The Netherlands

At a Glance

Cherrington Scholars Eligible

• Graphic artist M.C. Escher, whose works are often admired by mathematicians as visual representations of mathematical principles, had no formal mathematics training after secondary school.
• The Amsterdam coat of arms is anchored by a vertical display of three St Andrew's crosses, possibly symbolizing the three dangers that have faced the city: flood, fire and pestilence.
• The Hague is host to several United Nations institutions, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
• Founded in the early 1600s, the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam is one of the world’s oldest botanical gardens.
• Scientist Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) is celebrated for his contributions to the refinement of the microscope and the establishment of cell biology.
• Cees Nooteboom, one of Holland's most frequently translated writers, has been compared to Aldous Huxley, Milan Kundera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Umberto Eco.