Comenius 2004 –2005 Germany and The Netherlands

 

Answers for questions geography lessons on 17th of March 2005      

 

Getting started

 

  1. It’s clear where the name Netherlands comes, but what does the name Holland means?

In Dietz (old Dutch) is was called Holtlant meaning holz(wood)land.

 

  1. What is the name of the guy who held his finger in a dike to prevent a catastrophe?

Hans Brinker (It’s a legend!)

 

  1. What percentage of The Netherlands will be under water if there were no dikes?

Almost 50%!

 

  1. What geographical meaning has the word donk (mr. Donk’s name!).

A hilltop or higher spot in the landscape where you could keep dry feet. In former times a village was built on a ‘donk’.

 

Flower auction

 

1.                  What where the location factors for realising the building of  the Flower auction?

Physical factors:        building space, soil destination, infrastructure

Social factors:                        human resource, levels of education, organisation degree

                       

2.         What is the Flower auctions’ total output in euros  per year?  2 billions euros.

 

3.         Why in the end did “the Westland” get workers from outside of  The Netherlands to work in the flower branch?

Foreign workers were cheaper and most of the Dutch workers didn’t want to do that

dull and heavy work.

 

Green housing  

 

1.                  Explain the relation of the green housing and the flower auction.

There was enough greenhouse production t o justify the foundation of a flower

auction.

 

2.                  Why is it important to have airports (Amsterdam (Schiphol, Rotterdam (Zestienhoven), Eindhoven  within a range of  not more than 100km from the auction.

The perishable products should be transported rapidly and within a short range of time.

 

3.                  Can you mention two other Flower Auctions in The Netherlands?

Aalsmeer, Bleiswijk, Rijnsburg, etc….

 

 

4.                  You have open and under glass horticulture. Why do we refer to horticulture as hydro culture?

Al plant nutrition is transported to the plant via water (hydro). No more soil (with it’s minerals is needed). Plants grow on a substrate.

 

 

5.                  How does the greenhouse owners manage tot have a constant supply of water for their plants?

There is a constant supply via canals and ditches and also supplies from gathered 

Rainfall (reservoirs).

 

International airport Schiphol

 

1.                  Explain main port. A very important port with international connections. 

 

2.                  Can you mention another main port in The Netherlands? Rotterdam harbour.

 

3.                  Schiphol as a big employer functions as a pull factor for the workers. Explain the push factors in the neighbourhood of the airport. The noise nuisance is an important push factor for the occupants in the neighbourhood.

 

Windmills

 

1.                  Where does the wind get it’s energy from? Explain!

From the flow of air that streams from a maximum atmospheric pressure to a lower   

atmospheric pressure.

 

2.                  Water mills pumped away the water rather slowly to gain new land (polders) as a result.

What brought a drastic change in the amount of water that could be pumped away round the end of the 20th century? The steam engine.

 

 

3.                  What does the expression “your walking with windmills” mean if directed to a private

person? (this has nothing to do with geography). That you are nuts (crazy).

 

Naval museum

 

1.                  What does the letters V.O.C. mean?  Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie. (United  East-Indian Company

 

2.                  How many  slaves by average where transported for 300 years at a stretch from Africa

to the Americas? At least 10.000.000!

 

3.                  Around the 17th century we had the Golden age in Holland. Explain the meaning of it.

That Holland had it’s richest era (especially Amsterdam).

 

 

 

Van Gogh museum

 

  1. Van Gogh’s museum is situated  near the square Museumplein. Explain the meaning of  proximity for this museum. Its is near other museums and many recreational services.

 

  1. In what country has Van Gogh lived in his latest days? France

 

  1. Which Comenius themes (sun, water and air) has Van Gogh used in his paintings. All of them!

 

Canal Boot trip 

 

1.        How is improving your knowledge about Amsterdam related tot to the canal boot trip?

You get to know about Amsterdam’s history, water-infrastructure, architectonic styles of building, the existing of a city on grounded piles, etc….

 

2.        How (via what waterway(s) did ships, entering from the North Sea, reach the canals of Amsterdam? Via the Southernsea (now it is a lake surrounded by dikes) and the IJ river.

 

 

3.        How is the status of former ‘Amsterdammers’ related to the front stairs of their houses? 

The more stairs they had the more important they were.

 

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Places we visited                                          Comenius themes (sun, water, air, earth) related to

 

Flower auction                                    water and cool air

 

Green housing                                                 sun, water and air

 

International airport Schiphol               air

 

Windmills                                                        air and water (for transport of goods), also water

in the case of  drainage

 

Naval museum                                     water, air (wind for the sails)

 

Van Gogh museum                                          sun, water, earth, and air (in his paintings)

 

Canal boot trip                                    water