Literature Pack prepared by Lisa Groenendyk, teacher - Pella Christian School A Stranger In A Strange Land The Netherlands 1. The Netherlands means ________________, which refers to the fact that much of the land lies below sea level. 2. The land area taken from the sea by the building of dikes was called a _____________________. 3. The result of all the dike building and polder making is that Holland has almost doubled its land area. (40% of the country would be underwater without the dikes. _______________________were built to drain the water off the land. Later they were also used to saw wood and grind wheat. 4. The Polders region is below sea level. When you stand in a polder field, you can look across a dike and see ships floating above the level of the field! This area is the leading farming region because of its fertile soil. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht are found in this area. The Hague lies where the polders and the Dunes meet. 5. Two major rivers flow through The Netherlands. They are the _______________ and the Maas. They are important means of transportation for products from other European countries to The Netherlands and the North Sea and from The Netherlands to other European countries. 6. An important industry for The Netherlands is fishing. ___________________ is the most important kind of fish they catch. 7. Different groups of people settled The Netherlands. Each group differed in language and customs. To this day, the people in the different regions maintain varying customs, language dialects, and manners of dress. 8. The capitol of the Netherlands is _______________, but the seat of the government is in ______________. 9. Queen ____________ is currently the queen of The Netherlands. Describe the actual main governing body of The Netherlands. _________________________________________________________________________ 10. Builders in Amsterdam used every bit of available space. The houses stand close to each other. The staircases are only wide enough for one person. They use a hoist on the top of the building to bet big items up in their houses. 11. The ________________ found in The Hague is the headquarters for the International Court of Justice, a UN court that settles legal disputes between countries. 12. __________________ is an important ship-building city and harbor to other cities of the world. 13. __________________ is known as the center of learning. Henry Scholte attended the University there. 14. The Dutch are known for their _____________(a dairy product), their ____________(flowers), __________(herring), and lace. 15. On holidays, many folks wear the traditional Dutch costumes to remind them of their ancestors. The most famous part of the traditional Dutch way of dressing is the __________________(2 words), but the Dutch call them _____. 16. Transportation on the Netherland's main ________________ is important for moving products throughout the country. 17. The country is also linked by many _______________, or smaller waterways. 18. The making of pottery and the cutting of diamonds are important Dutch crafts. ______________ is a fine white pottery usually decorated with blue designs. 19. ____________ is the national language of The Netherlands. The other official language is ________________. 20. Some famous people from the Netherlands are: __________________________________________________. 21. ____________________ was a young Jewish girl who hid with her family from the Nazis. She kept a diary which turned into a very popular book. 22. All children must complete 10 years of school from ages 6-16. Primary education is much like elementary school here. Instead of high school, students attend specialized schools that prepare them for jobs or for University studies. 23. In the space below, list a Dutch last name and its meaning. (You may list more than one if you like!) ********************** Answers to Netherlands Questions ***************************************** 1. lowlands 2. polder 3. windmills 4. -- 5. Rhine 6. herring 7. -- 8. Amsterdam, The Hague 9. Beatrix, The prime minister, chosen by the monarch, is the head of government. He chooses department heads. There are 2 law-making chambers forming a congress. 10. -- 11. Peace Palace (built by A. Carnegie) 12. Rotterdam 13. Leiden 14. cheese, tulips, fish 15. wooden shoes, klompen 16. rivers 17. canals 18. Delft 19. Dutch, Frisian 20. Rembrandt (artist), Van Leeuwenhoek (microbiology), Van Gogh (artist) Answers will vary 21. Anne Frank 22. -- 23. -- ***********************************************************************