Netherlands

Orange Is Everywhere As Dutch Welcome New King

Mark Memmott — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:53:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by3z_aNbbdo

Netherlands Prepares To Welcome First King Since 1890

Bill Chappell — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:31:00 +0000

Excitement is building in the Netherlands a day before Crown Prince Willem-Alexander will be named king. Queen Beatrix will abdicate the throne Tuesday, and when the prince is sworn in, he'll become the first Dutch king in 122 years.

The transition will take place April 30, a national holiday known as Queen's Day — a busy holiday in any year in the Netherlands and especially popular in 2013.

An International Battle Over One Of The Most Boring Things In Finance

David Kestenbaum — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:38:00 +0000

This week saw the end of a years-long, international, multi-billion-dollar battle over one of the most boring things in finance: savings accounts.

At the center of the battle was Iceland, a tiny country where the banks grew into international behemoths during the credit bubble.

The banks got so big partly by convincing foreigners to open up online savings accounts. In particular, lots of people in England and Netherlands opened up "ICESAVE accounts" with a bank called Landsbanki.

Queen Beatrix, Of The Netherlands, Abdicates In Favor Of Son

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:24:00 +0000

Beginning April 30, the Netherlands will have a king.

Queen Beatrix announced in a nationally televised address today that after more than 30 years on the throne, she will abdicate in favor of Prince Willem-Alexander.

The BBC reports:

"Queen Beatrix is the sixth monarch from the House of Orange-Nassau, which has ruled the Netherlands since the early 19th Century.
"In recent decades it has become the tradition for the monarch to abdicate.

Mixed Pickle: The Sweet And Sour Legacy Of Dutch Trade

Jennifer Burns Levin — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:51:00 +0000

In Amsterdam, a popular street snack of brined herring comes with chopped onions and a side of sour pickle. The history of Dutch trade, too, is buried under those onions.

The salt used in preserving both the herring and the pickles enabled sea travel for hundreds of years. The salt trade is credited with building a foundation upon which the Dutch consolidated wealth and power in the 16th century. Dominating the seas for over three hundred years, they were able to establish colonies in tropical climates to monopolize the valuable spice trade.