Shining Star of Western Europe: The Netherlands

Surrounded by the North Sea, Germany, and Belgium, more than half of the Netherlands' territory lies below sea level. However, with its high standards of living and well-educated population, it has one of the highest population densities per square meter. 20% of the Netherlands' territory is below sea level and 40% of the land has been reclaimed from the sea. The country's highest point is Vaalserberg Peak at only 322.7 meters. Thanks to modern practices, agriculture on reclaimed lands is highly developed. Land reclaimed from the sea through human effort is called "polder". While many vegetables are grown in greenhouses, other significant agricultural products include potatoes, sugar beet, and cereals.

Florist of Western Europe

The Netherlands does not limit its land use to agriculture alone. It is highly ambitious in gardening and flower cultivation, which generates considerable foreign currency for the country in economic terms. The most well-known flower is the tulip. The story of how the Netherlands encountered tulips is quite interesting. Tulips are native to Central Asia but were brought to the Netherlands in the 1560s by Turks. One of the must-see attractions in the Netherlands is Keukenhof Gardens, which houses almost 7 million tulip bulbs. Every year the country exports 80% of the tulips it produces. The world-famous Dutch cattle breed ranks at the top in cattle farming. Thanks to highly productive cows and their high-quality milk, many different types of cheese are produced in the Netherlands. The country has 30 milk factories that account for 45% of global production and 150 milk powder factories, with dairy husbandry making up 2/3 of the country's total revenue.

Rotterdam: The World's Largest Port

Due to its geographical location, the Netherlands is highly suitable for maritime transport. Additionally, river systems and canals enable shipping of up to 1,000 tons. In terms of cargo volume, Europe's largest port is located in Rotterdam. Members of the European Economic Community (EEC) conduct 30% of their shipping through Netherlands ports.

Low Raw Material Availability, High Employment

40% of the working population is employed in industry. This is a considerable rate given the country's low levels of raw materials. With more than 300 ports, shipbuilding represents a significant source of revenue for the country. The Netherlands has approximately 450 factories that process and produce various chemicals. Factories producing electronic instruments, aircraft, train manufacturing, and canned food production—thanks to the Netherlands being an agricultural country—occupy prominent positions in the industrial sector. Major export items from the Netherlands include petroleum, electrical instruments for wire, telephone and telegraph, data processing instruments and units, medicines in measured doses for therapeutic purposes, printing machinery, and medical, veterinary and dental tools and instruments. Major import items are petroleum, station wagons and automobiles.    

Turkey - Netherlands Chemical Trade

According to data from İKMİB (Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters Association) regarding the chemicals sector in June 2019, the highest export level was achieved to the Netherlands. At an export value of USD 110,663,000, the most exported items to the Netherlands in June were "mineral fuels, mineral oils and products", "plastics and plastic products", "inorganic chemicals", "volatile oils, cosmetic products and soap", "miscellaneous chemical products", and "rubber and rubber goods". Six months of chemical exports to the Netherlands in 2019 reached a value of USD 417,758,000. [gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnR1cmtjaGVtLm5ldFwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAxOVwvMDlcL2hvbGxhbmRhLTYuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJob2xsYW5kYS02IiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0=,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnR1cmtjaGVtLm5ldFwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAxOVwvMDlcL2hvbGxhbmRhXzUuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJob2xsYW5kYV81IiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0="]

Trade Between Turkey and the Netherlands

According to data from the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT), direct international investment from Turkey to the Netherlands in the 2002-2018 period reached approximately USD 12,581,000,000. In terms of direct foreign investment made abroad by Turkey, the Netherlands holds the top position. A considerable number of companies have been established by Turks in the Netherlands. Approximately 23,000 such companies have made investments totaling EUR 6 billion, providing employment for 80,000 people and generating EUR 8 billion in revenues. Among the most prominent products exported to the Netherlands are motor removal lorries, automobiles, station wagons, race cars, and textile products. Imports from the Netherlands include iron and steel, scrap metals, tractors, alkyd resins, petroleum, bitumen mineral oils, and polyether. Prepared by: Çağla Köksal References http://www.cografya.gen.tr/siyasi/devletler/hollanda.htm http://www.mfa.gov.tr/hollanda-ekonomisi.tr.mfa http://www.ikmib.org.tr/tr/default.html https://www.pixabay.com/tr