Although the Netherlands and Scandinavia began to industrialize relatively late, they did so very successfully. A. Although these countries all started with small, uneducated populations, industrialization led to significant population growth and higher literacy rates. B. Because they all started with good harbors for steamships, these countries started with an important advantage in the competition for transit trade C. These countries were successful primarily because their high literacy rates helped them fill specialized market niches D. Thanks to their ready access to the sea. these countries enjoyed advantages in mercantile shipping, fishing, and shipbuilding E. These countries were helped by the fact that their governments were relatively stable and honest and generally supported liberal trade policies F. Because they were never fully dependent on international commerce, these countries were able to survive notorious fluctuations in international markets