The Netherlands lies in northwestern Europe, on the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany. Its name means 'the lower lands', and it is true to the name: about a quarter of the land lies below sea level, kept dry by dikes, dunes, pumps and, in the past, windmills. The country is very flat, crossed by rivers and canals, and much of it is green farmland and polders, land drained from lakes and the sea.
People often call the whole country 'Holland', but Holland is really a region: the two western provinces of North Holland and South Holland, out of twelve. Amsterdam is the capital named in the constitution, but the parliament, the government and the Supreme Court sit in The Hague. The Netherlands also includes three small Caribbean islands, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, and it is one of four countries in the wider Kingdom of the Netherlands, together with Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.
The story of the Netherlands is a story of water and trade. Romans guarded the Rhine, medieval farmers drained the marshes, and a rebellion against Spain gave birth to a proud trading republic. Later came a kingdom, a hard occupation in the Second World War, and great works to keep the sea out for good.
Around AD 50 the Romans built a small fort at a crossing of the Rhine, which then marked the northern edge of their empire. It grew into the city of Utrecht. The remains of the Roman frontier along the Rhine are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On 23 January 1579, northern provinces and cities signed an alliance in Utrecht to stand together against Philip II. It is often seen as the first step towards the Dutch Republic and even as an early kind of constitution.
Tulips spread in the Netherlands from the 1590s, after the botanist Carolus Clusius planted them in Leiden. In the 1630s prices for rare bulbs soared, some selling for more than ten times a skilled craftsman's yearly income, until the market suddenly collapsed in February 1637. It is often called the first recorded speculative bubble.
After years of French rule under Napoleon, William of Orange-Nassau declared himself King William I on 16 March 1815. His new kingdom also included most of today's Belgium, and his family, the House of Orange-Nassau, still reigns.
On 1 July 1863 the Netherlands abolished slavery in Suriname and its Caribbean islands, where about 45,000 people were still enslaved. In Suriname they had to keep working on plantations for another ten years. The day is remembered as Keti Koti, 'the chain is cut'.
On 10 May 1940 Germany invaded the neutral Netherlands. On 14 May German bombers destroyed the historic centre of Rotterdam, and the main Dutch forces surrendered the same day. Queen Wilhelmina and the government carried on from exile in Britain.
On 5 May 1945, at Wageningen, the German commander agreed to surrender all German forces in the Netherlands. Every year the Dutch remember the war dead on 4 May and celebrate Liberation Day on 5 May.
On 25 March 1957 the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Rome with Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and West Germany, creating the European Economic Community, which grew into today's European Union.
Cook one of the recipes, print the large-print pack about the Netherlands, and finish with the big-screen quiz or the words crossword. Grandchildren can colour the flag.
