Real estate agent HousingOnline.nl in Amsterdam

Introduction



There are two things that will immediately strike you about this lovely little country: it will be exactly as you’d always imagined it, but will be populated by people who, while looking just like you, are profoundly, well… Dutch.



Yes, they sell tulips and clogs here. Yes, there are canals and that amazing architecture. There are the fabulous museums, the jaw-dropping Red Light Districts, the coffee shops for the smoker in your life and a huge variety of cafes if you just want to sit with a… coffee and watch the world go by. Cheese shops sell delicious cheeses the size of a large television and policemen are generally very laid back and ride bikes. If you come prepared with these clichés, you’ll be amazed by how much you already know about Holland.



The Dutch themselves will probably come as a bit of a surprise. They will not only look like you, they will also sound like you too. This is not an official figure, but 90%+ of Amsterdammers, for example, speak English so well that initially you’ll find yourself guessing where in the English-speaking world they originally come from. Just as you are getting used to this, you will also find yourself congratulating the occasional genuine Ozzie on how well they speak English. Never mind.



The other thing you need to know about the Dutch is that they don’t share our sense of humour (they have one, it’s just different), they view queuing in a more relaxed light, customer service in shops is viewed (by the staff) as optional, and they are also extremely direct and honest. In a nutshell, if you’re lucky enough to find a shop assistant, this is not the place to ask, “Does my bum look big in this?”



As you go through this site, you’ll find it packed full of both useless and useful information. A large proportion of the content comes from the personal experiences of the ex-pat community, so be aware that what you’re reading comes from a totally subjective point of view...



Here are some other bits of information no expat should be without.



10 Useful Facts



Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands



Address: Northern Europe



Area: 41,160 sq km (approx 25% of which is below sea level)



Population: Approx. 15,800,000 (Holland is the most densely populated country in Europe)



Languages: Dutch, Frisian and (unofficially) English



Religion: 60% Christian (a mixture of Catholic and Protestant), 3% Muslim



Government: Constitutional monarchy (like the UK)



Head of State: Queen Beatrix



Prime Minister: Jan Peter Balkenende

Inflation: 2%





10 Useless Facts



The Netherlands has over 15,000 km of cycle tracks.



When you arrive at Schiphol, your plane will be landing four and a half metres below sea level.



There are twice as many bikes as cars here.



Over 140 nationalities live in Amsterdam.



Almost all Dutch people can swim.



Amsterdam has 1,281 bridges.



The Dutch are the world’s second biggest coffee drinkers (Scandinavians top the chart).



1 in every 3 Dutch people belong to a sports club.



Statistically, the Dutch are the tallest people in Europe.



The Netherlands’s highest point is 321 metres above sea level.