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Dutch redirects here. For other uses, see Dutch (disambiguation).

The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a constitutional monarchy. It is located in northwestern Europe and borders the North Sea, Belgium and Germany. The country is often — technically incorrectly — referred to by the name of the economic powerhouse of the United Provinces (1581–1795): Holland (now split into North and South Holland). The name is widely used as being equivalent to the Netherlands; its use is similar to the use of Great Britain for the United Kingdom or Russia for the defunct Soviet Union. Mainly people from the Southern, Northern and Eastern parts object this when you meet them abroad or in English speaking companies. They will always claim they are from the Netherlands and then start their objections against the use of the name Holland for the whole Netherlands! Especially the southern provinces Limburg and Noord Brabant (Northern Brabant) who are mainly Roman Catholic remain some bad sentiments against Holland. During the time of the United Provinces these areas did not have any political liberties and in fact were exploited as colonies. A culture of this exploitation and the feeling of being exploited remained until the second world war, only after this war, with the true modernisation of the Dutch society did they become more free and so did their relative power. Mainly due to the expansion of their people though. The Catholic population of Limburg and Noord Brabant expanded faster than the rest of the Netherlands, the famous Catholic great families versus protestant 2 child families! So when speaking with dutch, it is best to use the word the Netherlands and not Holland

The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated and geographically low-lying countries in the world (its name literally means the Low Countries) and is famous for its dikes, windmills, wooden shoes, tulips and perceived social tolerance. Its liberal policies are often mentioned abroad. The country is host to the International Court of Justice. Amsterdam is the official capital as stated by the constitution. The Hague is the administrative capital (the seat of government), the home of the Queen, and the location for most of the embassies.

The Netherlands ranked fifth on the 2004 list of nations with the highest standard of life, behind Norway, Sweden, Australia and Canada.

The English adjective and noun for "from the Netherlands" or "a person from the Netherlands" is "Dutch."

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
File:Netherlands flag large.png Netherlands Coat of Arms
(In Detail) (In Detail)
National motto: Je Maintiendrai
(French, I will maintain)
Official language Dutch
(+Frisian in Friesland)
Capitals Amsterdam, The Hague¹
Largest City Amsterdam
Queen Beatrix
Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Area
 - Total
 - % water 		Ranked 131st
41,526 km²
18.41%
Population
 - Total (Template:Popdateneth)
 - Density 		Ranked 59th
Template:Popneth
Template:Popneth/33883 482/km² (rank)
Independence

 - Assumed

 - Declared

 - Recognized 		from Spain
see: Eighty Years' War
January 23, 1579
see: Union of Utrecht
July 26, 1581
see: Oath of Abjuration
by Spain on January 30 1648
see: Peace of Westphalia
Currency Euro(€)², Dutch euro coins
Time zone UTC+1
National anthem Het Wilhelmus
Internet TLD .NL
Calling Code 31
(1) Seat of government
(2) Prior to 1999: Guilder

History

Main articles: History of the Netherlands, Dutch monarchy

Under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Spain, the region was part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, which also includes most of present-day Belgium. In 1579, the northern half of the Seventeen Provinces declared itself independent and formed the Union of Utrecht, which is seen as the foundation of the modern Netherlands. Philip II, the son of Charles V, was not prepared to let them go that easily and it would be until 1648 for Spain to recognise Dutch independence

After gaining formal independence from Philip IV, the Dutch, as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, grew to become one of the major seafaring and economic powers of the 17th century. In the period, referred to as the Golden Age in the Netherlands, colonies and trade posts were established all over the globe.

After being incorporated in the French empire under Napoleon, the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815, consisting of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Belgium gained independence in 1830. Luxembourg fell under the Dutch monarchy as well but had different rules of ascendancy. When King William III was succeeded by his daughter Queen Wilhelmina in 1890, Luxembourg seceded. In Luxembourg, the laws prevented women from becoming Head of State. Luxembourg therefore turned to the German branch of the Nassau family, which is still in charge in Luxembourg today.

During the 19th century, the Netherlands was slow to industrialize compared to neighbouring countries. After remaining neutral in World War I, the country was occupied by Nazi Germany in May 1940, to be fully liberated only in 1945. After the war, the Dutch economy prospered again, being a member of the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) and European Economic Community unions. The Netherlands also became a member of NATO. The Netherlands was among the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community, which would later evolve into the European Union.

Politics

Main article: Politics of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy since 1815, after it had been a republic from 1581 to 1806 (it was occupied by France between 1806 and 1815).

Head of state, since 1980, is Queen Beatrix of the House of Orange-Nassau. Formally, she appoints the members of the government. In practice, once the results of parliamentary elections are known, a coalition government is made (a process which might take several months), after which the government formed in this way is officially appointed by the queen. The head of the government is the Prime Minister or Minister President who is usually also the head of the largest party in the coalition.

The parliament consists of two houses. Elections for the 150 members of the Lower House (Tweede Kamer, or Second Chamber) take place every four years, or earlier if the administration decides to disband, possibly when urged to do so by the Lower House. The less important Senate (Eerste Kamer, or First Chamber) is chosen every four years after the provincial elections by the just chosen members of the provincial parliaments. Together, the First and Second Chamber are known as the Staten Generaal, the States General.

Political scientists consider the Netherlands a classic example of a consociational state.

See also Prime Minister of the Netherlands, List of Prime Ministers of the Netherlands

Provinces & Dependencies

Main articles: Provinces of the Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Aruba

Map of the Netherlands, with red dots marking the capitals of the provinces and black dots marking notable cities.

The Netherlands is divided into 12 administrative regions, called provincies (provinces):

All provinces are divided into municipalities (gemeenten), together 489 (from 2004: 483); see Municipalities in the Netherlands, and also Cities of the Netherlands.

Another subdivision of the country is according to Water Board, each having authority in the field of water management in one water district. As of 1 January 2004 there are 37.

The Netherlands Antilles ("Nederlandse Antillen", consisting of Saba, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius, Bonaire and Curaçao, capital: Willemstad on Curaçao) and Aruba (Capital: Oranjestad), all in the Caribbean Sea, are self-governing parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Geography

Main article: Geography of the Netherlands

A remarkable aspect of the Netherlands is the flatness of the country. About half the country is less than 1 meter above sea level, and large parts of it are actually below sea level (see map showing these areas). The highest point, the Vaalserberg, in the southeasternmost point of the country, is 321 m above sea level. Many low areas are protected by dikes and sea walls. Parts of the Netherlands, for example almost all of Flevoland province, have been reclaimed from the sea - these areas are known as polders.

The country is divided into two main parts by three rivers Rhine (Rijn), Waal and Meuse (Maas). There are several dialects spoken north and south of these great rivers.

The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is southwest, which causes a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters.

Also of interest: National parks (Netherlands), Zuiderzee Works.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy in which the government has successfully reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food-processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanised agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Dutch rank third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. The Netherlands successfully addressed the issue of public finances and stagnating job growth long before its European partners.

As a founding member of the Euro, the Netherlands replaced its former currency, the guilder, on January 1 1999 along with the other adopters of the single European currency, with the actual euro coins and banknotes following on January 1 2002.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Netherlands

Dutch population pyramid
(in % of total population)
% Male Age Female %
0.36     85+     1.05
0.60     80-84     1.18
1.14     75-79     1.74
1.55     70-74     1.95
1.93     65-69     2.13
2.30     60-64     2.33
2.77     55-59     2.69
3.73     50-54     3.60
3.65     45-49     3.54
3.93     40-44     3.81
4.27     35-39     4.08
4.25     30-34     4.05
3.63     25-29     3.54
3.04     20-24     2.93
2.96     15-19     2.83
3.11     10-14     2.97
3.20     05-09     3.06
3.11     00-04     2.98
                                               
Data: International Data Base (2000)

The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with more than 460 inhabitants per square km or more than 1,000 inhabitants per square mile.

There are two official languages, Dutch (spoken by the majority) and Frisian (spoken by a few percent), both of which are Germanic languages. Frisian is only spoken in the northern province of Fryslân, and it is the language which most resembles English. In addition to Dutch and Frisian, several dialects of Low Saxon are spoken in much of the north; they have no official recognition. At the national borders in the south, the Dutch language shifts into other varieties of Low Franconian and German speech, which may or may not be best classified as Dutch, most notably West Flemish and German.

The main religions are Catholicism (18% in 1999) (dioceses) and Protestantism (15%). About 63% of the Dutch don't consider themselves to be members of a church. The part of the country south of the three rivers is (or was) generally Catholic, with the northern part Protestant (mostly of the Dutch Reformed Church).

The Dutch are known as a tolerant people. Their image abroad is mainly based on trade, tulips, windmills, wooden shoes, cheese and Delftware pottery. More recently the liberal Dutch policies on recreational drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage and euthanasia have received international attention; Amsterdam is widely perceived abroad as a city where 'anything goes'. See also Drug policy of the Netherlands, Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands.

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a history of many great painters. The 17th century, when the Dutch republic was prosperous, was the age of the "Dutch Masters" such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen and many others. Famous Dutch painters of the 19th and 20th century are Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondriaan. M. C. Escher is a well-known graphics artist. A both famous and infamous Dutch master art forger is Han van Meegeren.

The Netherlands is the country of philosophers Erasmus of Rotterdam and Spinoza, and all of Descartes' major work was done there.

In the Golden Age, Dutch literature flowered as well, with Joost van den Vondel, P. C. Hooft as the two most famous names. In the 19th century, Multatuli wrote about the bad treatment of the natives in Dutch colonies. Important 20th century authors include Harry Mulisch, Jan Wolkers, Simon Vestdijk, Cees Nooteboom, Gerard van het Reve and Willem Frederik Hermans. The Diary of Anne Frank was also written in the Netherlands.

See also:

Replicas of Dutch buildings can be found in Holland Village, Nagasaki, Japan. A similar Holland Village is being built in Shenyang, China.

Miscellaneous topics

Template:In Wikipedia

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