The Netherlands means "lower lands", but now this European kingdom is increasingly called differently: the Land of Giants and Giants. There is nothing strange in this and this is not an exaggeration, because the average height of a Dutch woman is 1.71 meters, and a Dutchman is 1.85 meters.

The reason for this superiority in growth over the inhabitants of other countries remained a mystery until recently. Scientists did not know why the Dutch became the tallest people on the planet. Although, that just a couple of centuries ago, the subjects of this kingdom in the north of continental Europe were considered among the most ... low.

How could such a significant metamorphosis take place in just two hundred years, a very small period by evolutionary standards? The most common explanation is increased nutrition and a high-calorie diet, in which meat and dairy products occupy an important place.

However, now scientists are sure that it is not only about nutrition and diet. Many other European countries also made great strides in improving the well-being of their people, but this did not make them grow at the same astronomical rate as the Dutch. The average Dutchman, according to the statistical department of the army of the Netherlands, has added a very impressive 20 centimeters over the past 150 years, i.e. became higher than the ancestors who lived in the middle of the 19th century, a head. Over the same century and a half, the average American, who 15 years ago had the status of the tallest person on the planet, became only 6 centimeters taller, although he also did not starve and ate a lot of meat.

Scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, led by public health specialist Gert Stulp, decided to solve the mystery of such a rapid growth of the Dutch. They checked the statistics of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the so-called LifeLines), a huge database containing the most detailed information about more than 94,500 Dutch people who lived in 1935-67.

British scientists drew attention to a curious pattern - the growth of large fathers, who had an average of 0.24 children more than the least prolific Dutch, was 7 centimeters higher than the average Dutch. The growth of the least prolific parents was 14 cm below average. In addition, tall and handsome men of Dutch blood are more likely to get divorced and start new families in which more children appear.

The researchers attributed this pattern to evolution in action. It turns out that it is much easier for tall men to find a partner for themselves than for short ones, and women of short stature are more likely to choose men who are taller than average as their life partners. Thus, tall men have a greater chance of passing on their gene pool to the next generation.

The same pattern is observed among Dutch women, although in a less pronounced form compared to men.

British scientists did not conduct research at the gene level. They concluded from their observations that, apparently, over time, more and more Dutch people acquired the genes for tall stature.

"Natural selection in addition to a good environment may explain why the Dutch are so tall," says a research paper published in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B.

“Height is a very hereditary trait,” explains Gert Stulp. “Taller parents produce taller children. Since tall people in the next generation have more children who are also taller, then the average height of this generation, other things being equal, also increases.

The tallest people in Africa share the palm with the Americans and the Dutch. This representatives of the Nuer people from Eastern Sudan - (average height of men 184 cm).

Tall groups (170 centimeters and above) also live on the east coast of North America and in Argentina. In Europe, tall people tend to live in the north of the continent. In addition to the Dutch, these are Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Scots. For a long time, among Europeans, the record was held by Montenegrins: the average height of men in the country is 177 centimeters, and in the city of Trebinje - 183 centimeters.

In 1960-1970, the average height of Soviet men was 168 cm, women - 157 cm. In Russia in the early 90s, the average height of men was 176 cm, women - 164 cm.

In the world, the average height of an adult male is currently 165 centimeters, women - 154 centimeters. The difference in the height of men and women in different nations ranges from 8-12 centimeters.

The shortest people on Earth are the Mbuti pygmy tribe. The average height of men is less than 140 centimeters, women - 120-130 centimeters. They live in Equatorial Africa in the Congo Basin, in the least accessible wooded places. Pygmies - "people with a cam", this is how the word is translated. Very small humans can be found in many places near the equator. These are the Aeta tribes living in the Philippines, the Semangs of the Malay Peninsula. Small growth is also characteristic of the population of the far north of Europe, Asia and America (Lapps, Mansi, Khanty, Eskimos).

Our reader Natasha Permyakova writes: So, having lived in Holland for almost 1.5 years, I decided to collect all my observations and compile a list of facts about the country and its inhabitants.

1. The Dutch are famous for their excellent health. Almost everyone dresses very lightly even in winter, no one wears hats in -3, even small children.

2. Most of Holland is below sea level. The lowest point is 6.7 meters below sea level.

3. The bicycle is the most popular means of transportation in the country, there are about 16 million of them. Every inhabitant of the country has a bicycle. In Amsterdam, the number of bicycles exceeds the number of inhabitants of the city.

4. Bicycles are often stolen, especially in Amsterdam. Therefore, often a bicycle lock costs twice as much as the bicycle itself.

5. The Dutch don't eat hot meals. They make do well with a couple of cheese or peanut butter sandwiches.

6. Almost all Dutch people speak English well. Films on central and cable channels, as well as in cinemas, are shown in the original language with subtitles. In addition to English, many Dutch people know German and French, the languages ​​of neighboring countries.

7. Contrary to popular belief, the Dutch are not at all big fans of weed, mostly it is the fun of tourists. However, the Dutch government is trying to crack down on the use of weed, and since 2012, one of the cities has introduced a pilot program where only a local resident can buy weed in a coffee shop.

8. In the Netherlands, it is allowed to grow up to 5 cannabis bushes at home for personal consumption.

9. Flowers in Holland are very cheap and of excellent quality. You can buy a fresh bouquet of 50 tulips for only 5 euros (about 200 rubles).

10. The Netherlands exports 2/3 of the world's live plants, flowers and roots. The Dutch agricultural sector ranks third in the world in terms of profit after the US and France.

11. Prostitution in Holland is legalized, and representatives of this ancient profession are required to pay taxes on an equal basis with other citizens.

12. The Dutch are the highest nation in the world. The average height in Holland is 182 centimeters.

13. The locals don't close their curtains and you can always see what's going on in their houses. This habit has remained since war times, when open windows were a symbol that the inhabitants of the house had nothing to hide.

14. People in the country live by the rules and under no circumstances violate them. Even if the bus is still standing, but the doors are already closed, you are unlikely to be able to get inside.

15. The Dutch are a very athletic nation. Many people run or cycle almost all year round.

16. Schools and universities use a 10-point grading scale instead of the usual 5-point scale. 10, however, is almost impossible to obtain, so 9 is the equivalent of our five.

17. The weather in Holland is very rainy, windy and very changeable. Therefore, talking about the weather is one of the favorite topics for local residents to talk about.

18. Almost all shops in Holland are open until 18.00. Once a week, however, on the so-called shopping night (koopavond), the shops close at 21:00 and you have the chance to buy whatever you need.

19. In addition to taxes on house and land, the Dutch pay an annual tax on the maintenance and construction of flood protection systems.

20. The highest point in the country, which the Dutch call "the mountain", is only 323 meters.

21. Holland has a very high density of museums. There are about 1,000 museums in a country with 16 million inhabitants.

22. The population density of Holland is the highest in Europe - 391 people per square kilometer.

23. The Dutch live by the schedule. Even close relatives plan meetings in advance - several weeks, and sometimes months. If you happened to be nearby and decided to ‘drop in’ to a Dutch friend for half an hour, you are unlikely to succeed, since, most likely, her day had already been planned long before that.

24. One of the local delicacies is herring. You can buy it right on the street - in one of the special kiosks. Locals eat herring, generously sprinkled with onions and holding the tail, or like a hamburger - in a white bun.

25. The second Dutch delicacy is french fries with mayonnaise (Vlaamse fries). For many Dutch people, this can also be an everyday lunch.

26. Holland is one of the largest beer producers in the world. Brands such as Heineken, Amstel and Grolsch were born here. Heineken is the 3rd largest beer producer in the world. However, contrary to this, Dutch beer does not taste very remarkable. The best beer is brewed in Germany, the Czech Republic and Belgium.

27. Dutch vodka is called Jenever. It tastes like a cross between calvados, schnapps and cheap whiskey.

28. The Dutch are very straightforward. They are unlikely to stand on ceremony and beat around the bush, and most likely will tell you everything as it is.

29. The Dutch are very informal in communication. At a business meeting, for example, the director can easily offer to make coffee for everyone.

30. If you don't show up to work because you say you're sick, a doctor may be sent to see if you're really sick.

31. Instead of Santa Claus, familiar to us from childhood, the Dutch meet Sinterklas (Saint Nicholas) every year, who comes from Spain on his white horse. Sinterklas is quite similar to our Santa Claus, but instead of the Snow Maiden, he is accompanied by black helpers - Petes. When celebrating the Sinterklas holiday, the children put their shoes on, putting a carrot for the Sinta horse there, and in return receive gifts.

32. The Dutch love to sprinkle their toast with a kind of chocolate chip called Hagelslag. This refers to such shavings that children sprinkle on ice cream, but in Holland adults sprinkle it on bread, previously smeared with butter.

33. When Dutch children finish school, they hang the Dutch flag and school bag outside.

34. The Dutch kiss each other on the cheek 3 times when they meet, instead of the usual 2.

35. 40% of the country's population are atheists. There are more Protestants in the north of Holland, and more Catholics in the south.

36. In those winters, when the rivers in the country freeze, Elfstedentocht, beloved by the Dutch, is arranged - the famous skating marathon in 11 cities of the Dutch province of Friesland with a length of 200 kilometers.

37. The Dutch are one of the most traveled nations in the world. At the age of 20–40 they often work/live for several years in other countries. In most cases they return back to Holland.

38. The main reason for the emigration of the Dutch from the country is bad weather. Due to the maritime climate in the country, it often rains and a cold wind blows.

39. Many Dutch people are not officially married, even if they raise common children.

40. All pets are equipped with a special microchip, which greatly facilitates the search in case the animal is lost.

41. The color of Holland is orange, this is due to the fact that the name of the royal family literally sounds like "House of Orange".

42. April 30 - Queen's Day - is considered the main holiday of the Netherlands. Locals dress in all orange and organize street festivities. On this day, it seems that all the inhabitants of the country took to the streets, where one half of the population sells all sorts of orange things, and the other buys it. The streets of Dutch cities are decorated with orange lanterns. Orange garlands of balloons, ribbons, flags are visible everywhere, and even people's faces are painted orange.

43. Holland is the unofficial name of the Netherlands, which is not very popular with the locals. Holland is a region in the west of the country.

44. To see a doctor, such as a cardiologist, you first need to get a referral from a general practitioner. Just like that, without a referral, no doctor will accept you.

45. Medicine in Holland is paid and paid for by insurance. Everyone must have insurance, its cost is about 100 euros per month.

46. Fireworks in Holland are allowed only on New Year's Eve: from 10 am on December 31 to 2 am on January 1.

47. In Holland, it is not customary for a man to take the initiative in relation to a woman. This is partly due to the fact that women want to be independent and regard men's initiative as an attack on their self-sufficiency.

48. Due to the fact that most of the year it rains in the country, the Dutch have learned to enjoy even short manifestations of good weather. As soon as a ray of sun peeps out, locals pour out into the streets, drink beer on open roads, even if it is only +5 outside.

49. A special category of the population are Surinamese, Indonesians, Turks and Moroccans. Their stay in the country can be characterized as coexistence with the local population. They have created their own closed subculture, they read newspapers and watch films in their own language. The official number of immigrants in Holland is over 1 million people.

50. The Dutch are a very well-read nation. There is one bookstore for every 2,000 inhabitants.

51. In the Netherlands, you can drink alcohol from the age of 16.

52. There are 1180 windmills in Holland.

53. The Keukenhoff Tulip Park is 32 hectares of land planted with flowers and is the most photographed place in the world.

54. Public toilets are paid (from 20 to 50 euro cents), even in some nightclubs, the entrance to which is also paid.

55. In Holland, it is not customary to give expensive gifts. Even for a wedding, as a rule, they are limited to a budget of no more than 50 euros.

56. 30% of Dutch children are born at home. At the same time, do not be surprised if, a few hours after the birth, the neighbors come to you to inquire about the condition of the mother and look at the baby.

57. Dutch girls don't pay much attention to their appearance. Many do not put on make-up, do not style their hair and do not wear heels. They wear what is comfortable. In the mornings, Dutch girls go out with wet hair before they have time to dry it.

58. However, unlike the British, Americans and other representatives of the Anglo-Saxon countries, the Dutch have a sense of taste and look very neat.

59. Dutch men pay much more attention to their hair. Most Dutch people wear semi-long blond hair, and each of them has a hair styling product.

60. If you are stopped by a police officer for a traffic violation and you try to offer him a bribe, most likely he will return the money to you, being sincerely convinced that they came to him completely by accident.

61. The Dutch love football. Here they either play football, or watch, or, if there is nothing to watch, they re-watch old matches.

62. The Dutch are rather stingy and do not like to show their wealth. On the other hand, they have a strong sense of envy.

63. Techno or trance dance music is very popular in Holland. Don't be surprised if walking through the streets of the city, you will see people in their 40s and 50s bobbing under a trance. DJs Armin Van Buren, Tiesto, Ferry Corsten are all from Holland.

64. Every August, Amsterdam hosts one of the largest gay pride parades in the world, attracting around half a million visitors. The parade itself is very similar to the celebration of the Queen's Day and is a parade of barges through the canals of Amsterdam.

65. In Holland, you can be fined for not having flashlights on your bike at night.

66. "Dutch disease" is the name given to the addiction syndrome of increased natural resource extraction and decline in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. In 1959, the largest natural gas field in Europe was discovered in Holland. Due to its export, the Dutch guilder greatly increased in value, which negatively affected the rest of the export sectors of the economy.

67. During World War II, the German army took a very large number of bicycles from Holland. For this, the Dutch really do not like the Germans and still make fun of German tourists, saying: "Give us back our bikes!".

Are the Netherlands and Holland the same thing? Yes and no. How to look.

Kingdom of the Netherlands is a densely populated European country. It borders with Germany and Belgium. Includes some islands in the Caribbean (Sint Eustatius, Saba, Bonaire), washed by the North Sea.

The name of the state is translated as "lower lands". In the Middle Ages, this territory was called that - "The Low Countries" (plus Belgium). Well, fair enough. After all, most of the state is below sea level. A height of over three hundred meters is considered by the locals as a high mountain. Perhaps for this reason, when developing rights and obligations, the population easily took into account their "earthly desires", thanks to which there is no need to break the law in order to feel flight and freethinking. When a lot of things are allowed, there are almost no temptations, and everyone lives in peace and harmony.

The Netherlands was originally called that. There is no other name for the population of the country. From the beginning of the nineteenth century to this day there is a monarchy here. Only today it is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

The country developed its own culture, had its own language. The state experienced each historical turn in its own way. If it was possible to stay away during the First World War, then the Second World War did not pass by. Within five years this area was occupied by Germany. The Marshall Plan, created by the United States of America, helped the country quickly recover.

Today, in this area, much attention is paid to the social rights of all segments of the population. It has the highest unemployment benefits and pensions. This is one of those rare places where residents are almost 100% satisfied with their government and laws. For example, prostitution and the sale of weed are legal here.

Thus, The Netherlands is a full-fledged state. With its own language, with its territory, history, culture. The country has its own way of development, its own view of the life of its population. Then why is the Netherlands called Holland? Where exactly are the two countries that are so often confused?
most developed province

Holland is a province of the Netherlands. Surprisingly, this is a fact. one of the provinces. Or rather, two. Because there is a difference between North Holland and South Holland.

The northern part of this area was territorially isolated in the sixteenth century. South - much later, at the end of the eighteenth. But here we will talk about Holland in general. To make it easier.

So. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, Holland is the most important province of an amazing country, the most developed in many respects. She was known to all states that had trade relations with the Netherlands. So they called the whole territory as a whole "Holland".

People also did not think much about the difference between one name and another. Widespread in the everyday life of the Slavs "Holland" after the visit of Peter the Great to the northern country. The Russian tsar praised only the technically advanced part of the country. He did not even mention the name of the entire state in his stories. Writers and poets contributed to the rooting of "wrongness" in Russian minds. It has remained so to this day.

There is some fairness here. Take at least the capitals of the Netherlands, official and unofficial. The official capital, Amsterdam, is located in the northern part of the country. Here the monarch swears allegiance to the Constitution. Unofficial, actual - The Hague - in the South. The royal residence is located here, the Government meets, and many foreign embassies are located. That is, the most important events in the Netherlands take place in the provinces of Holland.

But still. How should you choose the right name when mentioning this amazing area?

In official speeches, documents - "Netherlands". On tourist sites, in fiction, in a museum of painting, in a flower shop - "Holland". By the way, the second name is used more by the Russian-speaking population than by other-speaking people.

Image copyright Thinkstock

When it comes to growth, Dutch men and women from Latvia tower above all the inhabitants of the planet.

The researchers studied changes in average height in 187 countries over the past 100 years.

Compared to 1914, Iranian men and South Korean women have grown the most (by 16 and 20 centimeters, respectively).

In the UK, the average height of both men and women increased by 11 centimeters over the same time period. The average Brit now stands at 178 centimeters and the average Brit is 164 cm.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption South Korean women have grown 20 centimeters in 100 years

Surprising were the results from the US, where the average height of both sexes reached a certain plateau in the 1960s and 1970s. In one century, the average American grew only 6 centimeters, while the American woman grew 5 centimeters.

Moreover, in the list of the tallest peoples, Americans were in 37th and 42nd places, while 100 years ago they were in third and fourth places.

Europeans dominate the list of the tallest peoples, but it seems that changes in their average height have also reached a certain plateau.

The shortest men in the world live in East Timor (160 centimeters). Among women, this title belongs to the inhabitants of Guatemala, as well as in 1914. In 1914, the average Guatemalan woman was 140 centimeters tall, according to a study. To date, it has almost reached one and a half meters.

The largest changes in average height were recorded in East Asia. Residents of Japan, China and South Korea are much taller than their ancestors were 100 years ago.

"According to the results of the study, the average human height has increased the least in the countries of South Asia (for example, in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) and in sub-Saharan Africa. In these regions, we are talking about one to six centimeters," says one of the authors of the study, James Bentham, from Imperial College London.

Moreover, average growth in some African countries has declined since the 1970s. In countries like Uganda or Sierra Leone, we are talking about a few centimeters.

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Genetics or environment?

Some of the difference in average height across countries can be explained by genetic factors, but the authors of the report add that it's not just about genetics.

Majid Ezzati, also of Imperial College, said in an interview with the BBC: "Genetics can determine about a third of the results, but it does not explain changes in height between generations. Genes do not change so quickly, and all over the world they are about the same. Accordingly , changes in height over time, as well as differences in average height between different countries can only be explained by the influence of the environment.We are talking, of course, about entire populations, not individual individuals.

Improvements in the health care system, sanitation and nutrition remain major factors, he says.

Other research indicates that being tall has both positive and negative effects.

Tall people have a longer life expectancy and are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, there are indications that they are more likely to get some types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer, as well as breast and ovarian cancer.

"According to our hypothesis, growth factors can promote the development of mutations in cells," says Elio Riboli, also from Imperial College.

The report, A Century of Trends in Adult Height, was produced by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a group of about 800 scientists. They worked in collaboration with the World Health Organization.

List of countries with the tallest men (place in brackets in the list for 1914):

1. Netherlands (12)
2. Belgium (33)
3. Estonia (4)
4. Latvia (13)
5. Denmark (9)
6. Bosnia and Herzegovina (19)
7. Croatia (22)
8. Serbia (30)
9. Iceland (6)
10. Czech Republic (24)

List of countries with the tallest women (place in brackets in the list for 1914):

1. Latvia (28)
2. Netherlands (38)
3. Estonia (16)
4. Czech Republic (69)
5. Serbia (93)
6. Slovakia (26)
7. Denmark (11)
8. Lithuania (41)
9. Belarus (42)
10. Ukraine (43)

All tourists are told the bike that Montenegrins are the tallest people in Europe. I decided today to delve into various statistics and check this fact. It turned out that according to the latest data, they share 1st place in terms of height with the Dutch, and in the world, and not just in Europe! To meet a 2-meter guy (and taller) here is nothing surprising! Yes, and Montenegrins are not deprived of beautiful appearance in their youth, as much as the eye rejoices. But, unfortunately, only the eyes rejoice, I will keep silent about the presence of intelligence in this article ...

Indeed, I began to feel myself in Montenegro of normal growth, in my native Ukraine I was considered tall with 175 cm, and in the Perm Territory in the Russian Federation, where my grandparents live, in general - a giantess, I always bang my head there when I go into what some waiting rooms, and leaving the train in Perm, it seems that the people have drastically decreased ...

At the bottom of the Wikipedia article there is a table where you can check the data on the average growth of different nationalities.

1. Dutch and Montenegrins - 183.2 cm
2. Danes and Norwegians - 182.4 cm
3. Serbs - 182 cm
...
8. Germans - 181 cm
9. Croats - 180.5 cm
10. Slovenians - 108.3 cm

In general, the Dinaric Highlands, where the ex-Yugolsavia is located, leads in tall men in the ranking. But women with an average height of 171 cm from this region are generally in 1st place !!! From the Serbian site I took a sign for some countries, so here the Serbs are in the top line.

I found a map of the world, where nations are distributed by color according to their height. I don’t know what year it is, but Montenegrins also stand out here. The average height of men is taken as a measure.

• Red color - from 180 cm and above


• Yellow - 175 - 179.9 cm


• Blue color - 170 - 174.9 cm


• Green color - 165 - 169.9 cm


• Purple color - from 164.9 cm

Since I am a lover of old photos, I will show you how they looked before - growth is visible even here. In the photo - Montenegrins are walking along Cetinje at 6 in the morning! Apparently they dressed up for a trip to the nearest kafana, where they can wash the bones for their mistress wives. Oh, there were no tourists back then :)


The famous magazine The National Geographic about a hundred years ago photographed Montenegrins in their national. clothes. It is noticeable that mustaches prevailed at that time :) I looked at various military pictures of those years - all the men are slender, elongated, with a proud posture and for some reason with a mustache ... It’s good that the fashion in Montenegro for them has passed.

By the way, over the past 100 years, European men have grown by 11 cm. These are data from scientists from Australia and Great Britain. Prior to this, for millennia, max. growth rate did not exceed 2 cm per century. Even two world wars did not stop the intensity of the process. According to scientists, this sharp jump in growth speaks of a tremendous improvement in health, nutrition and social hygiene conditions.

Over the past century in Europe (including Russia), men and women have grown by about 10 cm. But the Americans have now shrunk somewhat and gained a lot of weight - fast food and all sorts of Coca-Cola there will soon turn pot-bellied dwarfs out of them: )

And I will show modern Montenegrins, who are proud of the country - these are water polo players. They are one of the best in the world in this sport. I looked at the data for the Olympics for 2008 and 2012 - both times they were in 4th place.

Interestingly, those who eat more meat grow faster: chicken, pork, beef. The love of Montenegrins for meat does not hold, these are still those meat-eaters !!! But lovers of lamb are not distinguished by high growth. This fact is confirmed by the Turks. When I walk around the Istanbul Ataturk airport in search of my gate (and here you can see people from all over the world at the same time), I see Montenegrins from afar due to their growth, and everyone else is immediately lost against their background :)

I am glad to announce the launch of my website, now read all the most interesting about Montenegro and the Balkans on