Dutch people
The title of this article is ambiguous. See also: Dutchman (disambiguation)
The Dutch (Dutch:
) are a Western European ethnic group of Germanic ethnicity. For the purposes of this article, they are the indigenous population of the Netherlands according to common origin and ethnicity, with a common culture and history. They speak Dutch, West Frisian. The Dutch are linguistically related to the Flemings in Belgium. They use the term Dutch as inhabitants or citizens of the Low Countries, which refer to the areas that are flat in terms of geography and located in a lowland plain - one third of the state is even below sea level.
Dutch people and their descendants form a significant minority in various overseas countries, such as Suriname, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States. There are about 25 million (born) Dutch people in the world today.
The largest religious affiliation among the Dutch is Christianity, in roughly equal parts Roman Catholic and Protestant, whereas the proportion of non-denominational or non-religious people is one of the highest of all European ethnic groups.
The Netherlands is a country poor in raw materials. This formed in the past and still today a society strongly influenced by and dependent on trade. During the so-called Golden Age, the Dutch dominated world trade for about a century, which gave them the reputation of being excellent merchants and navigators.
Famous Dutchmen
Dissemination of the Dutch language
Questions and Answers
Q: Who are the Dutch?
A: The Dutch are the people who live in the Netherlands, or those that come from the Netherlands.
Q: What is often called Holland?
A: Holland is often called a part of the Netherlands.
Q: Where else can Dutch culture and ethnicity be found?
A: Dutch culture and ethnicity can be found outside of the Netherlands, with large number of Dutch living in the United States of America, South Africa, Suriname, and Namibia.
Q: Who invented the microscope and telescope?
A: The inventors of the microscope and telescope were Hans Lippershey and Zacharias Janssen.
Q: What famous painters have been Dutch?
A: Famous painters who have been Dutch include Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh and Johannes Vermeer.
Q: How many people in The Netherlands actually have Dutch nationality?
A: About 15.5 million people in The Netherlands actually have Dutch nationality.
Q: How many people living in The Netherlands do not have Dutch nationality?
A: About 1 million people living in The Netherlands do not have Dutch nationality.
