Belgium and the Netherlands Compared
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- čas přidán 25. 11. 2021
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Mr. Beat compares and contrasts two of The Low Countries, but they can get high, and they're both amazing places. You know what it is. You know that I'm talking about the Netherlands and Belgium, right?
Check out @historywithhilbert146's video here: • Why Isn't Belgium Part...
Plus, just today I found out he made this video: • The Netherlands, Holla...
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Sources/further reading:
www.mylifeelsewhere.com/count...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherl...
www.bbc.com/travel/article/20...
www.theguardian.com/world/202...
european-union.europa.eu/prin...
www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/c...
www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/c...
countryeconomy.com/countries/...
www.vox.com/policy-and-politi...
www.usnews.com/news/best-coun...
• Belgium vs Netherlands...
uweb.berkeley.edu/2021/04/11/...
www.amusingplanet.com/2020/05...
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#belgium #netherlands #geography
Belgium and the Netherlands
Or formally the Kingdom of Belgium and informally Holland
Two, small-ish bordering countries in Western Europe found, along with Luxembourg, in between France and Germany. They’re Low Countries.
Both are along the North Sea, historically at the so-called “crossroads of Europe,” and both do have a lot in common as you might expect, but Europe being Europe, there are lots of differences you maybe wouldn’t expect.
Oh before we move forward, I should say that, at least in the English speaking world, we call folks native to the Netherlands “The Dutch.” Now THEY often call themselves Nederlanders. But yeah most of the Flanders region of northern Belgium also speaks Dutch, and this region in particular has much more in common with the Netherlands.
Belgium actually has three official languages. Dutch, French, and German. In Belgium’s capital, Brussels, they speak both Dutch and French, and most Belgians can speak both Dutch and French to varying degrees. Oh, and if you’re watching this video right now from the Netherlands, you can likely understand me, as nearly everyone there can speak English, while that’s less likely if you are watching from Belgium, as less than half of Belgians can speak English.
Before we move forward any more, I suppose I ought to bring up the elephant in the room. No, not literally that elephant in that room. It’s a metaphorical idiom, goodness. Ok, so a really important thing I should have brought up already is that Belgium used to be part of the Netherlands.
Which is better? Belgium or the Netherlands? What two countries should I compare next?
Also, two reminders here....
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I would like make a compared Omaha and Lincoln from Nebraska #geography #omaha #lincoln
Zambia and zimbabwe must be compared
I would like make a compared Omaha and Lincoln from Nebraska #geography #omaha #lincoln
compare france and germany :)
@@NotPeachy_Prince He did Tornoto and Montreal
1:36 "While nearly everyone in the Netherlands speaks Dutch."
He was too kind to say the truth, which is: "Everyone in the Netherlands speaks Dutch, except for English and American expats." 😂
(Natuurlijk spreek ik Nederlands omdat ik een immigrant ben, geen expat)
I love your channel.
Who is this Dutch speaking Canadian that can speak Dutch? He surely doesnt know the dutch love their bikes?
When I lived there, I would try to practice my Dutch, but the second they heard my accent they would switch to English. They’re just too efficient sometimes..
Yay, you saw this! I'm a big fan of your channel, and your videos definitely influenced me to make this video. Oh, and I somehow forget to mention Belgium roads, but at least Hilbert took care of that for me. 😄
I’ve been watching since March 2020 (was still small) keep up the great work :)
Watching from Belgium, as a Belgian. Most Flemings are able to speak English, Francophones much less but I'd say more than half of the Belgians can speak English on a conversational level. We rank 6th in the world and would be 2nd I believe if it were not for the Francophones, I met exactly one Fleming who was not able to speak a moderate amount of English in my life.
Yes, I had great doubts about that claim too. Thanks for the confirmation that this is not true :)
As a Dutchie I am going to have to agree with this, all Flemish people speak English very well.
The educational level is better in Flanders. I am Walloon but I work for a Flemish company and each time I am amazed to see that even the delivery mens are relatively good in French. But that' not only that. Quite often, people who speak a language with a large audience like French or Spanish are not very good at English, all of their products are written in their language in stores, movies are in their language in theaters etc. ..
The Americans and the English for that matter are very bad at languages other than their own, and it makes sense, their language is absolutely everywhere, they should never make this effort to translate anything.
it is not "fleming" but "flemish"
@@remi1239 Fleming is Vlaming, Flemish is Vlaams.
A pleasure working together with you on this one Mr Beat - let's link up and do another again soon - maybe over some Belgian waffles or Dutch pancakes eh ;)
I propose Limburgish nonnevotten.
I was gonna say, I'll be in Europe hopefully next year. Sounds good to me!
Guten Tag
@@iammrbeat 😳😳 sussy baka
Lay off the carbs you two.
Belgium’s a lot like the Netherlands, except Frencher. Belgium’s also a lot like France except Dutcher
It’s also Germaner than either of those countries as well
I laughed out loud at "Frencher," "Dutcher," and especially "Germaner."
I sometimes wonder if Belgium really should be considered one country. They have three areas that speak entirely different languages, at least 2 or even 3 distinct cultures, and each has their own set of political parties. To me, it honestly feels like a union of 2-3 microstates under one crown (though even less united than Britain, since at least the British technically share a language, even if Wales has its own as well). Belgium truly is one of the most bizarre countries on earth.
@@thunderbird1921
It’s been a “marriage of convenience” country for quite some time
All of Belgium’s Flemish, Walloon, and German people quarrel but are happier together than they would be as part of the Netherlands, France, or Germany
It's still more catholic, culturally. That's a big difference in look at life that runs through everything. From architecture to food to degree of organization and the way people behave.
@@thunderbird1921 you're a bit wrong though. We do speak 3 distinct languages, but we most definitely do not have distinct cultures. For centuries flanders and Wallonia, and the Netherlands and even Luxemburg were a loose coalition of city states that traded together, and were part of the same or different kingdoms through mostly feudal systems of vassalage, marriage, religious links and such. For example the Flemish city of Mechelen was part of the principality of Liège in most of the Burgundian and Austrian/Hapsburg times even though now Mechelen is considered very much Flemish and Liège very much walloon. And there were plenty of these complex feudal relationships between the different provinces of the low countries for centuries.
And even now today, our ''cultures'' do not differ that much at all. In fact ask most Frenchmen and they'll say Walloons are more Belgian than french, and ask a dutch man and most will say Flemish are more Belgian than Dutch. "Simple" things like Flemish enjoy a much more "Burgundian lifestyle" than the dutch, just like the Walloons do, and Walloons enjoy more of a beer culture than the French wine culture, just like the Flemish (just to name some somewhat stereotypical, but true examples). We have much more in common than that divides us, even though a lot of Belgians seem to have forgotten that in the last few decades. Which is probably why we've stuck together in a complex federal political union, instead of separating and becoming Independent states, or even re-annexing with either the Netherlands or France.
Flanders and Wallonia have been together through the centuries, and even now have much more in common with each other than with our respective neighbours France and the Netherlands except the language. And even there both the Flemish and walloon have their own distinct dialects of both Dutch and French.
What I like about my country, as a Belgian:
- Amazing food (moules frites, beef stew, waffles, chocolate, beer, etc.)
- some really charming cities like Ghent, Bruges and Dinant
- a very rich history and culture
- an open and free society
- a very good social security system
What I dislike about my country:
- a complete lack of patriotism. There is some Flemish nationalism in the north, but it's mostly based on animosity towards strangers and French-speaking Belgians, not really on love for the country. National monuments are hardly maintained and national heroes are all but forgotten. Nobody even knows the founding fathers of our country.
- urban planning is a disaster. Due to linear settlement there is almost no countryside left in Flanders. Walloon cities are mostly depressing and unkempt. Since having an apartment at the coast is a status symbol, almost the entire little coastline we have is crammed with apartment blocks making it one of the ugliest places in Western Europe.
- our overly complicated state structure
The Netherlands is the same when it comes to the complete lack of patriotism unfortunately, everytime you hear the same "ach we zijn zo'n klein, onbelangrijk kikkerlandje" and otherwise they are just really annoying about it (hurr durr GEKOLONISEERD) and a lot of the immigrants here also talk very lowly of us which influences the locals.
Oostend is ugly in your opinion? I always thought the beachfront promenade looked quite nice
Also I’m guessing most Belgian patriotism appears during the World Cup haha
@@coyotelong4349 I like the promenade but unfortunately it's one of the only things that remains from the time when Ostend was internationally reknown as "la reine des plages". Have you seen pictures of what Ostend used to look like in the early 20th century? The Royal Palace Hotel, the former casino, Hippodrome Wellington, etc. Most of these buildings were destroyed during the war, but still the ugly architecture that replaced it saddens me.
@@coyotelong4349 The only really different looking seaside resort though is De Haan, because of local building restrictions.
I still have nightmares about Zeebrugge.
As to anyone interested why carrots are orange: In the 17th century, Dutch growers cultivated orange carrots as a tribute to William of Orange - who led the the struggle for Dutch independence - and the color stuck. A thousand years of yellow, white and purple carrot history was wiped out in a generation.
So basically, the Dutch are still conquering every corner of the world with their orange carrots.
Well put and thanks!
ah, learned something today, cool
The netherlands is my favorite country by far.
Wrong,
Wild carrots started off as either white or pale yellow, but changed to purple and yellow when people first domesticated the vegetable almost 5,000 years ago in the Persian Plateau area, according to a 2011 report that Stolarczyk co-authored. These domesticated carrots were later split into two main classes: the Asiatic group, which was cultivated around the Himalayas, and the Western group, which grew largely in the Middle East and Turkey. Yellow carrots in the Western group probably mutated into more orange hues, which farmers then selectively planted.
"Left-leaning" only from a very American point of view. The Netherlands have not had a truly left-wing government since the 70s.
Yeah, the current leading party (liberals) which is right by our standards is (right-winged)but is considered centrist, with a touch of right stuff in the US
Good point
1. most of his audience (and himself) is American so I understand why he would see it from that view
2. the government of a country does not always accurately reflect the country in general as democracy is more than just who you agree with the most
3. it probably would be worth mentioning what pov he is saying subjective opinions from, so i agree with you on that
Yeah, it's kinda funny how that works. I'm a Dutch right wing voter, but if i for example move to the US that might all change. Probably because i'm used to the more social healthcare system that we have around here. Which right wing Republicans in the US don't seem to be a big fan of.
I think that's one of the biggest misunderstandings about the Netherlands. It's not really a left-leaning country. It's one of the few countries in the world that practices a grown-up version of libertarianism. (The American version of libertarianism is infantile, by the way, and doesn't compare.)
First video that actualy shows how deeply routed the benelux region is in european history
Well glad to hear it!
When you grow up in an actual bilingual environment, learning a third language gets way easier than when you grow up only speaking one. Especially learning english when you speak both a Germanic and Roman Language already (Dutch and French)
English is a Germanic language btw
Great video, just earned yourself a subscription from the Netherlands. Hearing an American talk about our two countries makes me realize how much we have in common. So all the love to our southern neighbours from Holland.
Now I am going to watch Hilbert's video, because after all this "feel-good emotion" I want to know why those southern traitors decided to leave our glorious union ;)
This an honor. Thank you so much! And yeah I try to keep it positive here. Now Hilbert, on the other hand, immediately calls Belgium a speed bump in his video. 😄
We left becausse of the cheese. To much is to much.
@@iammrbeat still looking for anyone who asked
We were sick of the blinding orange everywhere, that is why. Oh, and being treated as second class citizens did not help your case, that too.
I mean it makes sense, we used to be the same country after all.
Thanks for comparing our nations! Even though we kinda laugh at eachother's accents and culture, we wouldn't wanna do it with anybody else. The Netherlands and Belgium have been great friends and I hope it will stay that way for many more centuries to come.
Groetjes van België!
Greetings from Belgium!
Precies!
Groetjes van Nederland.
Juist gesproken Maxime , zo is het maar net gr.
That’s what you say, Nederland on top🔛🔝🗣️🗣️🗣️ /j we love yall too
Fun fact : During its territorial expansion during the first Republic and the first Empire, France had departments in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy and had direct borders with Denmark and the Ottoman Empire
But do not forget that the French were even defeated by a Swiss army ! Not something I would be proud of !
I love the story of my grandparents walking into a coffee shop in Amsterdam and fairly quickly being directed to the right kind. My grandmother remarked they were very nice people
I believe it!
I am from Belgium (Flanders). I think most people here can speak english really well. It's the older generation that has a little mre difficulties with English but I think I can say that all young adults can speak English or at least understand it even better than they can speak French or German
Speaking english isnt impressive is a very easy language to learn gramatically And dutch people seem to prefer english than their own native language how sad
@@francoisdaureville323 And yet your grammar is horrendous. If you're going to talk trash, make sure you don't make a fool of yourself in the process.
@@jazzcatjohn who cares??? The language is still easy and most of its vocabulary is just french words inserted in it as a french person i literaly see french everywhere in it
@@francoisdaureville323 What does that have to do with anything? Language isn't a competition.
I would love to see you compare education systems in different countries. It would be cool to know what other kids around the world learned and compare it to what I learned at that grade.
I have had this planned for a while actually. You've just inspired me to prioritize it. :)
@@iammrbeat thanks Mr. Beat!
@@iammrbeat can't wait for such a video!
thats a pretty complex issue considering belgium has 3 different standards of education, every language group government is authorized to make decisions about education for their language group so thats different standards for flanders, wallonia and the small german speaking part of wallonia with both french and flemish in brussels
Fun fact regarding that topic. You might want to keep an eye out on the Netherlands😁
How dare you forgot to tell about the in Belgium invented "French-" Fries 😂
Obviously because most Americans know France and not Belgium !
@@guyvandurme7228 Also, fries are from Friesland, which is in The Netherlands 😉
Thanks for the great video. I actually studied in Ghent, Belgium. One of the nicest and most historic cities in Europe!
That's awesome, and thanks 😊
ENJOY ! That city is one of the greatest in Belgium ! But do not forget to visit other belgian cities, you will learn so much about European history !
I would love to see something different in the compare series, first thing that comes to mind could be rivers such as the rhine vs danube or Mississippi vs st Laurence
🤯 YAS
I agree. How about comparing the rivers Yangtze and Ganges? Or the Nile and the Amazon?
AVIAN! Omg this is small world stuff!
@@buddy_mc137 woah! yeah that’s odd
I second the Rhine and Danube comparisons
As a Belgian citizen that worked for a Dutch company and spent a fair share of my time in the Netherlands I can say we have more in common than that which separates us.
That said: Footbal and Beer (note the capital on both ;) ) are grounds for almost war-like discussions. That and the usage of peanut sauce on fries (seriously ;) )
Dutch people can be weird sometimes, but belgian ones too so...
Patatje oorlog, of is het een Frietje ? :P
I came across this video by chance. Man, your CZcams work is AWESOME!
As a Dutch national living in Spain I have always considered Belgium a fantastic neighbour country.
As a Greek, I admire the friendship you both have.
"A Dutch national living in Spain"
That's very Habsburg of you
Average L spaniard traitor opinion /j
Very fun to see my own country coming up in this series! I am a big fan off this channel from the Netherlands. Thank you for making this😃
Yay, represent! Hopefully I didn't disappoint. 🙂
De Witte is one of the most dutch names ive ever heard
@@avian972 Haha yes that's true
I admire all the other channel shoutouts. Been a long-time fan of you, Mr. Beat!
Every time you make a video, it’s the highlight of my day!
Hello Mr. President! James K. Polk is my 7th favorite president!
@@abrahamlincoln937 That’s great! Lincoln is my third favorite president
@@thelegoyoda6065 Which presidents do you think were better than Lincoln?
@@abrahamlincoln937 Washington and FDR
@@thelegoyoda6065 Lincoln is my favorite president. Washington is my 2nd favorite president. FDR is my 3rd favorite president.
"Between France and Germany" is the most perfect description of the low countries.
How? We are better than both those countries.
Me having gone to both countries, personally these are the 2 best countries i’ve visited. The people are so nice, the food is great. Everything you could want.
"The food is great" should refer to Belgium only. The food in the Netherlands is rather uninspired, the result of hundreds of years of Dutch Calvinism, a religion which considers enjoying yourself - including eating - a sin.
@@flitsertheo It's not like this is still the life style of most Dutch people. But I have to agree that the food is not that special
@@flitsertheo You clearly never visited a Dutch snackbar.
@@hunchbackaudio Fastfood is the same everywhere, usually unhealthy.
@@flitsertheo In the Dutch snackbar is much more variety in food and snacks, so I’m not sure where the “uninspired “ comes from. If you want to eat healthy start cooking at home.
My dads side is from the Netherlands. I live in Iowa, and there’s a big Dutch community near me that does tulip times every year.
You are talking about Pella, right? One of my Patreon supporters lives there.
@@iammrbeat I am 😊
I heared of that!
Cool. I'm an American who lived in Belgium for 3 yrs, in Northern Wallonia, and I learned French there (I had to). And I lived close to Flanders, and I never met a Flemish person who was not a fluent English speaker, and the same is true in the NL, and all throughout Scandinavia.
Great ideas for comparison:
-Arkansas and Missouri
-Beijing and Shanghai
- Portland Oregon and Portland Maine
- Vegas and Atlantic City(casinos)
- Scotland and Wales
Great suggestions! Beijing and Shanghai is coming in December. :)
You better talk about how the roads in my homestate in Missouri are way better kept than Arkansas. I live right on the border and my tires hate me when we're going into Arkansas
Vegas and Macau, that would be fun
Thank you for the interesting lesson. Could you compare Sweden and Finland? 😄
How about Sweden and Norway instead?
That would be fun
@@iammrbeat I am from Finland, so I prefer Finland🤩
@@katriinasorsa527 But do you like Norway too?
@@whyamihere832 Of course. Norway is fine too.
It's been so long since these videos, I love them, totally forgot about your channel
Welcome back! And more Compared videos to come in the coming months. :D
Hello Mr. Beat! I get excited when you release a new video on Friday!
Yay, always glad to see President Lincoln here in the comment section. :)
@@iammrbeat Thank you very much, Mr. Beat!
I feel like Luxembourg should have been included for a 3 way comparison
we (belgium) have really nothing similar to luxembourg (except our provence :p ) you should compare luxembourg to germany
@@obsidian501 it’s so true
@@obsidian501 TRUE !
As a recent Dutch subscriber, I am thrilled to see you talk about my country!
This is amazing. Hope I didn't disappoint!
@@iammrbeat You didn't, it was a great video!
Great video Matt, learned a lot in this particular video but I always pick up something in each :)
Belgium actualy did a lot in WW1. It were belgian troops that flooded the iron river and then dug the first trenched, this all to keep the germans on the belgian side of the river for long enouf to give the french army a chance to mobelise, whitch worked
They certainly did!
Hey Mr Beat! Your Channel is awesome! The videos I love the most is your Comparing Videos! I really like you a lot! ❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks so much, and I hope to make many more in 2022!
The highest wealth inequality thing has recently been disproved by a lot of economists, the one video they say this in has been debunked several times by now...
source ?
@@niccolorichter1488 czcams.com/video/tW_kw6OPXc0/video.html
i don’t know if it’s the highest. But it is still quite big.
Hahaha, love your videos! They teach me a lot of stuff I usually find boring. You have new fan sir!
You should do a 3 way comparison for
1. Poland, Slovakia and Czechia
2. Norway, Sweden and Denmark
3. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
4. El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras
@@quelquun7786 I was just thinking because the classic Scandinavian trio is Norway Sweden and Denmark where Finland is more or less just considered Nordic and not Scandinavian because of linguistic and historical differences
Can you do Guatemala with Costa Rica and Panama but for me I prefer El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras with Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama than El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua
@@Alexander-987Finland is common with the Baltics than the Scandinavians
The two countries discuss in this video with Luxembourg
The lower level of English in Belgium is due to Wallonia.
Wallonia brings a lot of our statistics down 😶
I can believe that
Why am i not supprised
Uh oh, Tibo is talking trash! 😏
@@iammrbeat Bot teese ise howe frensche speeking belgians speeke inglish
Possibly it moves some figures of happiness further up being more outgoing people.
Hey Mr. Beat! just wanted to let u know i love ur vids!
Thank you!
I love Mr Beat’s videos so much I went and watched the partner video and came back 😭 Great work per usual! You’re making a more informed world, one video at a time!
I appreciate that!
Thanks a lot Mr Beat ! Love the Channel and your sense of humour. Love from Brasil !
Well thank YOU Bruno
I lived in Belgium (with my immediate family) for a couple of years, and my folks lived in Den Haag for a couple of years... and we'd all happily go back to either place. :-)
Hey mr beat great video greetings from Belgium
Hello there!
I've been to Belgium, but not the Netherlands. It was the only time I had mussels for Thanksgiving dinner (the only turkey I found was a soup tureen in the museum attached to the royal palace)! Unfortunately, the 10 days I was there were cold, overcast and snowy, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the country's beauty and sites. I really enjoy these comparison videos.
One of the biggest differences between both countries is urban planning. The Netherlands is probably the best planned-out country in the world with dense towns and cities and lots of spare farmland. Meanwhile, Belgium did not have any formal urban planning until relatively recently and, it used to highly encourage people to build their own houses on big lots in the countryside because of politics. Belgium is now the most suburban country in continental Europe.
Honestly, i think there are few countries that have closer ties than we do. In all aspects of life. We make fun of eachother and may "fight" like siblings, but we will always have eachothers back if an outsider picks on any one of us. I can accept being mocked by the dutch from time to time, coz thats family , it's all good fun, but any one else doing it will have a very bad day 😂. I think the swedes and danes have a similar vibe going on if i'm not mistaken. ✌️❤️🇧🇪🇳🇱
As a Belgian fuck the Dutch.
Thanks for more Comparisons Mr. Beat! If you're running out of ideas, here's some more idea suggestions for more Comparison Videos in the Future! 😁:
*Luxembourg* 🇱🇺 & *Liechtenstein* 🇱🇮
*France* 🇫🇷 & *Italy* 🇮🇹
*China* 🇨🇳 & *Japan* 🇯🇵
*Brazil* 🇧🇷 & *Argentina* 🇦🇷
*Mexico* 🇲🇽 & *Guatemala* 🇬🇹
*Poland* 🇵🇱 & *Lithuania* 🇱🇹
*Colombia* 🇨🇴 & *Venezuela* 🇻🇪
*Kazakhstan* 🇰🇿 & *Mongolia* 🇲🇳
&
*Australia* 🇦🇺 & *New* *Zealand* 🇳🇿
What a list! Australia and New Zealand is coming in January btw!
@@iammrbeat Nice! Can't wait for that! 👍
@@iammrbeat Pakistan and India would be an interesting topic too 👍🏽
Hello Mr. Beat. Watching this thanks to Hilbert. Enjoyed it, but kept expecting him to come up with a historical picture of the Dutch flag and the Dutch anthem. His viewers will get it.
I kept thinking that this is like comparing the historic English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, each of which has a population similar to Scotland at over 5 million.
I have visited all the Benelux countries. I expected pictures of double decker trains, chips (US fries) with mayonnaise (yum) and Belgian fish and chips with the fish on a kebab stick. I am old enough to remember the old Astra satellite TV that had RTL4 we could watch in UK.
Thanks for coming by. I can't wait to visit myself.
A Dutchman, an Englishman and a Belgian are standing on the roof of a burning flat. The Dutchman takes an umbrella and jumps down, now there is only one umbrella left. The Englishman also grabs an umbrella and jumps down. The Dutchman encounters the Englishman with a few scratches and says: “Shall we go and see the Belgian in the hospital?” They find the Belgian in intensive care completely wrinkled. The Englishman asks “How did you get down?”
To which the Belgian replies “I ran out of umbrellas, so I put on my rain suit!”
Only Belgians don't understand this.
Very nice video 🙂. I have a few remarks though. When you say the low countries became part of the holy roman empire, the most important part of the low countries at the time (one of the most important regions of Europe then), the county of Flanders, was part of France. After that Flanders became part of Burgundy, which trough marriage became part of the Habsburg empire. But the most important part of Flanders history (known by historic cities like Bruges and Ghent, and important painters which influenced Italians like Leonardo da Vinci) isn’t really spoken of. 😅 Also the neutrality of Belgium during the world war was questioned… Belgium just stopped being neutral when it was invaded. Being neutral does not mean you let armies pass through your country to let them invade another country.
Here before Not Just Bikes complains about how bad the roads in Belgium are
Well they should compare them to the roads here in Kansas.
Surprisingly he commented and kept it nice. :)
We have to blame the Dutch tourists for that. Each summer hordes of them pass through Belgium on their way to the South, their cars and caravans (over)loaded with the full contents of a Dutch supermarket. They cause more damage to the road surface than a company of Leopard tanks.
@@flitsertheo actually, its because Belgium has a huge road network and low fuel taxes, in the netherlands fuel is really expensive, and even tho millions of germans pass through, the roads still arent shit
Could you also do Norway and Sweden? It would be pretty interesting!
Flying out to visit both in 2 weeks! Couldn't have asked for a better time for this video to come out :)
Woahness! Have a wonderful time!
When you are in Netherlands, check out Giethoorn
Currently living in one of the very few Justish kingdoms in England. Kent. However we always get glossed over. Dam angles and saxons. Hogging the lime light.
Great video as always. Hilbert is always good too!
Well shoot I'm not surprised you already knew about Hilbert then!
Stop saying stupid things about the soncalled great invasion of the Anglo saxons. Read History Books.
Hey mr. Beat! ...awesome video! ...I've been to both countries and they are one of my favorites! ...how about comparing Switzerland and Austria next time?
I'm not sure what I'm going to do about Switzerland yet. I plan on comparing Austria with Hungary.
@@iammrbeat ...well...it's a possibility...maybe there's no other country Hungary is so comparable anyways... :)
@@euskadirlzPoland and Hungary
19:23 add vehicle manufacturing to this, DAF/GINAF, VDL/NEDCAR are dutch and VDL loans factories to BMW(MINI) and there are loads of vehicle parts factories.
Mr. Beat you did not mention Vincent van Gogh. He was one of the most famous artists who was born in the Netherlands on March 30th, 1853. He traveled to Belgium to study at the Antwerp Academy for learning how to paint. He often clashed with his teacher Eugene Siberdt and quickly got in trouble. One time when Van Gogh was required to draw the Venus de Milo during a drawing class, he produced the limbless, naked torso of a Flemish peasant woman. Siberdt regarded this as defiance against his artistic guidance and made corrections to Van Gogh's drawing with his crayon so vigorously that he tore the paper. Van Gogh then flew into a violent rage and shouted at Siberdt: 'You clearly do not know what a young woman is like, God damn it! A woman must have hips, buttocks, a pelvis in which she can carry a baby! Some sources say this was the last time he attended the Antwerp Academy, and he was kicked out after the temper outburst along with 16 other students and then he fled to Paris to be with his brother Theo that same year.
Hey, it's nice to see we belgians aren't forgotten. Thanks for the video !
Thanks for watching!
I Live in Belgium, and in the Dutch part, most people speak English. Same as in the Netherlands. Most of us also speak German quite well.
Not true. “Most” of us don’t speak German😂… We are able to communicate to some extend with Germans if we speak Dutch, but most of us don’t speak it “quite well”.
Wij praten geen Duits…
21:13 I can hear the rage of every Belgian that fries weren't mentioned.
It's such a fun giveaway when historians use modern maps of Europe with The Netherlands on it. It always somehow includes the province of Flevoland and sometimes even the Maasvlakte. They weren't made (man-made land, reclaimed from the sea) until roughly 1950 and 1970 respectively. That last one was expanded a little bit in 2013.
A real map of Europe before that time shouldn't include those areas, but they often do lol
Could you do a video on Ontario and Quebec for another Canada video?
Heck yeah!
As a Walloon, I don't understand why our education system is so flawed. I had immersion classes in English ever since I started school, but Dutch was only available to me in highschool, which I find odd.
the issue is that you need to choose between dutch and english in school. (I choose english first and only got a bit of dutch for 3 years, not enough to speak with anybody at all)
In my time, it was 80% choosing dutch and 20% english but it reversed a lot since then
Great video! Do you think you might do Columbus and Cincinnati at any point?
One of my Patreon supporters wants me to do Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, but I think I like your suggestion better.
Loved to see my town "Mechelen" in your video!
K
Could you do Australia versus New Zealand next? That would be cool :)
Coming in January!
Yes please G'day from Adelaide Australia
Wait, only half of belgians speak english? Wow, that's even less than I expected... Greetings from the Netherlands!
They have walonia😂
Completely irrealistic, way more people speak basic English than that in Belgium
@@felixvergro to which degree? The hello my name is level or being able to hold a more than very simple conversation? Don't forget that noy everyone is your age
Apparently that statistic might be a little outdated now?
@@Arcaviiouse I’m 19, and Belgian, trust me when I tell you more than 60% of people will be able to tell you the way or whatever
Ah finally. I've been waiting for this video for a long time. I'm happy my country (the Netherlands) now has a comparison video on this channel.
Hope you enjoyed it!
@@iammrbeat Absolutely!
Fantastic, couldn't have done it better.
I'm originally from Belgium who emigrated fo the US 30 years ago and as a history buff I'
d say you put everything in perspective and its historical timeframe... Amazing as a non citizen of either country....
Ane you are right, more than worth a visit since both countries can be covered in one vacation because everything is zso close and easy to reach by train connecting Brussels with Amsterdam via Antwerp and even Brugge in the west, called the Venice of the North because of its canals, also most famous. for its handmade lace that can also be found in Brussels...
Well done, you can be proud of yourself to have explained the similarities as well as the differences between both countries...
You’ve never been to the US. Stop lying.
I think you need glasses or stronger ones. I started my comment by saying I've lived here for 30 years, since 1995, most of it here in Texas near Dallas...Iwas born and raised in Belgium and have lived there for 42 years so I think I can say I know both countries(and the Netherlands) pretty well @@anonymoususer8895
Its true that the both countries have much in common but the netherlands is way more advanced. For example the infrastructure. I have lived in both countries and i can tell that people from the netherlands are more social aswell.
I wouldn't call the Netherlands "way more advanced". I lived in both countries aswel and yes, NL have better roads but behind the scenes a lot of things are better regulated in Belgium (healthcare, no waiting lists, housing, daycare, etc...) And don't forget a more gastronomical culture and more wild nature (Ardennes) :) Both countries have different strong points.
Yet if you don't like to live too urban and prefer some green and build a beautiful house, then the Dutch living in their flats, woonwijken or boring places with every house being the same, then Flanders trumps. Of course not everywhere in the Netherlands, but most parts are way more urban and have more 'stadsvolk' while in Flanders there are way more municipalities where you can live quietly close to the fields and forests while still being a 10 min walk away from the center where the church and stores and all are.
The Dutch know how to get stuff done. The Belgians are horrible at maintenance.
Hey, Mr. Beat. In a future video, you should compare both Australia and New Zealand!
Yep, it's coming in January!
Well presented, very informative and interesting and you have a good sense of humour. I've been to Belgium and want to know the correct phonetic pronunciation of Liege, I heard that it was pronounced 'Largs' but I could be wrong.
Liège - Lee-ez-yuh(final syllable pronounced faintly, quickly, near unnoticable)
Luik - Lowk...kinda
woooooo. as a dutch person i'm exited for this video. (i havent watched it yet)
I hope you approve of it. Sorry in advance for any mispronuciations!
@@iammrbeat it was pretty good. One small thing you could have mentioned is how the Netherlands is the second biggest agricultural exporter in the world. I did really enjoy the mention of: not just bikes
Happy thanksgiving 🦃🍁 Mr Beat😀🇺🇸
Same to you!
My wife and I visited Netherlands and Belgium in 2019. Our reasons for the trip was basically twofold. First, we both enjoy travel and those countries have been on our list for awhile, partially due to my ancestors immigrating to the US from there. Notice my last name? The other reason was a scouting trip to see if we would like to live there when I retire in about three years. Great countries! I am currently researching our options for moving there as I really do want to move out of the USA when I retire and either Netherlands or Belgium would be great though I am leaning towards Netherlands the most. Covid has delayed follow-up trips but hopefully next year, we will be there again.
You also have a very Belgian sounding first name, I wouldn't be surprised if there are quite some people in Belgium that have the exact same name as you. That being said, may I ask why you're leaning towards the Netherlands? As you're American, the dutch are generally very similar to Americans in that they're loud (in a Belgian restaurant you will hear the two Dutch guys talking over the rest of the entire restaurant), very opinionated and feel the need to tell you what you should do. Belgians are completely the opposite in that regard. Maybe also interesting, in Belgium people live more like the "Burgundian" lifestyle where great food and drinks are an important part of their lives. Health care is probably one of the best in the world here and housing is cheaper than the Netherlands. Roads are better in the Netherlands however(but keep in mind that the dutch pay more taxes on their cars)
@@vincenzooccidentale7979 Hi. Thanks for asking. There are three main reasons that we are likely to choose the Netherlands over Belgium although we love both countries. One is that the percentage of the population that speaks English in the Netherlands (90%) is higher than in Belgium (60%). Even though we will likely learn to speak Dutch, the higher percentage of English speakers will definitely make things easier. The second reason and a very big one is the DAFT visa in the Netherlands. This will allow me to very easily start a freelance style small business and establish residency. The third reason is that my wife's US employer has an office in Weert and even though I will be retiring from my current employer before moving over there, she might continue working for a few more years as she is several years younger than me. It is very likely however that we will spend a lot of time in Belgium as well.
@@davidvandenbroeck5068 Regarding the first reason, I can tell you that the only reason is that Walloonia significantly pulls down this number. In Flanders, basically everyone speaks English (fyi Flemish students score the highest in English proficiency in Europe together with Swedish students). I have no idea about the second one, might be different in Belgium indeed. And I can see why the third reason might be a pivotal factor for your choice. Either way enjoy your stay and when in Belgium, we will welcome you with open arms
@@vincenzooccidentale7979 Damn right Dutch are very oppiniated and feel the need to tell you what you should do. The Dutch will be straight up to you in your face and most Belgians talk about others behind their back. I know what I rather would deal with.
@@devild4907 only partially true. When matters are important Belgians will also tell it to your face - they will just formulate it friendlier than the Dutch (the dutch will say "my idea is right and your idea is wrong" while Belgians will say "maybe we should consider both ideas"). When matters are not so important, Belgians might say it "behind ones back" when they for example don't like the dress you're wearing but don't want to hurt your feelings - the dutch have no issues with this. And if you prefer one over the other, that's your opinion of course.
As a Dutchman, I was expecting a comment section full of Flemish and Dutch making jokes about each other, instead all the comments seem to be rather nice and informed.
What's wrong with you people?!
Ok, if you're doing country/foreign provinces/cities comparisons, here's a few you could do:
Hungary and either Austria or Romania
Finland and Estonia
Latvia and Lithuania
Czechia and Slovakia
Kosovo and Taiwan
Bavaria and Baden Würtemberg
Qatar and the UAE
Singapore and Hong Kong
Macau and Monaco
Chile and Argentina
Greece and Turkey
Beijing and Shanghai
Moscow and St Petersburg
My Friend Would Probably Like To See That
Finland and Estonia
@@nathanminor6383 Finland Is (Possibly) The Most Happy Country On Earth
Nice list there. I appreciate the suggestions!
Great video Mr. Beat!
Compared Videos are my favourite videos alongside Presidential Elections in American History videos!
I hope Presidential Elections should be held every month, so that we get a chance to see Mr. Beat's Presidential Elections series!
haha well I might be burnt out then. But so glad you also dig the Compared videos!
@@iammrbeat Yeah, they are so cool, especially the cities one are also great!
As someone travelling to both frequently I enjoy both of them.
I can't wait to visit
Thank you 🙏 for the nice video sir.
I am from Germany and I drove through the Netherlands and Belgium in order to get to England and what I saw was really nice, especially the flat countryside.
Was it really a "speed bump" in Belgium? 😆
@@iammrbeat haha there were two gas stations between the German and French border so its really not that hard to get through
@@iammrbeat No not really, I was 2 years ago with my mom in Belgium, and the only thing I noticed it that Belgians are crazy drivers, a lot worse than Greeks, but the roads were honestly good in Flanders. They were working on the highway and signs that the speed limit was 50km and they passed us at 130km. And in Brussels the signs were also just street decoration.
Amazing analysis. I hope to see more comparisons between european countries.
More definitely to come!
I would love to see you compare the Scandinavian countries; in many ways Denmark, Norway and Sweden are as similar as they are different.
That shop is the same shop i was in in the summer I believe the way round it was was I bought it in Belgium and payed in the Netherlands the shop is pretty narrow but it has the walls stocked with things and clothes in the middle
I am from Germany and was in Amsterdam and Zandvoort in one weekend and it was awesome. So unreal to see people smoking weed everywhere. Anyway, it wasn't my last visit for sure and I am looking forward to further explore the Netherlands and visiting Belgium for the first time one day.
I’m American too, but it’d be cool to see some more European countries compared, it’s a subject I’ve found interesting
Well more to come in 2022!
Come to Belgium ! But I must warn you : you might never want to go back !
Great video!
Thank you!
Great video! I am glad to know where the Hague is.
Metro Antwerp also has over 1 million
The whole of the province of Antwerp is 1.8 million. So 1 million for metro Antwerp seems a bit exaggerated.
Most Belgians know English very well, just not as perfectly fluent as the Dutch.
Most Belgians I know speak at least 4 languages. Dutch people speak English with a heavy accent and can't speak understandable French.
@@justaguyonabike2055 French speaking Belgians just speak French. Most Dutch don’t bother to much with speaking a third language. Who needs French?
WRONG. And NO Belgian speaks German. Gfkys
The Metropolitan Area of Antwerp in Belgium is 1 million inhabitants, so Belgium has two major cities not only Brussels.
Ummm no the fact is that all of the Antwerp province is 1 million inhabitants not the city so Brussels stays the only major city in Belgium.
Very interesting video about my country! But I was surprised about the cyclones, I never heard of them
You've never heard of strong wind storms?
@@iammrbeat O yea, we do. But not nearly as bad as America, or the Caribbean. I cannot remember more than a few people dieing for example
I would've preferred comparing the Netherlands to Denmark and Belgium to itself (Flanders to Walloonia), I still liked the video lots. As for next time: Finland & Estonia, or Russia & Ukraine or Belarus
Great suggestions. I could have also compared Belgium to Luxembourg
@@iammrbeat also, I'm from the Netherlands and I have some Flemish relatives, so it was nice to have my ancestry featured in one video too 😊
Actually, the Netherlands and Belgium aren't big rivals in "soccer." Rather, the Netherlands and Germany are big rivals :)
Both are true, but yeah that Germany rivalry seems to be bigger
I think Belgium´s foot team is more strong than netherlands´foot team
The Netherlands used to be Belgium's big football rival, but recently that "honour" has shifted towards France. I think them Dutchies haven't been able to beat us since 1998
@@hetwitblad6544 But Belgium only has had a better team since 2015 or something and now it is already pretty even again. And the Dutch seem to have the better talents right now
You think wrong then 1-4, loser
Great video! It gives ppl a good overview of the topic and your fact based comparison is refreshing. How about a comparison of Germany and Austria? I know, this topic HUGE! But it would be interesting to see an American take on it. How many ppl do know that basically both world wars were started by Austrians. :-)
I've been to the grand plas and the Manneken-Pis even went to Waterloo where I had a chicken & mushroom casserole for lunch