Five Brothers and a War

Geography—Rivers and Water

The total size of Holland is 41,500 km 2 , of which 7,700 km 2 is water. This leaves a land area of 33,800 km 2 of which more than 7,800 square kilometers of land was reclaimed from the sea. Put another way, Holland had a land mass of about 26,000 km 2 , and then added 30% to its land area since the 1600s. Because the Dutch were not only expert windmill engineers, but also expert financiers, windmill projects often were joint ventures between land owners and financial backers. This joint venture created a system where both parties brought money to the table, and led to the expression, “Going Dutch” which in more modern times meant that the cost of meals was split between the diners.

holland

Five Brothers and a War

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