The shining lights of Western Civilization reach star studded brilliance with these two, the Netherlands and France. The respect for art, culture, history, and food permeates in the most general degree of the masses.
France and the Netherlands were of the ancient explorers to seek out new life and go where no man has gone before, imploring every nook and cranny of the earth to reveal itself. They would also seed small populations here to there across the known universe.
The Netherlands was the grounding cultural architect to New York (New Amsterdam), imbibing the United States with a keen way of doing things the quick and efficient Dutch Way. New Orleans was originally an outpost of France giving America an intense love with the sound of music and rich knowledge to hidden dimensions within taste bud universe.
Flag of the Netherlands
The Caribbean has left over colonies still attached to these mother lands. Dutch still have Aruba and several small islands while France has quite a few islands; Martinique, Guadeloupe.
But the best example is the worlds smallest divided isle, Saint Martin which is just a little east of Puerto Rico. It is in the Caribbean where French soil touches Dutch Soil! Ironically it is the French who are NORTH and the Dutch who are SOUTH. The French spell it Saint-Martin, while the Dutch spell it Sint Maarten.
Historically they were at times enemies and others friends, their relationship can be summed up as 'FRENEMIES.' But since the end of WWII, they have learned to co-exist, peacefully. It seems almost impossible now, that they would ever make war upon each other.
After WWII both nations found the tables turned as they were imperial powers fighting the local freedom fighters in the 1950s. There was the Vietnam-French and Indonesia-Dutch Wars. Both nations would loose their colonies.
A large swath of the enlightenment thought originated on their shores, yet all was not well with their treatment of 'primitives' in aboriginal America native Africa. But the better spirit of enlightenment would prevail and bring them to a higher and better place.
