Language and Religion in Netherlands
The people are particular about their language and religion in the Netherlands. Since people from all over the world come to the Netherlands to live and work, language and religion have a major role in their lifestyle.
The people of the Netherlands are called Dutch and they speak the Dutch language. Though Dutch is their official language, they are also fluent in English.
The universities in the Netherlands offer many courses in the English language. The teachers are fluent in English and the whole course is international student-friendly. International students don’t necessarily have to learn the Dutch language but it can be an additional ability that can come in handy in professional life. Most of the people are bilingual here due to their proficiency in English.
Though English and Dutch are two vastly spoken languages, other dialects and accents are also remarkably found in the Netherlands. West Frisian is one of the languages widely spoken in the province of Friesland. Similarly, Papiamento is a language spoken in Bonaire and is a native language in the autonomous states of Curaçao and Aruba.
The Netherlands is a religiously tolerant country where diverse people follow diverse religions. So, the Netherlands is a secular country where the life of people comes before religion.
In the Netherlands, about 23.6% are Roman Catholic, 14.9% identify as Protestant, 5.1% are Muslim, and 5.6% identify with some other religion. In fact, more than half of the population identify themselves as spiritual but not religious.
The Netherlands is a place where people can be who they are. Religious beliefs do not come in the way of their choices. People in the Netherlands can follow or unfollow any religion and they can’t be forced to follow or unfollow any religion. This liberal practice may be one of the reasons that fuel the Netherlands as a country of happy people.
In many countries, same-sex marriage is still taboo and is not accepted. But, the Netherlands is the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Similarly, prostitution is also legal in the Netherlands. It means they have rules and laws regarding prostitution. The clubs and bars must have a license and should follow protocols of prostitution. The prostitutes can also practice human rights, unlike most countries.