Dutch refers to the people, language, and culture of the Netherlands, a small European country known for its windmills, tulips, and intricate canal systems. The Dutch language is what people in the Netherlands speak, and it's related to German and English. If you've ever heard of Amsterdam or seen pictures of colorful wooden shoes called clogs, you're seeing Dutch culture.

The Netherlands sits below sea level in many places, so the Dutch became famous for engineering clever solutions: they built dikes (walls that hold back water) and used windmills to pump water away from the land.

Dutch explorers sailed around the world during the 1600s, establishing trade routes and colonies. New York City was originally called New Amsterdam because Dutch settlers founded it. You can still see Dutch influence in American place names like Brooklyn (from Breukelen) and Harlem (from Haarlem).

When someone mentions Pennsylvania Dutch, they're actually talking about German immigrants, because “Dutch” was once used more broadly for Germanic peoples.