very often becoming heroes of posts on social networks, and not only because of their heroic actions in the service. So, in the town of Eindhoven (Eindhoven), the guards of the order remained at home to wash the dishes and prepare lunch for 5 children when their mother was taken to the hospital.

2 Other police girls became famous in Facebook when they discovered the missing phone and decided to make a post on the page of the smartphone owner on the social network: "Hi, we found your phone, come and take it."

4. Free accommodation for students with adult neighbors

Homes for the elderly in the Netherlands are ready to provide students with free housing in exchange for volunteering activities. Your neighbor can be a cute 90-year-old grandfather or grandmother, which simply lacks communication. You will need to pay volunteer at least 30 hours a month, and for this you will provide a free room in this institution completely free. Although on average, students in the Netherlands usually spend about € 366, in Neetherlands, in neighboring Germany, the studio can be found for € 210-360 per month.

5. Life on the water

When a significant part of the country is dismantled by the sea, and any major city permeate dozens of channels, they get used to living in harmony with water elements from childhood. Many prefer cozy houses on water to close apartments. Here, even the shelter for animals can be found moored to the embankment.

And in the Dutch village, GiThorn (Giethoorn) there are no roads and people move exclusively by boats.

And the Dutch people prefer to swim along the water arteries of their country.

6. Country on two wheels

About 16 million people live in the Netherlands and there are over 18 million bicycles. And in Amsterdam, the number of two-wheeled vehicles 4 times exceeds the number of cars. It is not surprising that with such a great love of the Dutch to this type of transport plugs from cyclists in this country a completely ordinary phenomenon.

The total length of all cycling routes in the country is 100,000 km. Therefore, the locals do not feel the need to buy a car and use their two-wheeled friend even in the most non-standard situations.

And it doesn't matter what kind of social status or high post is, - life in the Netherlands without a bike is impossible to imagine. Even the Prime Minister prefers ride a bike.

The Netherlands means "lower lands", but now this European kingdom is increasingly called differently: the country of giants and giants. This does not have anything strange and this is not an exaggeration, because the average Growth of the Dutch is 1.71 meters, and the Dutch is 1.85 meters.

The reason for such superiority in growth over the inhabitants of other countries until recently remained mystery. Scientists did not know why the Dutch became the highest people of the planet. Although that just a couple of centuries ago, the subjects of this kingdom in the north of continental Europe were considered one of the most ... low.

As for some two hundred years, such a significant metamorphosis could have occurred for evolutionary standards? The most common explanation is reinforced nutrition and a high-calorie diet, in which meat and dairy products are important.

However, now scientists are confident that it is not only a nutrition and diet. A lot of other European countries also achieved considerable success in raising the level of welfare of their people, but they did not grow with the same astronomical speed that the Dutch. Average Dutchman, approve in the statistical department of the Netherlands Army, has added very impressive 20 centimeters over the past 150 years, i.e. He became higher on the ancestors who lived in the middle of the 19th century, on the head. For the same age of a half century, the average American, 15 years ago, who had the status of the highest person on the planet, became above only 6 centimeters, although he also did not hungry and eat a lot of meat.

To reveal the riddle of such a rapid growth of the Dutch, scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, headed by a specialist in the health of the population hero stoolp. They checked the statistics of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the so-called Lifelines), a huge database containing the most detailed information about more than 9,4500 Dutch people who lived in 1935-67.

British scientists paid attention to a curious pattern - the growth of large fathers, who had an average of 0.24 children more than the least prolific Dutch, exceeded the growth of the middle Dutch. The growth of the least prolific parents was 14 cm below average. In addition, the high and old men of Dutch blood are more often bred and new families in which other children appear.

Researchers explained this pattern by evolution in action. It turns out that high men are much easier to find a partner than low, and women low growth more often choose in satellites of the life of men with growth above average. Thus, high men have a greater chance for the transfer of their gene pool to the following generations.

The same pattern is observed among Dutch, although in a less pronounced form compared to men.

British scientists did not conduct research at the Genn. They concluded according to the results of observations, which, obviously, over time, more and more than the Dutch were acquired by high growth genes.

"Natural selection in addition to a good environment can explain why the Dutch is such high," the article refers to the results of research published in the Royal Society Journal Proceedings B.

"The growth is a very hereditary feature, - explains Gert Stoolp." Higher children are born in higher parents. Since the highest people in the next generation are born more children, which are also higher, the average growth of this generation, with other things being equal, is also increasing.

The palm of championship with the Americans and the Dutch shall share the highest people of Africa. it representatives of the people of Nuers from East Sudan - (Middle Growth of Men 184 cm).

Tall groups (170 centimeters and above) also live on the east coast of North America and in Argentina. In Europe, tall people tend to live in the north of the continent. In addition to the Dutch, these are Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Scots. For a long time, among Europeans, the record was behind Montenegrin: the average height of men in the country - 177 centimeters, and in the city of Trebin - 183 centimeters.

In 1960-1970, the average growth of Soviet men was 168 cm, women - 157 cm. In Russia of the early 1990s, the average growth of men was 176 cm, women - 164 cm.

In the world, the average growth of an adult man is currently 165 centimeters, women - 154 centimeters. The difference in the growth of men and women in different nations ranges from 8-12 centimeters.

The most lowest people on Earth are the Pigmea tribe of Mbuti. The average growth of men is less than 140 centimeters, women - 120-130 centimeters. They live in Equatorial Africa in the Congo River Basin, in the least affordable wooded places. Pygmy - "People with a cam", this word is translated. Very little people can be found in many places near the equator. This is the Tribal of the ATE living in the Philippines, the semang of the Malacca Peninsula. Small growth is characteristic of the population of the Far North of Europe, Asia and America (blades, Mansi, Khanty, Eskimos).

Elena Lappko is responsible,

Director of Noosa-Amsterdam Russia

In fact, there is no sign of equality between Holland and the Netherlands. Moreover, Holland has two: North and South. They are only two of the 12 provinces of the Netherlands.

Consequently, the nationality of the Dutch also does not exist, and all the indigenous population is correctly called the Dutch. However, both options are admired in Russian conversational speech. As for the language, he is Netherlands, and Dutch is one of his dialects.

The reason for the existing confusion is historical. Back in the XVII century, sea vessels went to Arkhangelsk from North and South Holland. Being natives of these provinces, merchants were presented in Russia by the Dutch. Peter I made even greater thanksatu. In 1697-1698, during the diplomatic mission to Western Europe, he visited the Netherlands, more precisely, the most developed regions of the country - both Holland. Returning, he began to tell not about the Netherlands, but about Holland, which only strengthened the incorrect representation of the Russians about the name of the country.

Now these provinces are not less important in the life of the Netherlands than before. Amsterdam, which is located in North Holland, fulfills the role of the financial and cultural capital.

The Hague, which is the center of South Holland, is the residence of the Netherlands Government and Parliament. At the same time takes the oath of the monarch in Amsterdam. Even the State Travel Site is called Holland.com. This was done in order to support a more friendly image of the state and at the same time get into the top search queries.

By the way, the confusion of Holland VS Netherlands exists not only in Russian. For example, in Greece in colloquial speech, the country is called Olland (ολλανδία), but the official name remains KATO-Hores (κάτω χώρες), which is literally translated as "lower lands", in fact, as the Netherlands. British and Americans are even more difficult, since they have this country at different times called the Dutch Republic, United States of Belgium and the Kingdom of Holland.

However, to call the Netherlands of Holland, meaning the state, as ridiculous, to refer to the United States, for example, Florida or Texas.

Netherlands and Holland - the same thing? Yes and no. How to see.

Kingdom of the Netherlands - a densely populated European state. Borders with Germany and Belgium. Has in its composition some of the islands of the Caribbean (Sint-Eustatius, Saba, Bonaire), washed by the Northern Sea.

The name of the state is translated as "lower lands". In the era of the Middle Ages, this territory was also called "lower country" (plus Belgium). Well, rightly. After all, most of the state is below sea level. An exaltivity of over three hundred meters is considered local residents of a high mountain. Perhaps for this reason, the population in the development of rights and obligations it easily took into account their "landed desires", thanks to which there is no need to violate the law for the feeling of flight and freedomity. When a lot of things are allowed, the temptations almost remains, and everyone lives in peace and harmony.

Netherlands were originally called so. There is no other name for the country's population. From the beginning of the nineteenth century to this day here is a monarchy. Only today is the parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

The country developed his own culture, was his own language. Each historical turn state experienced in its own way. If you managed to hold onto the side during the First World War, then the Second World did not pass by. For five years, this area was occupied by Germany. A Marshall plan created by the United States of America helped to recover quickly.

Today in this area pay great attention to the social rights of all segments of the population. Here are the highest benefits for unemployment and pension. This is one of those rare places where residents are almost 100% satisfied with their government and adopted laws. For example, prostitution and sale of the grass are prostituted here.

In this way, Netherlands is a full-fledged state.. With his tongue, with its territory, history, culture. The country has its own path of development, his own look at the life of its population. Then why are the Netherlands call Holland? Where are these two countries that are so often confused?
The most advanced province

Holland - Province of the Netherlands. Surprisingly, this is a fact. One of the provinces. Rather, two. Because they distinguish between North Holland and South.

The northern part of this area geographically addressed in the sixteenth century. South - much later, at the end of the eighteenth. But here we will talk at all about Holland. To be easier.

So here. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, Holland is the most important province of an amazing country, most developed in many indicators. She was known to all states that had trade relations with the Netherlands. So the whole territory in the whole "Holland" was magnified.

People also thought little, what is the difference between one name from the other. Widely spread in everyday life of the Slavs "Holland" after the visit of Peter first to the Northern Country. Russian king praised only the technically developed part of the country. The name of the whole state in their stories did not even mention. The writers and poets contributed to the rooting of "incorrectness" in Russian minds. So it remains to this day.

Some share of justice is there. Take at least the capital of the Netherlands, official and unofficial. The official capital is Amsterdam - is located in the northern part of the country. Here the monarch swear to the loyalty of the Constitution. Unofficial, actual - Hague - in South. Here is the royal residence, the government meets, there are many foreign embassies. That is, the most important events of the Netherlands occur in the provinces of Holland.

But still. How to select the name when mentioning this amazing area?

In official speeches, documents - "Netherlands". On tourist sites, in fiction, in the museum of painting, in the flower shop - "Holland". By the way, the second name is used as a Russian-speaking population, rather than in-lawyers.

flickr.com, Huub Zeeman

Foreigners striking the extraordinary openness and straightness of the Dutch, confident that honesty is very important - even more important than sympathy.

I lived in Amsterdam about the year, when my husband and I agreed to meet with his friends in one of the numerous cafes of Park Vondel.

We came first and wait quite a long time. When he finally materialized, it was a question asking us: "What do you want?" - Instead of the traditional "What would you like to order?" Or at least "What do you bring?"

The question sounded too straightforwardly, if not rude. Perhaps the case was that he spoke in non-English English. Or maybe he was a bad day. I, however, was unpleasantly affected.

Later, my teacher of the Netherlands explained that the Dutch is very straightforward, and this feature especially inherent in the residents of Amsterdam.

Similar impressions are divided by the writer Ben Cautes. He moved to the Netherlands from the UK eight years ago and wrote a book "Why Dutch Are Different" (Why The Dutch Are Different).

Somehow, after a visit to the hairdresser, he met a familiar Dutchman, who seized that the new haircut did not go.

"The Dutch always say what they think. Even on a business meeting - if your offer is not very successful, you will certainly indicate that "," explains Coots.

Briton Cautus This national trait immediately rushed into the eyes. In the UK, he says, people tend to communicate and behave in such a way as not to offend the interlocutor in a word or behavior.

"The British do not speak loudly in the train, as it may be unpleasant to fellow travelers, always try to follow the rules of etiquette," explains Cautes.

However, in the Netherlands it is believed that "everyone has the right to say what he thinks. And if you do not like it, this is your problem. "

Many foreigners like frankness seems impolite and possibly even arrogant.

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Once in the supermarket, I accidentally dropped the products that, about horror, crumbled throughout the floor. In a matter of seconds, I was surrounded by at least a dozen Dutch and Dutch, which were in vain began to advise me what to do.

However, none of them moved his finger to help. For me, the situation was obvious: I needed help. However, the Dutch saw it otherwise: while I do not ask for help out loud, they will not interfere.

"Someone can decide that we do not know how to empathize. Perhaps it is, because for us honesty is more important than sympathy, "explains Eleanor Brequel, a specialist in intercultural communication.

But in fact, it is simply different models of communication. According to Bracel, who was born in the Netherlands, but lived in different countries of the world, the straightness of the Dutch is connected with Calvinism, although today, as noted by the news site DutchNews, the overwhelming majority of the Dutch do not associate themselves with any of the religions.

With the beginning of the reformation movement in the XVI century, Calvinism spread in France, Scotland and the Netherlands. However, only in Holland he significantly affected the national character.

The extensive popularity of Calvin's teachings contributed to the fact that it was at that time that the Dutch fought for independence from the influence of Catholic Spain that prevailed in the Netherlands from 1556 to 1581 (at that time both countries were included in the sacred Roman Empire. - Approx. Translator).

In 1573, Prince Wilhelm I Orange on nicknamed silent (founder of the Orange Royal Dynasty, which rules in the Netherlands today) renounced Catholic faith and accepted Calvinism to unite the country.

As a result, Calvinism had a great influence on national identity - as opposed to Catholicism, which the Dutch was associated with the Spanish oppression.

"Calvinism preached personal responsibility for the salvation of his soul from the sinful world with the help of reflection, honesty, eliminating earthly pleasures, as well as richness," writes Bracket in the article about Dutch business culture published on her website.

Openness and honesty are so characteristic of the Dutch society that for this phenomenon even invented a special word - BESPREEKBAARHEID (which can be translated as "Desire to discuss everything"). And it really means that you can and need to discuss all that the tabs should not be.

The openness of the Dutch manifests even in habit not to hide what is happening in their home from prying eyes.

In the Netherlands there is a tradition not to maintain windows, so any passerby can look inside.

"The Dutch has a completely different idea of \u200b\u200bconfidentiality," says Cights about their habit to publicly discuss the most intimate topics.

"Being surrounded by unfamiliar people, they can loudly talk about their health problems or about the divorce of parents or loving relationships. They do not see the reasons to keep it in secret. "

It seems that any topic, no matter how difficult it is to be discussed here. None in any other country of the world speak so frankly about prostitution, drugs or euthanasia, as in the Netherlands.

Euthanasia, by the way, is fully legalized here, but is strictly controlled, as well as prostitution.

And although the sale and consumption of marijuana recently imposed legislative restrictions, in accordance with the tolerance policy, the sale of drugs in the coffee shops is not prosecuted.

Bracked, however, disagrees with the fact that there are no taboo for the Dutch.

"We usually do not talk about wages or pensions. We have not taken to say that someone has a good home or expensive car. We do not discuss everything related to money, "she emphasizes.