British scientists wondered why the Dutch are the tallest people in the world.

It is known that the Dutch are the tallest nation in the world: for example, the average height of Dutch men is 1.84 m, and women - 1.71 m. US residents? The matter is not limited to one improvement in nutrition and living conditions. A study that lifts the veil on this evolutionary mystery is published in the respected British journal Royal Society Journal Proceedings, led by Gert Stulp of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, on April 8.

Of course, according to Stalp, improved nutrition had a certain effect on the growth of the Dutch, but this is not an exhaustive explanation, because living standards have also risen in other countries of the Western world. It is noteworthy that over 150 years the average height of the Dutch has increased by 20 cm, while the inhabitants of the United States - by only 6 cm. And if in the second quarter of the 19th century the Americans were the tallest on the planet, now they are "furnished" not only by citizens of the Netherlands but also Danes, Norwegians, Swedes and even Estonians.

It's all about natural selection. It so happens that the tall Dutch, on average, have more children than their shorter rivals, while their mortality rate is much lower than that of the offspring of the short inhabitants of the kingdom. These data are derived from studies of various characteristics of the life of almost 94,500 inhabitants of the Northern Netherlands, who lived there from 1935 to 1967. It turned out that among Dutch men, the most fertile, on average, are those whose height exceeds the average by 7 cm. They have a fertility rate higher by 0.24 points compared to those men whose height is 14 cm below the average. The same trend is observed and among Dutch women, but on a smaller scale.

Stalp was curious about how things are with these indicators in other countries. He took data from Wisconsinians born between 1937 and 1940 and concluded that average Americans have more children than their taller and shorter counterparts. At the same time, the fertility rate is higher in America in men of average height and women of short stature. Taking this into account, Stalp cautiously suggested that a different trend is currently observed in the United States, namely, a decrease in average population growth, at least its stagnation. This is partly why, under favorable nutritional conditions, Americans have been the fattest nation on our miserable planet for more than a decade.

No other study has reached such conclusions, which is what makes it so exciting, says Simon Verhulst of the University of Groningen. At the same time, he emphasizes that these studies have not yet been confirmed by genetic tests.

An important influence on the average height of the inhabitants of the Netherlands has a high culture of consumption of milk, cheese and other dairy products, which is widespread in Holland.

Foreigners are struck by the extraordinary openness and straightforwardness of the Dutch, confident that honesty is very important - even more important than sympathy.

I lived in Amsterdam for about a year, when one day my husband and I agreed to meet with his friends in one of the many cafes in the Vondelpark.

We arrived first and waited quite a long time for the waiter. When he finally materialized, he stunned us with the question: “What do you want?” - instead of the traditional “What would you like to order?” or at least “What can I bring you?”

His question sounded too straightforward, if not rude. Perhaps it was because he spoke non-native English. Or maybe he was having a bad day. However, I was unpleasantly surprised.

Later, my Dutch teacher explained that the Dutch are very straightforward, and this trait is especially characteristic of the inhabitants of Amsterdam.

Writer Ben Coates shares similar impressions. He moved to the Netherlands from the UK eight years ago and wrote Why the Dutch Are Different.

Once, after a visit to the hairdresser, he met a Dutch acquaintance who immediately stated that the new haircut did not suit him.

“The Dutch always say what they think. Even in a business meeting, if your proposal is not very successful, they will certainly point it out to you,” explains Coates.

Briton Coates immediately noticed this national trait. In the UK, he says, people tend to communicate and behave in a way that does not offend the interlocutor by word or behavior.

“The British do not speak loudly on the train, as it can be unpleasant for fellow travelers, they always try to follow the rules of etiquette,” explains Coates.

However, in the Netherlands they believe that “everyone has the right to say what he thinks. And if you don't like it, that's your problem."

To many foreigners, such frankness seems impolite and perhaps even arrogant.

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Once in a supermarket, I accidentally dropped food, which, oh horror, scattered all over the floor. In a matter of seconds, I was surrounded by at least a dozen Dutch and Dutch women, who vying with each other began to advise me what to do.

However, none of them lifted a finger to help. For me, the situation was obvious: I needed help. However, the Dutch saw it differently: as long as I did not ask for help out loud, they would not interfere.

“Someone may decide that we do not know how to empathize. Perhaps it is, because for us, honesty is more important than empathy,” explains Eleanor Brekel, specialist in intercultural communication.

But in fact, these are just different communication models. Brekel, who was born in the Netherlands but has lived all over the world, says Dutch bluntness is linked to Calvinism, although today, according to Dutchnews, the vast majority of Dutch people do not associate themselves with any religion.

With the beginning of the Reformation movement in the 16th century, Calvinism spread to France, Scotland and the Netherlands. However, only in Holland did he significantly affect the national character.

The widespread popularity of Calvin's teaching was facilitated by the fact that it was at that time that the Dutch were fighting for independence from the influence of Catholic Spain, which dominated the Netherlands from 1556 to 1581 (at that time both countries were part of the Holy Roman Empire. - Approx. Translator).

In 1573, Prince William I of Orange, nicknamed the Silent (the founder of the Orange royal dynasty that still rules in the Netherlands today), renounced the Catholic faith and converted to Calvinism in order to unite the country.

As a consequence, Calvinism had a great influence on national identity - as opposed to Catholicism, which the Dutch associated with Spanish oppression.

“Calvinism preached personal responsibility for saving one's soul from a sinful world through reflection, honesty, renunciation of earthly pleasures, and wealth,” Brekel writes in an article about Dutch business culture published on her website.

Openness and honesty are so characteristic of Dutch society that they even came up with a special word for this phenomenon - bespreekbaarheid (which can be translated as “the desire to discuss everything”). And this really means that everything can and should be discussed, that there should not be taboo topics.

The openness of the Dutch is manifested even in the habit of not hiding what is happening in their house from prying eyes.

In Holland, there is a tradition not to cover the windows, so that any passer-by can look inside.

“The Dutch have a completely different idea of ​​privacy,” Coates says of their habit of publicly discussing the most intimate topics.

“When surrounded by strangers, they may talk loudly about their health problems or their parents' divorce or love relationship. They see no reason to keep it a secret.”

It seems that any topic, no matter how complex it may be, is subject to discussion here. No other country in the world speaks so frankly about prostitution, drugs or euthanasia as in the Netherlands.

Euthanasia, by the way, is completely legalized here, but is tightly controlled, as well as prostitution.

And although the sale and use of marijuana has recently been legally restricted, under the tolerance policy, the sale of drugs in coffee shops is not punishable by law.

Breckel, however, disagrees that there are no taboos for the Dutch.

“We don't usually talk about wages or pensions. It is not customary for us to say that someone has a good house or an expensive car. We don't discuss anything to do with money,” she emphasizes.

All tourists are told the bike that Montenegrins are the tallest people in Europe. I decided today to delve into various statistics and check this fact. It turned out that according to the latest data, they share 1st place in terms of height with the Dutch, and in the world, and not just in Europe! To meet a 2-meter guy (and taller) here is nothing surprising! Yes, and Montenegrins are not deprived of beautiful appearance in their youth, as much as the eye rejoices. But, unfortunately, only the eyes rejoice, I will keep silent about the presence of intelligence in this article ...

Indeed, I began to feel myself in Montenegro of normal growth, in my native Ukraine I was considered tall with 175 cm, and in the Perm Territory in the Russian Federation, where my grandparents live, in general - a giantess, I always bang my head there when I go into what some waiting rooms, and leaving the train in Perm, it seems that the people have drastically decreased ...

At the bottom of the Wikipedia article there is a table where you can check the data on the average growth of different nationalities.

1. Dutch and Montenegrins - 183.2 cm
2. Danes and Norwegians - 182.4 cm
3. Serbs - 182 cm
...
8. Germans - 181 cm
9. Croats - 180.5 cm
10. Slovenians - 108.3 cm

In general, the Dinaric Highlands, where the ex-Yugolsavia is located, leads in tall men in the ranking. But women with an average height of 171 cm from this region are generally in 1st place !!! From the Serbian site I took a sign for some countries, so here the Serbs are in the top line.

I found a map of the world, where nations are distributed by color according to their height. I don’t know what year it is, but Montenegrins also stand out here. The average height of men is taken as a measure.

• Red color - from 180 cm and above


• Yellow - 175 - 179.9 cm


• Blue color - 170 - 174.9 cm


• Green color - 165 - 169.9 cm


• Purple color - from 164.9 cm

Since I am a lover of old photos, I will show you how they looked before - growth is visible even here. In the photo - Montenegrins are walking along Cetinje at 6 in the morning! Apparently they dressed up for a trip to the nearest kafana, where they can wash the bones for their mistress wives. Oh, there were no tourists back then :)


The famous magazine The National Geographic about a hundred years ago photographed Montenegrins in their national. clothes. It is noticeable that mustaches prevailed at that time :) I looked at various military pictures of those years - all the men are slender, elongated, with a proud posture and for some reason with a mustache ... It’s good that the fashion in Montenegro for them has passed.

By the way, over the past 100 years, European men have grown by 11 cm. These are data from scientists from Australia and Great Britain. Prior to this, for millennia, max. growth rate did not exceed 2 cm per century. Even two world wars did not stop the intensity of the process. According to scientists, this sharp jump in growth speaks of a tremendous improvement in health, nutrition and social hygiene conditions.

Over the past century in Europe (including Russia), men and women have grown by about 10 cm. But the Americans have now shrunk somewhat and gained a lot of weight - fast food and all sorts of Coca-Cola there will soon make pot-bellied dwarfs out of them: )

And I will show modern Montenegrins, who are proud of the country - these are water polo players. They are one of the best in the world in this sport. I looked at the data for the Olympics for 2008 and 2012 - both times they were in 4th place.

Interestingly, those who eat more meat grow faster: chicken, pork, beef. The love of Montenegrins for meat does not hold, these are still those meat-eaters !!! But lovers of lamb are not distinguished by high growth. This fact is confirmed by the Turks. When I walk around the Istanbul Ataturk airport in search of my gate (and here you can see people from all over the world at the same time), I see Montenegrins from afar due to their growth, and everyone else is immediately lost against their background :)

I am glad to announce the launch of my website, now read all the most interesting about Montenegro and the Balkans on

Our reader Natasha Permyakova writes: So, having lived in Holland for almost 1.5 years, I decided to collect all my observations and compile a list of facts about the country and its inhabitants.

1. The Dutch are famous for their excellent health. Almost everyone dresses very lightly even in winter, no one wears hats in -3, even small children.

2. Most of Holland is below sea level. The lowest point is 6.7 meters below sea level.

3. The bicycle is the most popular means of transportation in the country, there are about 16 million of them. Every inhabitant of the country has a bicycle. In Amsterdam, the number of bicycles exceeds the number of inhabitants of the city.

4. Bicycles are often stolen, especially in Amsterdam. Therefore, often a bicycle lock costs twice as much as the bicycle itself.

5. The Dutch don't eat hot meals. They make do well with a couple of cheese or peanut butter sandwiches.

6. Almost all Dutch people speak English well. Films on central and cable channels, as well as in cinemas, are shown in the original language with subtitles. In addition to English, many Dutch people know German and French, the languages ​​of neighboring countries.

7. Contrary to popular belief, the Dutch are not at all big fans of weed, mostly it is the fun of tourists. However, the Dutch government is trying to crack down on the use of weed, and since 2012, one of the cities has introduced a pilot program where only a local resident can buy weed in a coffee shop.

8. In the Netherlands, it is allowed to grow up to 5 cannabis bushes at home for personal consumption.

9. Flowers in Holland are very cheap and of excellent quality. You can buy a fresh bouquet of 50 tulips for only 5 euros (about 200 rubles).

10. The Netherlands exports 2/3 of the world's live plants, flowers and roots. The Dutch agricultural sector ranks third in the world in terms of profit after the US and France.

11. Prostitution in Holland is legalized, and representatives of this ancient profession are required to pay taxes on an equal basis with other citizens.

12. The Dutch are the highest nation in the world. The average height in Holland is 182 centimeters.

13. The locals don't close their curtains and you can always see what's going on in their houses. This habit has remained since war times, when open windows were a symbol that the inhabitants of the house had nothing to hide.

14. People in the country live by the rules and under no circumstances violate them. Even if the bus is still standing, but the doors are already closed, you are unlikely to be able to get inside.

15. The Dutch are a very athletic nation. Many people run or cycle almost all year round.

16. Schools and universities use a 10-point grading scale instead of the usual 5-point scale. 10, however, is almost impossible to obtain, so 9 is the equivalent of our five.

17. The weather in Holland is very rainy, windy and very changeable. Therefore, talking about the weather is one of the favorite topics for local residents to talk about.

18. Almost all shops in Holland are open until 18.00. Once a week, however, on the so-called shopping night (koopavond), the shops close at 21:00 and you have the chance to buy whatever you need.

19. In addition to taxes on house and land, the Dutch pay an annual tax on the maintenance and construction of flood protection systems.

20. The highest point in the country, which the Dutch call "the mountain", is only 323 meters.

21. Holland has a very high density of museums. There are about 1,000 museums in a country with 16 million inhabitants.

22. The population density of Holland is the highest in Europe - 391 people per square kilometer.

23. The Dutch live by the schedule. Even close relatives plan meetings in advance - several weeks, and sometimes months. If you happened to be nearby and decided to ‘drop in’ to a Dutch friend for half an hour, you are unlikely to succeed, since, most likely, her day had already been planned long before that.

24. One of the local delicacies is herring. You can buy it right on the street - in one of the special kiosks. Locals eat herring, generously sprinkled with onions and holding the tail, or like a hamburger - in a white bun.

25. The second Dutch delicacy is french fries with mayonnaise (Vlaamse fries). For many Dutch people, this can also be an everyday lunch.

26. Holland is one of the largest beer producers in the world. Brands such as Heineken, Amstel and Grolsch were born here. Heineken is the 3rd largest beer producer in the world. However, contrary to this, Dutch beer does not taste very remarkable. The best beer is brewed in Germany, the Czech Republic and Belgium.

27. Dutch vodka is called Jenever. It tastes like a cross between calvados, schnapps and cheap whiskey.

28. The Dutch are very straightforward. They are unlikely to stand on ceremony and beat around the bush, and most likely will tell you everything as it is.

29. The Dutch are very informal in communication. At a business meeting, for example, the director can easily offer to make coffee for everyone.

30. If you don't show up to work because you say you're sick, a doctor may be sent to see if you're really sick.

31. Instead of Santa Claus, familiar to us from childhood, the Dutch meet Sinterklas (Saint Nicholas) every year, who comes from Spain on his white horse. Sinterklas is quite similar to our Santa Claus, but instead of the Snow Maiden, he is accompanied by black helpers - Petes. When celebrating the Sinterklas holiday, the children put their shoes on, putting a carrot for the Sinta horse there, and in return receive gifts.

32. The Dutch love to sprinkle their toast with a kind of chocolate chip called Hagelslag. This refers to such shavings that children sprinkle on ice cream, but in Holland adults sprinkle it on bread, previously smeared with butter.

33. When Dutch children finish school, they hang the Dutch flag and school bag outside.

34. The Dutch kiss each other on the cheek 3 times when they meet, instead of the usual 2.

35. 40% of the country's population are atheists. There are more Protestants in the north of Holland, and more Catholics in the south.

36. In those winters, when the rivers in the country freeze, Elfstedentocht, beloved by the Dutch, is arranged - the famous speed skating marathon in 11 cities of the Dutch province of Friesland with a length of 200 kilometers.

37. The Dutch are one of the most traveled nations in the world. At the age of 20–40 they often work/live for several years in other countries. In most cases they return back to Holland.

38. The main reason for the emigration of the Dutch from the country is bad weather. Due to the maritime climate in the country, it often rains and a cold wind blows.

39. Many Dutch people are not officially married, even if they raise common children.

40. All pets are provided with special microchip, which greatly facilitates the search in case the animal is lost.

41. The color of Holland is orange, this is due to the fact that the name of the royal family literally sounds like "House of Orange".

42. April 30 - Queen's Day - is considered the main holiday of the Netherlands. Locals dress in all orange and organize street festivities. On this day, it seems that all the inhabitants of the country took to the streets, where one half of the population sells all sorts of orange things, and the other buys it. The streets of Dutch cities are decorated with orange lanterns. Orange garlands of balloons, ribbons, flags are visible everywhere, and even people's faces are painted orange.

43. Holland is the unofficial name of the Netherlands, which is not very popular with the locals. Holland is a region in the west of the country.

44. To see a doctor, such as a cardiologist, you first need to get a referral from a general practitioner. Just like that, without a referral, no doctor will accept you.

45. Medicine in Holland is paid and paid for by insurance. Everyone must have insurance, its cost is about 100 euros per month.

46. Fireworks in Holland are allowed only on New Year's Eve: from 10 am on December 31 to 2 am on January 1.

47. In Holland, it is not customary for a man to take the initiative in relation to a woman. This is partly due to the fact that women want to be independent and regard men's initiative as an attack on their self-sufficiency.

48. Due to the fact that most of the year it rains in the country, the Dutch have learned to enjoy even short manifestations of good weather. As soon as a ray of sun peeps out, locals pour out into the streets, drink beer on open roads, even if it is only +5 outside.

49. A special category of the population are Surinamese, Indonesians, Turks and Moroccans. Their stay in the country can be characterized as coexistence with the local population. They have created their own closed subculture, they read newspapers and watch films in their own language. The official number of immigrants in Holland is over 1 million people.

50. The Dutch are a very well-read nation. There is one bookstore for every 2,000 inhabitants.

51. In the Netherlands, you can drink alcohol from the age of 16.

52. There are 1180 windmills in Holland.

53. The Keukenhoff Tulip Park is 32 hectares of land planted with flowers and is the most photographed place in the world.

54. Public toilets are paid (from 20 to 50 euro cents), even in some nightclubs, the entrance to which is also paid.

55. In Holland, it is not customary to give expensive gifts. Even for a wedding, as a rule, they are limited to a budget of no more than 50 euros.

56. 30% of Dutch children are born at home. At the same time, do not be surprised if, a few hours after the birth, the neighbors come to you to inquire about the condition of the mother and look at the baby.

57. Dutch girls don't pay much attention to their appearance. Many do not put on make-up, do not style their hair and do not wear heels. They wear what is comfortable. In the mornings, Dutch girls go out with wet hair before they have time to dry it.

58. However, unlike the British, Americans and other representatives of the Anglo-Saxon countries, the Dutch have a sense of taste and look very neat.

59. Dutch men pay much more attention to their hair. Most Dutch people wear semi-long blond hair, and each of them has a hair styling product.

60. If you are stopped by a police officer for a traffic violation and you try to offer him a bribe, most likely he will return the money to you, being sincerely convinced that they came to him completely by accident.

61. The Dutch love football. Here they either play football, or watch, or, if there is nothing to watch, they re-watch old matches.

62. The Dutch are rather stingy and do not like to show their wealth. On the other hand, they have a strong sense of envy.

63. Techno or trance dance music is very popular in Holland. Don't be surprised if walking through the streets of the city, you will see people in their 40s and 50s bobbing under a trance. DJs Armin Van Buren, Tiesto, Ferry Corsten are all from Holland.

64. Every August, Amsterdam hosts one of the largest gay pride parades in the world, attracting around half a million visitors. The parade itself is very similar to the celebration of the Queen's Day and is a parade of barges through the canals of Amsterdam.

65. In Holland, you can be fined for not having flashlights on your bike at night.

66. "Dutch disease" is the name given to the addiction syndrome of increased natural resource extraction and decline in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. In 1959, the largest natural gas field in Europe was discovered in Holland. Due to its export, the Dutch guilder greatly increased in value, which negatively affected the rest of the export sectors of the economy.

67. During World War II, the German army took a very large number of bicycles from Holland. For this, the Dutch really do not like the Germans and still make fun of German tourists, saying: "Give us back our bikes!".