The Netherlands

The Netherlands shares borders to the south with Belgium and the east with Germany, while the North Sea lies to the north and west. Large areas of The Netherlands have been reclaimed from the sea and consequently one-fifth of the country lies below sea level. The country is flat and level and is criss-crossed by rivers and canals. Areas reclaimed from the sea, known as polders, are extremely fertile. The landscape is broken by the forest of Arnhem, the bulb fields in the west, the lakes of central and northern areas, and coastal dunes are among the most impressive in Europe. The most used language is Dutch. English is widely spoken and understood. French and German are also spoken.

The country’s religion is as follows: 38% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, and 26% do not profess any religion. Telephone and fax are widely used for communications. The most popular newspapers are De Telegraaf and De Volkskrant. Foreign newspapers are widely available and read. Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and Visa are all accepted almost anywhere. There are no restrictions on the import and export of either local or foreign currency.

Transportation within the Netherlands are by rail, sea, and air. KLM Cityhopper operates between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen, Enschede, Maastricht and Eindhoven. Ferry services run to the Wadden Islands from across the Ijsselmeer and Schelde Estuary. There is also a service to the Frisian Islands across the Waddenzee. Boat Tours run excursions from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem, Groningen, Giethoorn, Delft and Maastricht. The highly developed rail network is efficient and cheap, and connects all towns. Both Intercity and local trains run at least half-hourly on all main routes. Rail and bus timetables are sincrynized, and there is a common fare structure throughout the country. There is also an excellent road system. Visitors to The Netherlands may use credit cards when buying gas. Extensive regional bus networks exist. Long-distance coaches also operate between the cities, but costs are generally on a par with trains. It is less usual to hail a taxi in the street in Holland. Taxis have an illuminated sign 'taxi' on the roof and there are taxi ranks at railway stations and at various other points in the cities. Taxis can also be phoned. Usually there are meters in the taxi showing the fare, including the tip. Public transport is very well developed in the cities and large towns. A strippenkaart national fares system exists. Strips of fifteen tickets each are widely available at railway stations, post offices and some tourist offices. These are accepted anywhere in payment of standard zonal fares. There are also individual and multi-day tickets for the cities. For more detailed information on travel within Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, see below. All the towns and cities are well served by bus services; in addition, Utrecht has a tram service, and the re are trolleybuses in Arnhem.

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Much of the culture is based on the use of marijuana in coffee shops and cafes. What began some 30 years ago in the public gallery of the Amsterdam Council Chamber as a lighthearted prank when long-haired members of the public lit a joint' under the noses of the Burgomaster and Aldermen, ultimately led to the development of a scene' which has taken on more and more ugly aspects. According to the Amsterdam Drug Journal which has been published since 1983 under the editorship of doctors and dependency experts, the hardening of drug use began in the summer of 1972, when for the first time an international hard drugs scene manifested itself in Amsterdam. Since then, Dutch drug policy has been based on a socio-medical differentiation between soft drugs such as cannabis and hard drugs such as narcotics and a criminal prosecution policy based thereon, with addicts being approached from a medical standpoint while the drugs mafia' is fought with all available means. The Public Prosecutions Office has drawn up a guideline for the operation of coffee shops' outlets where soft drugs may be sold under supervision: no sales of cannabis products over five grams; no sales of hard drugs or alcohol; no sales to minors; no advertising of the use of soft drugs and no nuisance. Infringement of any one of these conditions leads to closure of the coffee shop. In a multilingual brochure, the Municipal Executive explains that it has opted in its drug policy for a businesslike, aimed at achieving the greatest possible effectiveness. An emotional approach does not fit in with Dutch culture and tradition and generally proves to create more problems than it solves.

A comparative international study carried out by the Centre for Drug Research at the University of Amsterdam confirmed that repression does not lead to a reduction in the number of addicts. The number of heroin addicts in the city has stabilized at around 6,200, over 2,000 of whom are Dutch citizens. Amsterdam has operated a methadone program since 1979 which reaches about two-thirds of addicts. Since 1986 the Municipal Health Service has provided clean syringes, needles and condoms, a health measure designed among other things to fight the spread of Aids. Around one million needles and syringes are exchanged each year. The number of drug-related deaths has fallen sharply and is far below the figures recorded in comparable cities abroad. A consistent policy of discouragement means that the Dutch capital is no longer a place for European drug users. Drug tourism is declining. A group of around 1,000 hard drug users causes chaos in public. Criminal judges frequently offer addicts a choice between imprisonment or a detoxification clinic. The Dutch drug policy is explained by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Netherlands Institute for Alcohol and Drugs.

One of the main things we learned while doing this report is that the culture of Amsterdam and most of the Netherlands is highly influenced by the nightlife of clubbing and the red light district. Clubs can be found almost anywhere on the streets of Amsterdam and prostitutes wonder the city constantly.

Another thing we learned is that their culture is also based on the recreational use of marijuana in coffee shops and cafés. Nearly every coffee shop sells it and distributes no more than 5 grams at a time.