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Netherlands

The Netherlands is located in northwestern Europe, with a coastline on the North Sea. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as Holland, after one of its larger regions; its residents are known as the Dutch. At only 41,500 square miles, it is the largest of the “Low Countries,” the low-laying countries along Europe's northern river deltas. More than half of the country sits at or below sea level, with water levels controlled by an elaborate system of dikes, canals, and seawalls. Over 90 percent of the country's 16 million residents live in cities. A center of international trade and commerce since at least the 17th century, it has a long history as a industrious and cosmopolitan country.

Games and Pastimes

With an economy focused on trade and commerce, the Dutch were able to enjoy games and pastime that came from all over the world on the ships that made their way up and down the Rhine, the Meuse, and the Scheide rivers. Over time, they developed their own practices and preferences, some of them still popular today.

Sjoelbak, for example, is a “shovelboard” game that developed in the 19th century from a 15th-century British game called “Shove Ha'penny.” In Sjoelbak, two players slide 30 wooden discs down a six-foot-long table, trying to navigate through any of four arches at the far end of the table. The game is scored by the number of discs that land in each slot. It remains a popular game in youth centers, in sjoelbak clubs and tournaments, and in families, particularly in the winter months.

Cards are another favored pastime, played not just in the home but in cafés and social clubs as well. Most Dutch card games fall into the Jass category, also known as “trick-taking” games, where players follow a series of finite rounds known as “tricks.” The national game is Klaverjas, where four players form two teams to try to outscore the other.

Demand for traditional puzzles and games remains high in the Netherlands, although most national toy producers have moved their operations to China and the number of privately owned toy stores has begun to dwindle in the face of competition from chain stores. Video and computer gaming is becoming more prevalent and is expected to override the popularity of older games over the next decade.

Outdoor Play and Sports

The Dutch enjoy a variety of outdoor play, including soccer, sailing, rowing, and swimming, but two pastimes really stand out: cycling and skating.

The bicycle was invented in France and perfected in the United States, but it was adopted wholeheartedly by the Netherlands in the late 19th century. Within a year after the first cycle arrived in 1868, a Amsterdam importer had opened the world's first bike-rental service.

In 1871, the first biking club was formed. Today, there are an estimated 12 million bikes in a country of 16 million people, and more than half the population bikes regularly—often for transportation, but also for enjoyment. It is probably the most bike-friendly nation in the world, with dedicated bike lanes along most roads in the cities and thousands of miles of bike paths all over the country.

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