Western Europe's Rising Star: NETHERLANDS

  The Netherlands is a country surrounded by the North Sea, Germany and Belgium, with more than half of its territory lying below sea level. It also belongs to the group of countries with a high standard of living and educated population, as well as a high population density per square metre. 20% of the Netherlands' territory lies below sea level, and 40% of its land has been reclaimed from the sea. The country's highest point is Vaalserberg Hill, which stands at only 322.7 metres in height. On land reclaimed from the sea, agriculture is extremely advanced thanks to modern farming practices; these human-made lands are called "polders". While greenhouse vegetables are frequently cultivated on its lands, potatoes, sugar beets and cereals are among the other major agricultural products.

The Flower Garden of Western Europe

The Netherlands does not use its land solely for agriculture. In horticulture and flower cultivation, it is highly competitive. Economically, it earns significant foreign exchange through this sector. Its most famous flower is the tulip. The story of how the tulip came to the Netherlands is rather interesting. While the tulip's homeland is Central Asia, it was the "Turks" who brought it to the Netherlands in 1560. The approximately 7 million tulip bulbs found in Keukenhof Gardens (the Flower Gardens of the Netherlands) are among the must-see places. The country exports 80% of the tulips it grows each year. The world-renowned Dutch cattle rank first in large livestock farming. Thanks to its productive and flavourful milk, the Netherlands produces a wide variety of cheeses. It has 30 dairy factories and 150 milk powder factories that supply 45% of world production, and livestock generates two-thirds of the country's total agricultural income.

Rotterdam: The World's Largest Port

The Netherlands has a favourable geographical location for sea transport. Furthermore, river routes and canals provide transport facilities for vessels of up to 1,000 tonnes. The largest port in Europe by cargo volume is Rotterdam. 30% of sea transport for countries belonging to the European Economic Community is handled through Dutch ports.

Few Raw Materials, High Employment

40% of the working population is employed in industry. Despite limited raw materials, this figure is quite high. Since the country has over 300 ports, shipbuilding is an important source of revenue. Various chemical substances are processed and produced in approximately 450 factories. Factories producing electrical and electronic appliances, aircraft and train factories, and canning factories due to the country's agricultural nature occupy a significant share in industry. The Netherlands' main export items include mineral oils, electrical devices for telephone and telegraph cables, data processing machines and units, pharmaceuticals for therapeutic purposes, printing machines, medical, veterinary and dental instruments and equipment. The main import items include mineral oils, railway wagons and automobiles.  

Turkey-Netherlands in the Chemical Sector

According to data from İKMİB (Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association), when considering the chemical sector, the Netherlands was the top export destination in June 2019. With exports totaling USD 110 million 663 thousand, the items most frequently exported to the Netherlands in June included "mineral fuels, mineral oils and products", "plastics and plastic articles", "inorganic chemicals", "essential oils, cosmetics and soap", "miscellaneous chemical substances", "rubber and rubber articles". Six-month chemical exports to the Netherlands this year reached USD 417 million 758 thousand. [gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnR1cmtjaGVtLm5ldFwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAxOVwvMDlcL2hvbGxhbmRhLTYuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJob2xsYW5kYS02IiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0=,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnR1cmtjaGVtLm5ldFwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAxOVwvMDlcL2hvbGxhbmRhXzUuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJob2xsYW5kYV81IiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0="]

Trade Relations Between Turkey and the Netherlands

According to Central Bank data, the total foreign direct investment from Turkey to the Netherlands during the 2002-2018 period was approximately USD 12 billion 581 million. In terms of outbound foreign direct investment from our country, the Netherlands ranks first. The number of companies established by Turks in the Netherlands is quite substantial. This figure is around 23,000, and with investments totalling approximately EUR 6 billion, these companies create jobs for 80,000 people and generate turnover of approximately EUR 8 billion. The main products we export to the Netherlands include motor vehicles used for transporting goods, automobiles, railway wagons, racing cars and textile products. The products we import from the Netherlands to our country include iron and steel, waste and scrap, tractors, alkyd resins, mineral oils and bituminous mineral-derived oils, and polyethers. Prepared by: Çağla Köksal

Sources 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