Europe according to the Dutch

The Dutch are a Germanic ethnic group from the Netherlands. They’re frequently seen as the pioneers of capitalism, and their impact on contemporary economy, secularism, and free market thinking has been hugely influential worldwide. It’s impressive for such a tiny country.

So how do the Dutch view Europe? To understand that, we should start with how they see themselves.

What Makes the Dutch Tick

Most residents and visitors of the Netherlands as the main features of the country and its inhabitants note the following.

• Religion: Netherland traditionally has two religious: Catholic (southern provinces) and Protestant (Easter provinces), but in usual, faith isn’t a big part of daily life.
• Distances: The Netherlands is a little country. Therefore the comprehension of a range of travel is very different in contrast, for instance, Germany and France. In the Netherlands, a two hours commute or 100 km trip is seen as a significant distance. In other more big states, it is estimated to be close by.
• Meals: Dutch customary have three meals a day. Breakfast is a sandwich with something sweet (hagelslag or peanut butter, ham, or cheese).
• Hospitality: Although it is changing, being invited to a Dutch dinner at home could come across for many newcomers as a bit unusual. 
• Saturday: The day that is traditionally reserved for supermarkets, hobbies, and sports.
• Work-Life Balance: The Dutch working hard to do their works eight hours a day to enjoy private time after work. Dutch is extraordinarily organized and is incredibly punctual. Being delayed is not taken lightly.
• Opinions: The Dutch have their point of view on anything and everything they will undoubtedly share, being confident that they are right. 
• Trust: It is not surprising to give spare keys to the neighbors. A Dutch proverb is: Better to have a good neighbor than a distant friend.
• Money: Dutch is very thrifty about personal finance and will tend to preserve more than spend.
• Sex: Sex is talked about frankly, seldom in detail.
• Bicycles: the ordinary Dutch has at least two bikes. 
• Height: Dutch people are usually tall, especially men. 
• Politics: Dutchmen have strong political views but not arguing about them. The government is located in The Hague, but the capital is Amsterdam.
• Consensus: The Netherlands is the nation of compromise.

How the Dutch See Europe

These cultural traits create a particular lens for viewing the rest of Europe. The stereotype maps below capture these perceptions with humor and surprising honesty.

The Dutch Stereotype Map of Europe

Another Dutch Perspective

From the Atlas of Prejudice

This map shows Europe according to the Netherlands, created by Yanko Tsvetkov and published in his Atlas of Prejudice, available on Amazon.