The scientific name of a person. When did a reasonable man appear and how does he differ from other types of people? Where did the species "Homo sapiens" appear?

Are the Netherlands and Holland the same? Yes and no. How to look.

Kingdom of the Netherlands- a densely populated European state. It shares borders with Germany and Belgium. Includes some islands Caribbean (Sint Eustatius, Saba, Bonaire), washed by the North Sea.

The name of the state is translated as "lower lands". In the Middle Ages, this territory was called the "Lower Countries" (plus Belgium). Well, that's fair. After all, most of the state is below sea level. An elevation of over three hundred meters is considered by the locals to be a high mountain. Perhaps for this reason, when developing rights and obligations, the population easily took into account their "mundane desires", thanks to which there is no need to break the law for the feeling of flight and free thought. When a lot of things are allowed, there are almost no temptations, and everyone lives in peace and harmony.

The Netherlands was originally called that. There is no other name for the population of the country. From the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present day there is a monarchy here. Only today is it a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

The country developed its own culture, had its own language. The state experienced each historical turn in its own way. If you managed to stay aloof during the First World War, then the Second World War did not pass by. For five years, this area was occupied by Germany. The Marshall Plan, created by the United States of America, helped the country quickly recover.

Today, in this area, much attention is paid to the social rights of all segments of the population. Here are the most high benefits on unemployment and pensions. This is one of those rare places where residents are almost 100% satisfied with their government and adopted laws. For example, prostitution and the sale of weed are legalized here.

Thus, The Netherlands is a full-fledged state... With its own language, with its territory, history, culture. The country has its own way of development, its own view of the life of its population. Then why is the Netherlands called Holland? Where exactly are the two countries that are so often confused?
Most developed province

Holland is a province of the Netherlands. Surprisingly, this is a fact. One of the provinces. Rather, two. Because they distinguish between North Holland and South.

The northern part of this area was geographically isolated in the sixteenth century. South - much later, at the end of the eighteenth. But here we will talk about Holland in general. To make it easier.

So that's it. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, Holland is the most important province amazing country, the most developed in many respects. She was known to all states that had trade relations with the Netherlands. So they called the entire territory as a whole "Holland".

People also did not think much about how one name differs from another. "Holland" widely spread in Slavs' everyday life after the visit of Peter the Great to northern country... The Russian tsar praised only the technically advanced part of the country. He did not even mention the name of the entire state in his stories. Writers and poets contributed to the rooting of "incorrectness" in Russian minds. So it has remained to this day.

There is some fairness here. Take, for example, the capitals of the Netherlands, official and unofficial. The official capital - Amsterdam - is located in the northern part of the country. Here the monarch swears allegiance to the Constitution. Unofficial, factual - The Hague - in the South. The royal residence is located here, the Government is in session, and many foreign embassies are located. That is, the most important events Of the Netherlands originate precisely in the provinces of Holland.

But still. How should you choose the right name when mentioning this amazing area?

In official speeches, documents - "Netherlands". On travel sites in fiction, in the museum of painting, in the flower shop - "Holland". By the way, the second name is used more by the Russian-speaking population than by foreign-speaking people.

The Netherlands is called the northern flower of Europe. They are the land of beautiful tulips, delicious cheeses, ancient castles, the birthplace of the most talented painters, and recently they are also famous as the territory of free morals. Some call this country Holland and others the Netherlands. It is indicated on the map under the second name. So what's the difference: the Netherlands and Holland?

How Peter the Great visited Holland

It turns out that the tradition of calling the kingdom of tulips Holland has strengthened among Russians since the end of the 17th century, from the time when the most progressive of the Russian tsars, Peter the Great, decided to open a window to Europe and, disguised as an ordinary pilot, set off for Holland. During his "overseas" trip, he managed to visit only two of the Dutch provinces - South and North Holland. After, returning to Russia, he, talking about life, culture, scientific achievements of this country as a whole, he called it exclusively Holland. So, thanks to this Russian tsar, this name was fixed for the Netherlands, and it remains in our minds to this day.

Holland and the Netherlands - the same thing, or is there still a difference?

This beautiful country, which is located on the shores of the North Sea in the northwestern part, is officially called the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (Dutch) or Kingdom of the Netherlands (English)). The name Nederlanden translates as “low-lying land”. In fact, this country is located on one of the lowest land areas in Europe, while the name Holland means hollow land, that is, land without a solid foundation. At first glance, it seems that these names are identical, but if you think about it, you can understand what the difference is. The Netherlands and Holland (as part of the kingdom) are located on lowlands, but the provinces of North and South Holland, in addition to being below sea level, also have instability, soil cavity. This is the difference.

Holland or Netherlands?

Holland has always been the most progressive and developed province of the kingdom. The largest and most developed cities of the country are concentrated here: The Hague, Rotterdam, and the capital of the country, Amsterdam. Of course, the residents of these provinces are flattered that the Netherlands as a whole is often associated with their province, but residents of other regions do not like this at all, and they are ready to give many reasons explaining what the difference is. The Netherlands and Holland, according to them, are even translated differently. And they, residents of other provinces, do not like to be called Dutch. Of course, we Russians cannot understand this, because we are used to thinking that the homeland of tulips is Holland. Or the Netherlands? “What's the difference,” you might think. However, for example, the people of Great Britain will understand the Dutch very well. After all, it is unacceptable to call all the British British, and call Great Britain England, which we often do.

A little about the Netherlands

This is a state that, in its own way political structure is a constitutional monarchy. It has been a member since 1957. He owns a small piece of land on the North Sea coast, sandwiched between Belgium and Germany, as well as the islands of Saba, Bonaire and Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Sea and several Curacao, Sant Maarten, Aruba. As you can see, in addition to North and South Holland, the Netherlands includes provinces located not only in Europe, but also in others. That is why it is incorrect to call the whole country Holland, and its people - Dutch. Now it is more or less clear what the difference is. The Netherlands and Holland are related to each other, like Great Britain and England. Nevertheless, for us Russians, the inhabitants of this country will always be called Dutch, and Rembrandt and Van Gogh - Dutch artists. Well, the famous tulips, too, will invariably always be called not Dutch, but Dutch.

Most people believe that these are synonymous words that refer to the same state. In fact, there is a tangible difference between them.

To understand how Holland differs from the Netherlands, it is enough to know only three facts:

1. The Netherlands is a vast state, whose territories extend far beyond Western Europe, since several islands in the Caribbean are also part of it.
2. The Netherlands includes twelve provinces, only two of which are called South and North Holland.
3. The monarch takes the oath of office in the city - the official capital of the Netherlands, and in accordance with the Constitution of this particular state.

Thus, the correct name of the country is the Netherlands, the capital of which is Amsterdam. Holland is only a part of the country in the form of two provinces.

More than half of the state's territory is located below sea level. Literally translated, the word "Netherlands" means "lower lands". A large share of the lowlands falls just on the North and South Holland. The first mention of these territories dates back to the XIV century, and they related not only to the borders of the Netherlands defined today, but also captured parts of Belgium and Luxembourg.

Why do we have the notion that Holland and the Netherlands are one and the same? The blame for everything is the Great Embassy of Peter I. The fact is that these two provinces in late XVII centuries were the most advanced in a technical sense. Moreover, the inhabitants of South and North Holland themselves represented their country by the names of these provinces. The arrival and training of Peter I in maritime business fell precisely on these territories, hence the habit that had taken root over several centuries.

We often hear about famous artists, luxurious colors, a large number and the tallest people in the world. In addition, the country is famous for its legalized prostitution, where women workers officially pay taxes to the treasury.

All residents of the Netherlands, without exaggeration, can be called unusual people... Where else can you see legally grown marijuana near your home, a complete refusal to curtain window curtains, or a desire to ride only on old, weighted bicycles?

Country "Tulip"

The export of various colors reaches colossal proportions. The Dutch (or Dutch, if you like) really know a lot about floriculture. The period of the introduction of tulips to the countries of Southern and Western Europe fell on the 16th century, when the state was experiencing an economic upsurge.

Not without a happy coincidence: flowers grown everywhere in the Netherlands have been affected by a virus, which has expanded their color gamut. This allowed tulips to become more exotic and expensive. Collecting quickly grew into a booming trade that we see today.

Growth matters

Having figured out the difference between Holland and the Netherlands, and how to correctly call this unusual country, let's move on to the mystery that world scientists could not unravel for a long time. Just think, the height of the local men is on average 1.85 meters, which is 11 cm more than the average for Russia.

Previously, it was assumed that this order of things arose as a result of an increased diet, enriched with meat and dairy products. This turned out to be partly true, but the main reason called evolution in action. Exactly natural selection led to such extraordinary growth, since women more often chose tall men as companions.

Exercise bike

Both the queen and the princes, as well as absolutely all the inhabitants of the Netherlands ride on. Moreover, in the arsenal there are, as a rule, two bicycles, one of which cannot be called modern, since it has a weighted structure, and this often refers to outdated technology. The reason is obvious: where did you see the fat Dutchman?

The lifestyle of these people is closely related to cycling, which helps them to always feel great and not pollute. environment... That is why, according to the law of this country, cyclists have an advantage on the road.

Before Homo sapiens, i.e. to the modern human stage is as difficult to satisfactorily document as the initial branching stage of the hominid lineage. However, in this case, the matter is complicated by the presence of several applicants for such an intermediate position.

According to a number of anthropologists, the step that led directly to Homo sapiens was the Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis or Homo sapiens neanderthalensis). Neanderthals appeared no later than 150 thousand years ago, and their different types flourished until the period of approx. 40–35 thousand years ago, marked by the undoubted presence of well-formed H. sapiens (Homo sapiens sapiens). This era corresponded to the onset of the Wurm glaciation in Europe, i.e. ice age closest to modern times. Other scientists do not associate the origin of modern humans with the Neanderthal, pointing out, in particular, that the morphological structure of the face and skull of the latter was too primitive to have time to evolve to the forms of Homo sapiens.

Neanderthaloids are usually thought of as stocky, hairy, bestial people with bent legs, with a protruding head on a short neck, giving the impression that they have not yet fully reached upright posture. Paintings and reconstructions in clay usually emphasize their hairiness and unjustified primitiveness. This image of a Neanderthal is a big distortion. First, we don't know if the Neanderthals were hairy or not. Second, they were all fully erect. As for the evidence of an inclined body position, it is likely that they were obtained from the study of individuals suffering from arthritis.

One of the most striking features of the entire Neanderthal series of finds is that the least modern ones were the most recent in appearance. This is the so-called. the classic Neanderthal type, whose skull is characterized by a low forehead, a heavy brow, a cut chin, a protruding mouth region and a long, low skull. However, their brain volume was larger than that of modern man... They quite definitely had a culture: there is evidence of funerary cults and, possibly, animal cults, since animal bones are found along with the fossil remains of the classical Neanderthals.

At one time it was believed that classical Neanderthals lived only in the southern and western Europe, and their origin is associated with the advance of the glacier, which placed them in conditions of genetic isolation and climatic selection. However, later, clearly similar forms were found in some regions of Africa and the Middle East and, possibly, in Indonesia. Such a widespread distribution of the classical Neanderthal forces us to abandon this theory.

At the moment, there is no material evidence of any gradual morphological transformation of the classical type of Neanderthal into the modern type of man, with the exception of finds made in the Skhul cave in Israel. The skulls found in this cave are very different from each other, some of them have characteristics that put them in an intermediate position between the two human types. According to some experts, this is evidence of the evolutionary change of a Neanderthal to a modern human, while others believe that this phenomenon is the result of mixed marriages between representatives of two types of people, thereby believing that Homo sapiens evolved independently. This explanation is supported by evidence that as early as 200-300 thousand years ago, i.e. before the appearance of the classical Neanderthal, there was a type of man that most likely belongs to the early Homo sapiens, and not to the "progressive" Neanderthal. We are talking about well-known finds - fragments of a skull found in Swansky (England), and a more complete cranium from Steinheim (Germany).

The disagreement on the question of the "Neanderthal stage" in human evolution is partly due to the fact that two circumstances are not always taken into account. First, it is possible for more primitive types of any evolving organism to exist in a relatively unchanged form at the same time when other branches of the same species are undergoing various evolutionary modifications. Secondly, migrations associated with a shift in climatic zones are possible. Such shifts were repeated in the Pleistocene as glaciers advanced and retreated, and man could follow the shifts. climatic zone... Thus, when considering long periods time, it should be borne in mind that the populations occupying a given area at a certain moment are not necessarily descendants of populations that lived there for more early period... It is possible that early Homo sapiens could migrate from the regions where they appeared, and then return to their former places after many thousands of years, having undergone evolutionary changes. When fully formed Homo sapiens appeared in Europe 35–40 thousand years ago, during the warmer period of the last glaciation, it undoubtedly supplanted the classical Neanderthal, who occupied the same region for 100 thousand years. Now it is impossible to determine for sure whether the Neanderthal population moved northward, following the retreat of its usual climatic zone, or mixed with the Homo sapiens invading its territory.