A Bit of Dutch Trivia Game | Mixed Nations

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Netherlands were finalists in the FIFA World Cup in 1974, 1978 and 2010, losing on all three occasions. Of the following countries which one was not an opponent in these finals?

Answer: Brazil

In 1974 the Netherlands scored in the 2nd minute (as of 2012 still the fastest goal in a World Cup final), but still went on to lose 2-1 to West Germany. In 1978 against Argentina the score was level (1-1) after 90 minutes; Argentina scored twice more in extra time and were crowned champions. Extra time was again needed in 2010 against Spain, where Iniesta scored the only goal of the match and the Netherlands suffered their third World Cup final defeat.

2. What is the largest lake in the Netherlands?

Answer: IJsselmeer

With a size of 1100 km2 the IJsselmeer is the largest lake, followed by the Markermeer with a size of 700km2. The two together used to form a bay called the Zuiderzee (South Sea) until the bay was closed off by the Afsluitdijk (Enclosure Dam) in 1932 and subsequently separated into two lakes by another dam in 1976.

3. Of which international organisation was the Netherlands NOT a founding member?

Answer: United Nations

Although the Netherlands were founding members of the League of Nations and remained a member until its dissolution in April 1946, they only joined the United Nations on 10 December 1945, 47 days after its foundation.

4. What is the name of the Dutch national anthem?

Answer: Wilhelmus

The Dutch national anthem consists of 15 stanzas and is an acrostic. Taking the first letter of each stanza spells Willem van Nassov (William of Orange), (Willem van Nazzov in the modern Dutch spelling of the anthem). Even though the national anthem consists of 15 stanzas, it is common practice to only sing the first stanza.

5. The oldest university in the Netherlands was founded in 1575. Which university is that?

Answer: Leiden University

Leiden University was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange as a reward for fending off Spanish attempts to capture the city during the Eighty Years' War. The University of Amsterdam was founded in 1632, Utrecht University in 1636 and Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1913.

6. In 1913 the Nobel Prize for Physics went to a Dutchman for his research on behaviour of materials at temperatures near absolute zero and the development of a technique to liquefy helium. Which physicist are we talking about?

Answer: Heike Kamerlingh Onnes

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes was a physics professor at Leiden University, specialising in experimental physics. It was in Leiden that Kamerlingh Onnes built a cryogenic lab where he eventually succeeded to liquefy helium in 1908. Three years later he made the discovery that pure metals become superconductive at extremely low temperatures.

Many instruments used in his research are still visible in the lab, now named in his honour, and the Boerhaave Museum, also in Leiden.

7. One of the most important works of Dutch literature is "Max Havelaar", written by Eduard Douwes Dekker. Under what pen name is Eduard Douwes Dekker better known?

Answer: Multatuli

"Max Havelaar" is a book that deals with corruption and abuses in colonial Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) in the nineteenth century. Its publication had a huge impact on Dutch colonial politics and on Dutch literature. Nowadays, it is still a widely read book among Dutch high school students.

8. "The Village on the River" was the first Dutch movie to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1959. The first Dutch movie to actually win the award was "The Assault" in 1986. Both films were directed by which Dutch filmmaker?

Answer: Fons Rademakers

Fons Rademakers made his directing debut with "The Village on the River", based on the book of the same name, which earned him an Oscar nomination. The last movie he filmed in Dutch rewarded Rademakers with the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Both films are based on Dutch novels, as Rademakers had a passion for film adaptations. "Max Havelaar" is another book made into a movie by Rademakers.

9. Which of the following television programs originated in the Netherlands? (The names of the American versions have been used.)

Answer: The Voice

"The Voice" was created by Dutch media giant John de Mol and competes against other talent programs such as "American Idol", "The X Factor" and "Popstars". Worldwide there a over 40 different shows based on the concept of "The Voice". Other TV hits from John de Mol and his company Endemol are "Deal or No Deal" and "Big Brother".

10. The Killzone video games series is a well-known product of a Dutch video game developer. Which company developed Killzone?

Answer: Guerrilla Games

Guerrilla Games' first game was Shellshock: Nam '67 in 2004 for PlayStation2, PC and Xbox. The first Killzone game was released in the same year and one year later the company was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment. They have been developing games exclusively for the Sony platforms since.

Source: Author Daikenro

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

A Bit of Dutch Trivia Quiz

A selection of The Netherland's finest! Ten questions in ten different categories.

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