The Netherlands

Netherlands where its area size of approximately 42,000 km2 and with population of about 16 millions is a nation that should not be underestimate its influence of the world economy. It GDP per capital is about USD 30,500. Its policy is relatively liberal as drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage and euthanasia is allowed in this country. Do not confuse coffee shop with café here where the former is a shop selling marijuana and the later is a “real” coffee shop where drinks and foods are served.

Some of the well known Dutch companies:
1) ABN Amro (Financial)
2) Akzo Nobel (Healthcare, Coatings, Chemicals)
3) Fortis (Financial)
4) Heineken (Brewery)
5) ING Group (Financial)
6) Philips (Electronics and Electrical)
7) Rabobank (Financial)
8) Reed-Elsevier (Publisher) – Anglo-Dutch JV
9) Royal Dutch Shell (Oil & Gas) – Anglo-Dutch JV
10) TNT (Logistic)
11) Unilever (Food, Home and Personal Care) – Anglo-Dutch JV
12) KLM (Airlines) – Part of Air France-KLM
13) P & O Nedlloyd – Part of Maersk, Danish Shipping Lines (Shipping)

VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) or The Dutch East India Company was the first multi-national company and the first company to issue stocks in the world. Its function is to carry out colonial activities in Asia in 17th century. Among the colonies were Indonesia, Malacca, Formosa (Taiwan) and Sri Lanka.

Vincent van Gogh is its most prominent painter in the Netherlands. Anne Frank’s diary is also famous which it translated into many languages. Her story is about her life during World War II after The Netherlands invaded by German. Anne’s family together with her friends hide themselves in the hidden room of her father office (the Secret Annex) for about 2 ½ years before they been betrayed and captured by German. She died of typhus when she sent to concentration camp.

Generally speaking, the Netherlands is a foreigner friendly country. Since the country does not posses valuable natural resources, a relatively small size country and small population, it needs to explore outside world to generate its economics. Thus, long ago, trading is its main source of economics. It could be seen from VOC and many joint ventures (JV) with other countries such as United Kingdom. In this few decades, tourism is one of its economic boosting machine. Nevertheless, there are few groups of people where their mind is still in colonial times. Their thinking is still maintained in “White Man Burden” era and resist to the change of the outside world. Their rejection of the rising of then their colonies such as China made them unfriendly to the yellow colored people in their country. In some cases, they even shout at them: “Go back, Yellow Pig!” This is a hidden risk to the nation. If their thinking is still stand still and not pace with the outside world, sooner or later, they will be left behind. And who knows, maybe one day, their survival depends to the then they discriminate nation like China. The pace of change is never wait for the one who still dreaming and resist for the change. The nation could grow stronger because of its open-minded and keep change with the era. The example of this is the United States in 20th century.