[Etheryte]

The Netherlands has a higher population density than the US (520 people per square km vs 37) and lower GDP per capita ($62k vs $82k), so I'm not sure if that framing is exactly useful. In absolute numbers, yes, there's fewer people, but they're packed into a very small area so you have to be smart about how you do that.

[masklinn]

Also natural resources in the Netherlands? At least 20% of the country is reclaimed land, and more than half is under high tide water levels.

I think GP confuses the Netherlands and Norway.

[ninalanyon]

When it comes to resources Norway and the Netherlands are radically different. But it's in how the resources were used not in whether they existed. The Dutch had a lot of North Sea gas but they, like the UK, squandered the income from it. Norway was lucky to avoid what has become known as the Dutch disease partly because Norway was later to the party.

[apexalpha]

Squandered is a bit much be built the Delta works, among others things.

There's more than one way to invest money. Though I agree they could've put at least some of it in the stock market like Norway.

[ninalanyon]

Yes, on reflection I should have tried harder to think of a somewhat less inflammatory word.

[rahkiin]

The Netherlands lives on trade. From slaves and spices to the Rotterdam port as entry to the waters of europe and Schiphol Amsterdam airport.

[JonChesterfield]

Yep, parsing error on my part. Too tired today. Norway also being a country that seems to do most things right.