This is a list of the most original countries that are specific because of their natural beauty, some because of their demographic characteristics, and some because of their tourism features. Only sovereign states were taken into account.

1. Country with more than 3 million lakes - Canada

Canada contains more than 60 percent of the world's lakes, so many that their exact number is unknown. In some regions, for every 100 sq. km there are more than 30 lakes.

2. A country with more than 17,500 islands - Indonesia


Indonesia consists of more than 17,500 islands with a total coastline of 81,350 km. There are people living on approximately 6,000 islands. The largest islands are Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Bali, Lombok and Flores. Indonesia contains 10-15 percent of the world's coral reefs.

3. “Desert Country” - Libya


Libya is the country with the highest percentage of desert (99%). The Libyan Desert, which covers most of Libya, is one of the driest places on Earth. In some places, decades can pass without rain, and even in the highlands precipitation is rare, once every 5-10 years.

4. The country with the lowest population density is Mongolia


The country with the lowest population density in the world is Mongolia, with a population density of about 4.4 people per square mile (1.7 people/sq km). In Mongolia, 2.5 million people occupy more than 600,000 square miles of land (about 1,560,000 sq km). Much of this population lives in urban areas, as development of grazing land in Mongolia's vast deserts is difficult, particularly due to drought and dust storms, leaving some parts of the country almost as desolate as they were in Genghis Khan's time.

5. “Country in the Jungle” - Suriname


The forest area is 14.8 million hectares (57,000 sq mi), representing 91% of Suriname's total land area (16.3 million hectares, or 63,000 sq mi). Suriname's vast forest and low population, around 400,000 in the capital and coastal towns, give it one of the lowest deforestation rates in the world. Only 5 percent of the population lives in the rainforest, indigenous peoples and six tribes of blacks - descendants of fugitive slaves who recreated forest communities centuries ago and today retain their traditional West African style.

6. The most endangered country is Ukraine


The country with the highest decline in fertility is Ukraine, with a natural decline. population 0.8% every year. Ukraine is expected to lose 28% of its population between now and 2050 (from 46.8 million currently to 33.4 million in 2050).

7. Country below sea level - the Netherlands


Half of the Netherlands' territory is below sea level. More than 60 percent of the country's population of 15.8 million people live below sea level. Only in the south of the Netherlands does the terrain rise to 30 meters or more.

8. The least visited country is Tuvalu


It is the fourth smallest country in the world. Tuvalu lies halfway between Australia and Hawaii and is predicted to be the first country to disappear underwater when global warming raises sea levels high enough. It is also very difficult to get to and very expensive flights from Fiji. A total of 1,100 tourists visit Tuvalu per year.

9. Country-continent - Australia


Australia is the only country in the world that spans an entire continent; every other continent has more than one country. This is the only country that is a continent, and the continent that is a country. It is the sixth largest country in the world, with a total area of ​​7,686,850 sq km (2,967,909 sq mi), slightly smaller than the 48 states of the United States and 31.5 times larger than the United Kingdom.

By Ellina 11/19/2012

There are not many countries on earth with such an appropriate name as. Back in the Middle Ages, the territory was called the “Lower Lands,” but still, this name is more suitable for the western part of the country, where the majority, and this is more than 50 percent of the entire territory, is actually located below sea level. This fact both attracts and worries tourists.

A country located below sea level - what does it look like? Many people imagine it as a flooded or damp meadow. I have to face such funny questions as: “Do I have to take rubber boots if I’m going to?” or “Do your feet always get wet?” And what a surprise it is for tourists to land in a place 4.5 meters below sea level, but absolutely dry! 🙂

The border between “low” and “high” runs in a zigzag pattern throughout the entire territory. In 2004, 27 highway parking lots had signs showing the location of these boundaries. The lowest point in the country is the small town of Nieuwekerk, northeast of, located 6.74 meters below sea level. It is also the lowest point in Europe. Without the protection of levees and dunes, Nieuwekerk would have been completely submerged.

The Netherlands is a country “flat as a pancake,” as the Dutch themselves say, citing local culinary features. The highest point in the Netherlands is located in the southeast of the country near the town of Vaals. This place is also called the “crossing point of three countries” (“Drielandenpunt”), where the borders of Belgium and Germany intersect. This hill, only 321 meters above sea level, can be called a mountain, perhaps, only in 😉

Due to rising sea levels, the western part of the country is constantly falling, while the eastern part is rising. strive to keep the country under control and an example of this is “Prince Alexander”, named after the Dutch crown prince. For a long time it proudly bore the name “the lowest point - 7 meters below sea level, but in 1995, for construction purposes, the soil was raised so high that the polder had to abandon the cherished record, now its mark is only 6.25 meters below sea ​​level.

When I was going on vacation to Holland, I honestly didn’t quite know what I could see there other than Amsterdam and the red light district. After long hours spent on the Internet, a plan gradually emerged; Belgium was added to Holland (almost along the way) and, when the plan was broken down into days, it turned out that it would take about two months to visit all the interesting places. Under Alex’s watchful gaze, the plan was reduced by about half, then again and again, I managed to defend Belgium and the Flanders Fields, many interesting castles were gone, several museums were added... So, for now, a summary of the trip with especially memorable places, and why “Miracles below sea ​​level" you probably guessed it yourself. If not, I’ll tell you in more detail in subsequent posts.

Amsterdam. Day 1 and 2

What I remember most about Amsterdam is the small cozy courtyard Beguinage ( Begijnhof) - the home of the Beguines, a female religious order that arose in medieval Europe in the 12th century. It is located inside Singela ( Singel) - the first circular channel. It's hard to believe that behind the houses surrounding Beguinage lies a bustling, tourist-filled city. Everything here is as it was 700 years ago - even the ground level is medieval, that is, a meter lower than in the surrounding old city. The last beguinage, Sister Antonia, died in 1971 and since then the courtyard is not a beguinage in the literal sense of the word, but mainly single women occupy the house.

Groningen. Day 3

Groningen, a small city in the north of the Netherlands, is just a few hours from Amsterdam. The city was founded around 950 on the site of a Roman camp. Martini Tower ( Martini Tower), which offers a wonderful view of the entire city, unfortunately, was already closed, and we just walked around the historical center. Grote Markt ( Grote Markt) before the Second World War was considered one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands. During the liberation of the city, in April 1945, most of the buildings around the square were destroyed or seriously damaged, only from the surviving southern part can one judge what the Grote Markt looked like before.

Menkemaborg Castle and Fort Bourtange. Day 4

When I was planning a route around Holland, I found many interesting castles in varying states of preservation. To see them all you need to spend probably half your life in the country. But whenever the opportunity presented itself, we deviated from the route and tried to stop at least for a short time. 25 km from Groningen in the small village of Uithuizen ( Whithuizen) is the manor or castle of Menkemaborg, originally built in the 14th century, then rebuilt in the 17th. The castle is not visible from the road, you need to walk along a beautiful linden alley and behind the openwork gates a view opens up that literally took my breath away.

Fort Bourtange is located in the village of the same name, also near Groningen. The main feature of the fort is that it is shaped like a star and looks incredibly beautiful from a bird's eye view. Unfortunately, we were not able to climb that high - we had to be content with one of the fortress walls. The fort was built in 1593 by order of William I of Orange to control the only road between Germany and the city of Groningen, where the Spaniards settled during the Eighty Years' War of Dutch Independence.

Flanders Fields, Belgium. Day 5

Flanders Fields was missing from the original itinerary and was only added after reading the Netherlands and Belgium guidebook. There I found a mention of the First World War, the city of Ypres (the place where the first German gas attack was carried out). Words immediately popped into my head about the “lost generation”, “about the generation that was destroyed by the war, about those who became its victims, even if they escaped from the shells” and of course about “All Quiet on the Western Front” - the famous novel by Erich Maria Remarque .

We visited several military cemeteries in Belgium or, as they are also called, cities of silence, of which the largest military cemetery in the world is Tyne Cot ( Tyne Cot Cemetery) is the final resting place of about 12,000 British Commonwealth soldiers. We had to wander among the fields for quite a long time in search of Tyne Cot. It is located a few miles from Ypres near the town of Passchendaele ( Passchendaele). The Battle of Passchendaele claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The Allies suffered heavy losses, managing to advance only a few kilometers.

The Hague. Day 6

The day began with an overcast sky and a nasty drizzling rain - exactly the weather that I associated with Holland and which I so did not want to see. We didn’t want to stay in the hotel and, armed with an umbrella, we went to The Hague. Acquaintance with the city began from the place where the city was founded - the Binnenhof complex - here in 1230 Floris IV built a castle on the shore of a lake among the dunes. Here, in the Ridderzaal or Knights' Hall, the Dutch monarch, Willem-Alexander, arrives in a golden carriage for official royal receptions and inter-parliamentary conferences.

Maastricht. Day 7

Maastricht ( Maastricht), one of the oldest cities in the country, located in the very south literally at the junction of the borders of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Photo with a view of the Saint Servatius Bridge ( Saint Servatius) reminds me of a painting by one of the Dutch masters; I always liked the combination of a stormy sky, old houses and some kind of extraordinary light inherent in the old masters. All this can be found and seen now, you just need to choose the right moment.

Ghent and Bruges, Belgium. Day 8

The eighth day turned out to be the most eventful of the trip - we really wanted to see both Ghent and Bruges, but only one day was allocated for the trip to Belgium. Therefore, it was decided to spend the morning in Ghent, the evening in Bruges, it was necessary to make it to two museums - the Cathedral of St. Bavo with the Ghent Altarpiece by Van Eyck and the Church of Our Lady with the marble statue "Madonna of Bruges", one of the few works by Michelangelo, which is located outside Italy.

Bruges resembles a toy fairy-tale town, with quiet canals, humpbacked bridges overgrown with green ivy, with old houses with lace roofs and church towers, with a lot of chocolate shops, entering which it is simply impossible to leave without buying something. Walking around the city, I felt like I was at the end of the fairy tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”

“After a few steps they found themselves in a large, amazingly beautiful market square. All houses were decorated with openwork sugar galleries. In the middle, like an obelisk, stood a glazed sweet cake, sprinkled with sugar, and around it, jets of lemonade, orchad and other delicious soft drinks were shooting up from four skillfully made fountains. The pool was full of whipped cream that you just wanted to scoop up with a spoon.” —Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann

Kinderdijk, Zaandam, Delta Works. Day 9

The next day we decided that we needed to slow down a little and relax, you can’t see everything... We ended up riding bicycles in Kinderdijk, not far from Rotterdam and looked at the ancient, but still working windmills, and went on an excursion to Peter’s house I in Zaandam, crossed on two ferries, got caught in a thunderstorm, waited it out and met the sunset on Osterschheldekering ( Oosterscheldekering) - a protective dam on the bay of the Eastern Scheldt between the islands of Noord-Beveland and Schauwen-Duiveland.

The small house in Zaandam, in which Peter I lived for only one week in August 1697, is located in a quiet residential area among the houses of ordinary Dutch people - it is very easy to drive past and not notice. The museum has a Russian guide who will certainly tell you a lot of interesting facts from the history of the house.

Oosterscheldekering is the largest dam of the Delta Project, as long as its name, which I still can’t read completely, somewhere after the 5th letter some kind of switch goes off in my head. For the construction of the dam, the island of Neltje-Jans was even filled up.

Utrecht. Day 10

In Utrecht, built around the tower of the Dome Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral, it is very difficult to get lost - the tower is visible from everywhere. One of the things I love about Gothic architecture is the amount of detail. From the tracery on the lancet windows to the spiers that complete every vertical line, there is always something to see. Often, each decorative detail is different from any other, like snowflakes.

Leiden. Day 11

We spent the last day before departure in the city where we lived for all 11 days - Leiden. Although the old town is not at all large, one day is not enough to get to know Leiden, only in the Museum of the History of Science Boerhaave ( Museum Boerhaave) you can spend several days carefully studying all the exhibits. Rapenburg Canal ( Rapenburg) is one of the most beautiful streets in Europe; many representatives of the Dutch royal family and the philosopher René Descartes lived here during their studies at the University of Leiden. The facades of the houses are slightly inclined towards the canal, in order to make it more convenient to lift loads, and are not sloping over time, as it might seem.

The days flew by completely unnoticed, everything was jumbled in our heads - cities, castles, canals, museums - tired, but happy, we returned to southern California in order to return when the tulips bloomed.

Netherlands, Belgium, 2014

“Lower Land” is the name of the small European country of the Netherlands translated from Dutch. Officially, this state is called the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as it is a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is, in principle, incorrect, because only two provinces of the kingdom are called Holland (North and South). True, these are the most economically developed provinces of the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is a maritime country, whose lands in the west face the North Sea. It is noteworthy that about half of the entire territory of the state is slightly lower than sea level. Actually, that’s why they call the country “Lower Land” or “Low Lands”. The hardworking Dutch “conquered” land from the sea by building a rather complex system of dykes, dams and canals. Such lands that were once the seabed are called polders. In the second half of the 20th century, the Dutch carried out a grandiose project called Project Delta. The system of locks, barriers, dams and dams, amazing in its engineering solution, was recognized by the international community of hydraulic engineers as truly unique.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is the most populous country in Europe. About 17 million people live permanently in a relatively small area cut by rivers and canals. It is not surprising that almost every piece of land is rationally used: either for development, or cultivated for growing some kind of crop. Quite a lot of land is devoted to the cultivation of flowers, the sale of which to many countries around the world is a significant part of the Dutch budget.

The Netherlands is rightly called a tourist country. Every year it is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world. There are so many natural and architectural attractions in the Netherlands that there are enough of them for several countries. Perhaps the first thing people pay attention to is an integral part of the Dutch landscape - the famous windmills, some of which have been working properly for 300 years.

Without exception, all cities in the country have many cultural and architectural attractions, monuments, and museums. First of all, this applies to the capital of the country – Amsterdam. The historical center of the city, which occupies a fairly large part of the city territory, is surrounded by a network of large and small canals, over which about 1,200 bridges are thrown. Famous Amsterdam museums, including the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum with interesting exhibitions, the House Museum of the famous Rembrandt, the Rijksmuseum, are always full of visitors. Walking through the streets of Amsterdam, visiting shops, studios, cafes and the Red Light District can add some “zest” to Dutch travel.

The Hague is the unofficial capital of not only the Netherlands, but also the European Union. It is in the beautiful Hague that the buildings of the country's Parliament, the government quarter, the residence of the Dutch monarchs, the headquarters and offices of European and international organizations are located.

Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and the largest port in Europe. The most famous historical and modern attractions of the city, such as the Euromast observation tower, the Erasmus Bridge, the seaport and the cubic houses in Rotterdam, are visited annually by several million tourists from all over the world.

Maastricht is the oldest city in the kingdom, whose defensive fortifications were built during the reign of the Roman Empire. The remains of these fortifications can still be seen on the banks of the Meuse River, and in the city center you can admire the architecture of the ancient churches of St. John, Onze-live Vrau and St. Servaskerk.

Ancient Utrecht, whose history goes back more than 1000 years, is also a museum city. The city is notable for the fact that it was here that the formation of the Dutch Republic was proclaimed in 1579. Other major cities in the country can boast of their attractions: Haarlem, Delft, Leiden.

The Netherlands is very unique and picturesque, so traveling around this amazing country will not leave anyone indifferent.

The Netherlands is a small but very rich and developed country in Western Europe. The streets of big cities amaze with their diversity and cosmopolitanism. People from all religions, races and all over the world live here. Holland (as it is also called) is popular as the most liberal country in the world.

Geographical location. The Netherlands is located in the western part of the continent of Europe. They occupy an area of ​​41528
sq.km. It borders on Germany in the east and southeast, and Belgium in the south and southwest. The country is located between 50 and 53° northern latitude and between 3 and 7° east longitude. In the north and west, Holland has wide access to the North Sea.
Relief. The Netherlands is one of the countries in the world with the lowest altitude. About one third of the country's territory is below sea level. The name itself - the Netherlands - means “low land”. The country is constantly fighting against the advancing sea water. With the help of a chain of dams and canals, Holland was able to save some of its most fertile lands from flooding. The highest point in the Netherlands is the Waalserberg hill, which rises 323 meters above sea level in the southern part of the country, where the borders of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany meet. The country's coastline is very poorly dissected.
Climate. The Netherlands has a temperate oceanic climate. Summers are cool and winters are mild. There are, of course, exceptions when temperatures in summer become much higher than usual. The same goes for winter. Despite the fact that its proximity to the North Sea protects it from extreme cold, sometimes the temperature can be very low, and then rivers, lakes and canals freeze, and the country
covered with thick snow cover. Sometimes people say that Britain undeservedly bears the glory of the cloudiest and gloomiest European country and that this “title” rightfully belongs to the Netherlands. For almost two-thirds of the year the sky is covered with gray clouds, which often produce very heavy rain. The usual daytime temperature in January is around 4°C. The warmest weather is in the second half of July and early August. After a short and cool summer, autumn arrives in September with a rapid drop in temperature. It starts with temperatures around 17-18°C in September and ends with temperatures of 5°C in December. December, January and February are cold. During this period, thermometers rarely show more than 4-5°C. In March, spring will quickly make itself known. Already in the first half of March the temperature reaches 10°C. Spring ends with around 20°C in the first half of June. Spring is much nicer than autumn, not least because it is sunnier and the sky is intermittently covered with gray clouds. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year; after all, the rainiest month in the Netherlands is August. The driest spring months are March and April.
Nature. The Netherlands has beautiful nature. Outside the big cities there is an alternation of cultivated land and forests. The Netherlands is popular for its huge variety of flowers, which
grow well in the local cool and humid climate. In the southern part of the country there is the delta of one of the largest and most abundant rivers in Europe - the Rhine.
Economy. The Netherlands has a highly developed economy. The country is a member of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is part of the group of so-called privileged countries. This is a group of European countries that have a very small area, are not rich in resources, but despite this they have a highly developed economy due to the proximity of the giants in the world economy - Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Spain. The group of these countries includes, for example, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Denmark and others. The port of Rotterdam plays a huge role in the Dutch economy, which for many years was one of the largest in the world. The Netherlands is the largest producer of bulbous flowers in the world; it is necessary to note tulips, which are the symbol of the country. Tourism is also of great importance for this country. More than 10 million tourists come here every year. Finance and banking occupy a large share of the economy. Among agriculture, animal husbandry is more developed. Holland relies on meat -
dairy farming. This means that the animals are fattened not only for meat, but also for milk, from which the famous Dutch cheese is made. Most agricultural products are exported.
Population. The Netherlands has almost 17 million inhabitants. The country has an aging population structure, but a huge influx of workers compensates for this fact. The country is very highly urbanized. A very large part of the population lives in cities, since agriculture is highly mechanized and machines are mainly used for cultivating the land and harvesting crops. The largest part of the people professes Christianity (Catholics and Protestants). In second place is Islam. The Netherlands is one of the European countries with high
percentage of the population is Muslim, as many immigrants from countries like Morocco, Türkiye and Indonesia live here.
— Amsterdam. It is the largest city in the Netherlands and the capital of the country. The modern western metropolis is home to nearly 2.2 million residents, many of them foreigners. The city is very green and is all cut through with dozens of canals, like Venice and St. Petersburg. The old part of the city is impressive. This is where the “red light district” is located, known for its liberated lifestyle. It is one of the country's hottest spots and attracts millions of tourists every year.
— Rotterdam. Much smaller than Amsterdam, Rotterdam is home to 1.6 million people. In terms of ethnic composition, however, the local population is no less cosmopolitan. Rotterdam is famous for its port, which is one of the largest in the world. The port is complemented by modern skyscrapers. Rotterdam is located on the Rhine delta. This is precisely the reason that the location is very suitable for a port of this size.
— Hague. The Hague is the second capital of the Netherlands (the country has two capitals). Unlike Amsterdam, this city has only administrative functions. The population of The Hague is almost a million inhabitants. The seat of parliament and most of the embassies are located here. The Royal Family of the Netherlands lives here. The Hague is located in the southwest of the country between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. These three cities, due to their geographical proximity and high population density, form a kind of metropolis with more than 5 million inhabitants.

Tourist attractions. One of the country's biggest attractions is the windmills, which can be found everywhere in the province. Just traveling outside the major cities gives the most accurate idea of ​​what the Netherlands is like. Huge areas are covered with tulips. This is something that is not seen everywhere around the world. If you travel to the northern part of the country, you will be surprised by how many canals you will see. Their goal is to drain the country, most of which is below sea level. The Netherlands will greatly impress you with its magnificent beaches. The sand is golden and very soft. Many world resorts import sand from here to improve the quality of their beach strips. Ironically, however, the weather will very rarely predispose you to enter the sea, and the water is quite cool even in July and August.
When to visit the Netherlands? Interestingly, when you visit at any time, this country will enchant you with its beauty. Summer is not hot and winter is not too cold. At any time of the year, however, when traveling, wear outerwear with you, since it is sometimes quite cool here even in summer. In fact, any time you visit the Netherlands, the chances of getting good weather are not very good.

Some features of the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is considered one of the most democratic countries in the world.
marriages between same-sex couples are completely legal and normally accepted by this society. Many countries followed this example.
The Netherlands has legalized some recreational drugs. This is expected to reduce drug use among the local population.
Prostitution is a legal business in this country. In this way, the informal economy is brought into the light and tax money enters the Dutch treasury.
The Netherlands is a founding member of the European Union.