As a coastal country, the Netherlands is geographically not high mountains and faces the warm Atlantic Current, which has formed a suitable climate characteristics, not too cold in winter, not too high in summer, and the average annual precipitation is about 800 mm, which is conducive to the development of agriculture. However, the Netherlands is low-lying, with nearly a quarter below sea level and a third less than 1 meter high, forcing the Netherlands to carry out land reclamation projects on a continuous basis. This project, which began in the 13th century, cumulatively added 6,000 square kilometers of land to the Netherlands. With its unique geographical conditions, the Netherlands implemented the way of reclamation from the sea, and in the ancient agricultural society, it asked for land from the sea, reclaimed wetlands, and created a miracle of agricultural development.
The geography of the Netherlands has always been a great challenge for the development of agriculture. Due to the low-lying terrain and limited land resources, the Dutch had to look to the sea. By reclaiming land from the sea, the Dutch created large tracts of fertile farmland that made the small country the breadbasket of Europe. They also used water conservancy projects to build massive dams, seawalls and drainage systems, and used windmills to remove stagnant water in low-lying areas. This method of reclamation from the sea not only solves the limitation of land resources, but also provides a stable water source and drainage system for agricultural development. The Dutch field enclosure project is considered a great feat in the history of world agriculture.
The Netherlands developed commerce based on maritime transportation and became the first great power to rise in the Age of Discovery. Through overseas colonies and at sea**, the Netherlands amassed a wealth of capital for development. Although agriculture is an important part of the Dutch economy, it contributes only about 2%. The majority of the population is not engaged in agricultural production, but is engaged in industry and high-tech.
As a highly developed capitalist country, the Netherlands has a diversified economic structure, with equally developed industries and high-tech industries. Machinery manufacturing, chemicals and food processing are the three pillar industries in the Netherlands. The machinery manufacturing industry in the Netherlands started from metallurgy, steel and shipbuilding, and has formed a relatively complete system so far. The shipbuilding industry in the Netherlands is one of its most important industrialization capabilities, with world-class shipbuilding technology and equipment. At the same time, the Netherlands has also made great progress in the field of automobile-related machinery manufacturing, providing materials and spare parts for many top car brands, and has become an important part of the global automotive industry.
In addition, the food processing industry in the Netherlands is closely related to dairy products and has the most advanced dairy processing technology in the world. Dutch dairy products have an excellent reputation on the international market for their quality and reliability. In addition, the Netherlands is also known for producing tulips and flowers, which account for half of the world's flower production, making it the world's largest flower producer.
The Netherlands has long focused on the development of high-tech industries. In areas such as biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence and high-end chip production, the Netherlands has leading technology and innovation capabilities. For example, ASML, as one of the world's most important semiconductor equipment manufacturers, has a near monopoly in the field of lithography machines. The Netherlands' investment and participation in the new energy vehicle industry is also very positive. These high-tech developments have allowed the Netherlands to maintain a strong presence in international competition.
Although the Netherlands has a strong industrial strength, the real proportion of the Netherlands' GDP is the service tertiary industry such as finance, insurance, and tourism. This is also a common feature of the economic structure of developed countries. According to statistics, these service sectors account for more than 70% of the Dutch GDP.
The Netherlands is known for its strong financial system. As one of the earliest exchanges in Europe, the Amsterdam Exchange provides an important market and trading platform for the global financial industry. The insurance industry in the Netherlands is also very developed, and Dutch people generally buy various insurances, such as health insurance and car insurance. In addition, the Netherlands is a popular tourist destination, and the tourism industry has also made an important contribution to the economic development.
Although the geographical conditions of the Netherlands are not conducive to the development of agriculture, this challenge has been overcome through the construction of land reclamation and water conservancy projects, and remarkable achievements have been made in the field of agriculture. The Dutch economy is not only based on agriculture, but also in the industrial and high-tech sectors. However, the main pillar of the Dutch economic structure is the service tertiary sector, especially finance, insurance, and tourism. This diversified economic structure allows the Netherlands to remain highly competitive in the global market.