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{{Infobox Country or territory|native_name = Nederland|conventional_long_name = Netherlands|common_name = the Netherlands|image_flag = Flag of the Netherlands.svg|image_coat = NL - COA.png |image_map = EU location NED.png|map_caption = |national_motto = "Je maintiendrai"(French language)"Ik zal handhaven"(Dutch language)"I shall stand fast"1|national_anthem = "Het Wilhelmus"]³ |ethnic_groups = 80.9% Dutch (ethnic group)2.4% Germans2.4% Indonesian people2.0% Surinamese12.3% others]²|latd=52 |latm=21 |latNS=N |longd=04 |longm=52 |longEW=E|largest_city = capital|government_type = |leader_title1 = Queen of the Netherlands|leader_name1 = Beatrix of the Netherlands|leader_title2 = Prime Minister of the Netherlands|leader_name2 = Jan Peter Balkenende-->|percent_water = 18.41|population_estimate = 16,570,613|population_estimate_year = 2007|population_estimate_rank = 61st|population_census = 16,105,285|population_census_year = 2001|population_density_km2 = 395|population_density_sq_mi = 1,023 |sovereignty_note = (Eighty Years' War)] 1581 [16484] 1957 ([Euro sign)5|currency_code = EUR|country_code = NLD|time_zone = Central European Time|utc_offset = +1|time_zone_DST = Central European Summer Time|utc_offset_DST = +2|cctld = .nl6] is the seat of the government.|footnote3 = Frisian language is also an official language in the Netherlands, although only spoken in Friesland; Dutch Low Saxon and Limburgish language are officially recognised as European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.|footnote4 = Peace of Westphalia.].|footnote6 = The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.-->

The Netherlands (Dutch language: , ) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, located in Western Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east.

The Netherlands is often called Holland. This is formally incorrect as North Holland and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only The Netherlands#Provinces and municipalities (for more on this and other naming issues see Netherlands (terminology)).

The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying and Population density country. It is popularly known for its windmills, cheese, Clog (shoe) (wooden shoes), delftware and gouda (pottery) pottery, Dike (construction)s, tulips, bicycles, and Toleration. A Parliamentary democracy, the country is also known for its somewhat liberalism policies toward drug policy of the Netherlands, prostitution in the Netherlands, gay rights in the Netherlands, abortion in the Netherlands, and Euthanasia in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands has an international outlook; among other affiliations the country is a member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, and has signed the Kyoto protocol. Along with Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands is also one of three member nations of the Benelux economic union. The country is host to four international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and the International Criminal Court. All of these courts, as well as the EU's criminal intelligence agency (Europol) are situated in The Hague, which has led to the city being referred to as "the world's legal capital."{{cite book | last = van Krieken | first = Peter J. | coauthors = David McKay | title = The Hague: Legal Capital of the World| publisher = Cambridge University Press | date = 2005 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 9067041858 -->, specifically, ''"In the 1990s, during his term as United Nations Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali started calling The Hague the world's legal capital"''

Naming conventions Various terms have been used in English to refer to the Netherlands and its inhabitants.

(The) Netherlands is the official name of the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The term Holland is commonly and incorrectly used as a synonym for the Netherlands as a whole, but it actually only refers to a region in the west of the country, which has long been the most economically powerful part of the country. The prominence of this region led to the whole country often being referred to as Holland all over the world.

The country's Dutch (ethnic group) and Dutch language are called Dutch. The word Netherlands is sometimes used as an adjective in place of Dutch (e.g. the Royal Netherlands Army). Netherlandic and Netherlandish are also sometimes used, though they more frequently refer to the Low Countries.

Dutch has frequently caused confusion among anglophones because of the resemblance to Deutsch (disambiguation) (Germans). During and after World War I, this resulted in a negative perception being attached to both Deutsch and Dutch, so many Dutch governmental institutions, such as the military, the embassies, and the Dutch bank, started to use Netherlands (which closely resembles Nederlands, the Dutch word for Dutch) instead.

Geography A remarkable aspect of the Netherlands is its flatness. Hilly landscapes can be found only in the south-eastern tip of the country, the central part and where the glaciers pushed up several hilly ridges such as the Hondsrug in Drenthe, the stuwwallen near Nijmegen, Salland, Twente and the Utrechtse Heuvelrug.

Floods In years past, the Dutch coastline has changed considerably as a result of human intervention and natural disasters. Most notable in terms of land loss are the 1134 storm, which created the archipelago of Zeeland in the south west, and the 1287 storm, which killed 50,000 people and created the Zuider Zee (now dammed in and renamed the IJsselmeer — see below) in the northwest, giving Amsterdam direct access to the sea. The St. Elizabeth's flood (1421) of 1421 and the mismanagement in its aftermath destroyed a newly reclaimed polder, replacing it with the 72 square kilometres (28 square mile) Biesbosch tidal floodplains in the south-centre. The most recent parts of Zeeland were flooded during the North Sea flood of 1953 and 1,836 people were killed, after which the Delta Works was executed.

The disasters were partially man-made; the people drained relatively high lying swampland for use as farmland. This drainage caused the fertile peat to compress and the ground level to drop, locking the land users in a vicious circle whereby they would lower the water level to compensate for the drop in ground level, causing the underlying peat to compress even more. The vicious circle is unsolvable and remains to this day. Up until the 19th century peat was dug up, dried, and used for fuel, further adding to the problem.

To guard against floods, a series of defences against the water were contrived. In the first millennium, villages and farmhouses were built on man-made hills called terps. Later, these terps were connected by dikes. In the 12th century, local government agencies called "waterschappen" (English "water bodies") or "hoogheemraadschappen" ("high home councils") started to appear, whose job it was to maintain the water level and to protect a region from floods. (The water bodies are still around today performing the same function.) As the ground level dropped, the dikes by necessity grew and merged into an integrated system. In the 13th century, windmills came into use to pump water out of the areas by now below sea level. The windmills were later used to drain lakes, creating the famous polders. In 1932, the Afsluitdijk (English "Closure Dike") was completed, blocking the former Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) off from the North Sea and thus creating the IJsselmeer (IJssel Lake). It became part of the larger Zuiderzee Works in which four polders totalling 1,650 square kilometres (637 sq mi) were reclaimed from the sea.

Delta works After the North Sea Flood of 1953, the Delta Works, a vast construction effort designed to end the threat from the sea once and for all, was launched in 1958 and largely completed in 2002. The official goal of the Delta project was to reduce the risk of flooding in the province of Zeeland to once per 10,000 years. (For the rest of the country, the protection-level is once per 4,000 years.) This was achieved by raising 3,000 kilometres (1,864 mile) of outer sea-dikes and 10,000 kilometres (6,200 mi) of inner, canal, and river dikes to "delta" height, and by closing off the sea estuary of the Zeeland province. New risk assessments occasionally show problems requiring additional Delta project dike reinforcements. The Delta project is one of the largest construction efforts in human history and is considered by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the American Society of Civil Engineers#World Wonders.

Additionally, the Netherlands is one of the countries that may suffer most from Climate change. Not only is the rising sea a problem, but also erratic weather patterns may cause the rivers to overflow.

Rivers The country is divided into two main parts by three rivers Rhine (Rijn), Waal (river), and Meuse River (Maas). These rivers not only function as a natural barrier, but also as a cultural divide, as is evident in the different dialects spoken north and south of these "Large Rivers" (de Grote Rivieren) and the (former) religious dominance of Catholics in the south and Calvinists in the north. The south-western part of the Netherlands is actually one river delta of these rivers and two arms of the Scheldt (Westerschelde & Oosterschelde).

The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is south-west, which causes a moderate Oceanic climate, with cool summers and mild winters.

Nature History Under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor, and king of Spain, the region was part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, which also included most of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and some land of France and Germany. 1568 saw the start of the Eighty Years' War between the provinces and Spain. In 1579, the northern half of the Seventeen Provinces declared itself independent from Spain, and they formed the Union of Utrecht, which is seen as the foundation of the modern Netherlands. Philip II of Spain, the son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was not prepared to let them go easily and war continued until 1648 when Spain under King Philip IV of Spain finally recognized Dutch independence in the Treaty of Münster.

Dutch Republic , leader of the Netherlands during the Dutch RevoltAfter gaining formal independence from the Spanish Empire, the Dutch grew to become one of the major seafaring and economic powers of the 17th century during the period of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. In the so-called Dutch Golden Age, colonies and trading posts were established all over the globe. (See Dutch Empire)

Many economic historians regard the Netherlands as the first thoroughly capitalism country in the world. In early modern Europe it featured the wealthiest trading city (Amsterdam) and the first full-time Amsterdam Stock Exchange. The inventiveness of the traders led to insurance and retirement funds as well as such less benign phenomena as the boom-bust cycle, the world's first asset-inflation bubble, the tulip mania of 1636–1637, and according to Murray Sayle, the world's first bear raider - Isaac le Maire, who forced prices down by dumping stock and then buying it back at a discount."Japan Goes Dutch", London Review of Books (2001-04-01). 3-7. The republic went into a state of general decline in the later 18th century, with economic competition from England and long standing rivalries between the two main factions in Dutch society, the Staatsgezinden (Republicans) and the Prinsgezinden (Royalists or Orangists) as main factors.

Kingdom of the Netherlands After briefly being incorporated in the First French Empire under Napoleon I of France, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815, consisting of the present day Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In addition, the king of the Netherlands became hereditary Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg. Belgium rebelled and gained independence in 1830, while the personal union between Luxembourg and the Netherlands was severed in 1890 as a result of Salic Law which prevented Wilhelmina of the Netherlands from becoming Grand Duchess. The Netherlands possessed several colonies, most notably the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and Suriname (the latter was traded with the British for New Amsterdam, now known as New York). These 'colonies' were first administered by the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, both collective private enterprises. Three centuries later these companies got into financial trouble and the territories in which they operated were taken over by the Dutch government (in 1815 and 1791 respectively). Only then did they become official colonies. During the 19th century, the Netherlands was slow to industrialise compared to neighbouring countries, mainly due to its unique infrastructure of waterways and reliance on wind power.

, Jewish diarist.The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I and intended to do so in World War II. However, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940 in the Western European campaign of the Second World War. The country was quickly overrun and the army main force surrendered on May 14 after the bombing of Rotterdam, although a Dutch and French allied force held the province of Zeeland for a short time after the Dutch surrender. The Kingdom as such continued the war from the colonial empire; the government in exile resided in London. During the occupation over 100,000 Dutch Jews were rounded up to be transported to Nazi concentration camps in Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia where they were murdered in The Holocaust. Dutch workers were conscripted for labour in German factories, civilians were killed in reprisal for attacks on German soldiers, and the countryside was plundered for food for German soldiers in the Netherlands and for shipment to Germany. Dutch people also collaborated with Nazi occupiers in hunting down and arresting hiding Jews, and some joined the Waffen-SS to form the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Netherlands, fighting on the Eastern Front (World War II).

After a first liberation attempt by the Allied 21st Army Group stalled, much of the northern Netherlands was subject to the Dutch famine of 1944, caused by the disrupted transportation system, caused by German destruction of dikes to slow allied advances, and German confiscation of much food and livestock made the "Hunger Winter" of 1944-1945 one in which malnutrition and starvation were rife among the Dutch population. German forces held out until the surrender of May 6, 1945, in Wageningen at Hotel De Wereld. After the war, the Dutch economy prospered by leaving behind an era of neutrality and gaining closer ties with neighbouring states. The Netherlands became a member of the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) cooperation. Furthermore, the Netherlands was among the twelve founding members of the NATO (NATO) and among the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community, which would later evolve into the European Union.

Government reformed the Dutch government to a parliamentary monarchy.The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy since 1815 and a Parliamentary system since 1848; before that it had been a republic from 1581 to 1806 and a kingdom between 1806 and 1810 (it was part of France between 1810 and 1813). The Netherlands is described as a consociational state. Dutch politics and governance are characterized by an effort to achieve broad consensus on important issues, within both the political community and society as a whole.

The head of state is the Dutch monarchy, at present Queen Beatrix. Constitutionally the monarch still has considerable powers, but in practice it has become a ceremonial function. The monarch can exert most influence during the Politics of the Netherlands (terminology)#Formatie of a new cabinet, where he/she serves as neutral arbiter between the political parties.

In practice the Executive (government) is formed by cabinet of the Netherlands. Because of the political parties of the Netherlands no party has ever held a majority in parliament since the 19th century, therefore coalition government have to be formed. The cabinet consists usually of around thirteen to sixteen ministers of which between one and three minister without portfolio, and a varying number of politics of the Netherlands (terminology)#Staatssecretaris. The head of government is the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, who is often, but not always, the leader of the largest party in the coalition. In practice the Prime Minister has been the leader of the largest coalition party since 1973. He is a primus inter pares, meaning he has no explicit powers that go beyond those of the other ministers.

The cabinet is ministerial responsibility to the bicameralism parliament, the States-General of the Netherlands which also has legislative. The 150 members of the Tweede Kamer, the Lower House are elected in direct elections, which are held every four years or after a cabinet crisis. The Politics of the Netherlands (terminology)#Provinciale Staten are directly elected every four years as well. The members of the provincial assemblies elect the 75 members of the Eerste Kamer, the Upper House, which has less legislative powers, as it can merely reject laws, not propose or amend them.

Both trade unions and employers organisations are consulted beforehand in policymaking in the financial, economic and social areas. They meet regularly with government in the Social-Economic Council. This body advises government and its advice cannot be put aside easily.

While historically the foreign relations of the Netherlands was characterized by neutral state, since the World War II the Netherlands became a member of a large number of international organisations, most prominently the United Nations, NATO and the European Union. The Dutch economy is very open and relies on international trade.

The Netherlands has a long tradition of Toleration. In the 18th century, while the Dutch Reformed Church was the state religion, Roman Catholicism in the Netherlands and History of the Jews in the Netherlands were tolerated. In the late 19th century this Dutch tradition of religious tolerance transformed into a system of pillarization, in which religious groups coexisted separately and only interacted at the level of government. This tradition of tolerance is linked to the Dutch policies on Drug policy of the Netherlands, Prostitution in the Netherlands, Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands and Euthanasia#The Netherlands, which are among the most liberal in the world.

is the centre of Dutch politics. Since suffrage became universal in 1919 the Dutch political system has been dominated by three families of political parties: the strongest family were the Christian democracy currently represented by the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), second were the social democracy, of which the PvdA (PvdA) is currently the largest party and third were the liberalism in the Netherlands of which the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is the main representative. These cooperated in coalition cabinets in which the Christian democrats had always been partner: so either a centre left coalition of the Christian democrats and social democrats or a centre right coalition of Christian democrats and liberals. In the 1970s the party system became more volatile: the Christian democratic parties lost seats, while new parties, like the radicalism (historical) democrat and Progressivism liberal D'66, became successful.

In the Dutch general election, 1994 the CDA lost its dominant position. A "Politics of the Netherlands (terminology)#Paars" cabinet was formed by the VVD, D66 and PvdA. In Dutch general election, 2002 this cabinet lost its majority, due to the rise of Lijst Pim Fortuyn, a new political party around the flamboyant populist Pim Fortuyn, who was shot to death a week before the elections took place. The elections also saw increased support for the CDA. A short lived First Balkenende cabinet was formed by CDA, VVD and LPF, led by the leader of the Christian democrats, Jan Peter Balkenende. After the Dutch general election, 2003 in which the LPF lost almost all its seats, a Balkenende II was formed by the CDA, the VVD and D66. The cabinet initiated an ambitious program of reforming the welfare state, the health care system and immigration policy policies.

In June 2006 the cabinet fell, as D66 voted in favour of a motion of no confidence against minister of immigration and integration Rita Verdonk in the aftermath of the upheaval about the asylum procedure of Ayaan Hirsi Ali instigated by the Dutch immigration minister Verdonk. A Balkenende III was formed by CDA and VVD, and Dutch general election, 2006 were held on 22 November 2006. In these elections the Christian Democratic Appeal remained the largest party and the Socialist Party (Netherlands) made the largest gains. The 2006-2007 Dutch cabinet formation started two days after the elections. Initial investigations toward a CDA-SP-PvdA coalition failed, after which a coalition of CDA, PvdA and ChristianUnion was formed.

The results of the elections were:

Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (Netherlands)
Ministry of Justice (Netherlands)
Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sports

Administrative divisions The Netherlands is divided into twelve administrative regions, called provinces, each under a Governor, who is called Commissaris der Koningin (Commissioner of the Queen), except for the province Limburg (Netherlands) where the commissioner is called Gouverneur (Governor) which underlines the more "non-Dutch" mentality. All provinces are divided into Municipalities of the Netherlands (gemeenten), 458 in total (1 January 2006). The country is also subdivided in water districts, governed by a water board (waterschap or hoogheemraadschap), each having authority in matters concerning water management. As of 1 January 2005 there are 27. The creation of water boards actually pre-dates that of the nation itself, the first appearing in 1196. In fact, the Dutch water boards are one of the oldest democratic entities in the world still in existence.

{] !!width="90px"| Area!!width="70px"] |-| Drenthe ] || style="text-align:right"|2,641 km²|| style="text-align:right"|486,197|-| Flevoland ] || style="text-align:right"|1,417 km²|| style="text-align:right"|374,424|-| Friesland (Friesland)|| Leeuwarden ] (Gelderland) || Arnhem ] || Groningen (city) || style="text-align:right"|2,333 km²|| style="text-align:right"|573,614|-| Limburg ] ||style="text-align:right"|2,150 km²|| style="text-align:right"|1,127,805|-| Noord-Brabant Noord Brabant|| Den Bosch ] || Haarlem ] || Zwolle ] || Utrecht (city) || style="text-align:right"|1,385 km²|| style="text-align:right"|1,190,604|-| Zeeland (Zeeland) || Middelburg ] (Zuid Holland) || The Hague (Den Haag) || style="text-align:right"|2,814 km²|| style="text-align:right"|3,455,097|}||}

Military Conscription in the Netherlands was suspended in 1996. All military specialities, except the Submarine service and Marine Corps, are open to women. The Dutch Ministry of Defence employs 68,000 personnel, including both civilian and military personnel. The military is composed of four branches, all of which carry the prefix Koninklijke (Royal):

Koninklijke Landmacht (KL), the Royal Netherlands Army
Koninklijke Marine (KM), the Royal Netherlands Navy, including the Naval Air Service and Marine Corps
Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu), the Royal Netherlands Air Force
Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMar), the Royal Military Police, tasks include military police and border control

Economy . The largest commercial building in the world, and a centre of international flower trade.The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy in which the government has reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food-processing (for example Unilever and Heineken International), chemicals (for example DSM (company)), petroleum refining (for example Royal Dutch Shell), and electrical machinery (for example Philips). Slochteren has one of the largest natural gas fields in the world, which has so far (2006) resulted in a total revenue of €159 billion since the mid 1970s. N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie still is the largest public-private partnership P3 world-wide following the global energy-transition of 1963 from coal to gas, coupling oil and gas prices. With just over half of the reserves used up and an expected continued rise in oil prices, the revenues over the next few decades are expected to be at least that much.

The Netherlands has the List of countries by GDP (nominal), and List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita. Between 1998 and 2000 annual economic growth (GDP) averaged nearly 4%, well above the European average. Growth slowed considerably in 2001-05 due to the global economic slowdown, but the first quarter of 2006 showed promising growth of 2.6%. Inflation is 1.3% and is expected to stay low at around 1.5% in the coming years. Unemployment is at 5.5% of the labour force. By Eurostat standards however, unemployment in the Netherlands is at only 3.3% - the lowest rate of all European Union member states.{{cite web] of 0.326. Despite ranking only 10th in GDP per capita, UNICEF ranked the Netherlands 1st in child well-being, outranking other nations with higher GDP's, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. {{cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ChildPovertyReport.pdf|title=Child Poverty Report Study by UNICEF 2007-->

Agriculture cows originated in the Netherlands, where nowadays Intensive farming dairy farming is the primary type of agriculture.A highly mechanised agriculture sector employs no more than 4% of the labour 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 United States and France, with exports earning $55 billion annually. A significant portion of Dutch agricultural exports are derived from fresh-cut plants, flowers, and bulbs, with the Netherlands exporting two-thirds of the world's total. The Netherlands also exports a quarter of all world tomatoes, and one-third of the world's exports of Capsicum and cucumbers. The Netherlands' location gives it prime access to markets in the UK and Germany, with the port of Rotterdam being the largest port in Europe. Other important parts of the economy are international trade (Dutch colonialism started with cooperative private enterprises such as the Dutch East India Company), banking and transport. 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 (for accounting purposes) its former currency, the Dutch guilder, on January 1, 1999, along with the other adopters of the single European currency. Actual Euro coins and Euro banknotes followed on January 1, 2002. In the first years of the third millennium, economic and employment growth came to a standstill, which the government tried to resolve by reducing expenses.

Demographics , year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

The Netherlands is the 23rd List of countries by population density country in the world, with 395 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,023 sq mi)—or 484 people per square kilometre (1,254/sq mi) if only the land area is counted, since 18.4% is water. Partly because of this it is also one of the most densely cabled countries in the world. Internet penetration is at 73.3% the 5th highest in the world.

The ethnic origins of the citizens of the Netherlands are diverse. The vast majority of the population however still remains Dutch people. They were: 80.8% Dutch people, 2.4% German people, 2.4% Indonesian (Indo-Dutch, Maluku Islands), 2.2% Turkish people, 2.0% Surinamese, 1.9% Morocco, 1.5% East Indian, 0.8% Netherlands Antilles and Aruban, and 6.0% other. However, this does not include the whole Kingdom of the Netherlands (such as the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, which have a non-Dutch majority community), and only includes the population in the Netherlands itself. The Netherlands also has a resident population of some 800,000 people of Indo people (mixed Dutch and Indonesian) descent.

The people of the Netherlands are amongst the tallest in the world, with an average height of about 1.81 metres for adult males and 1.68 m for adult females{{cite web|url=http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/Table.asp?LYR=G2:0,G3:6&LA=nl&DM=SLNL&PA=03799&D1=242,254,267-270&D2=0-17&STB=G1&HDR=T.|publisher=Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek|title=Reported health and lifestyle|accessdate=2007-08-28-->

Languages The official language is Dutch language, which is spoken by a large majority of the inhabitants, the exception being some groups of immigrants.

Another official language is Frisian language, which is spoken in the northern province of Fryslân. CIA World Factbook: Official languages per country Frisian is co-official only in the province of Fryslân, although with a few restrictions. Several dialects of Dutch Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch in Dutch) are spoken in much of the north and east and are recognised by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, as well as the Franconian languages Limburgish language in the South.

There is a tradition of learning foreign languages in the Netherlands: about 70% of the total population have basic knowledge of English language, 55– 59% of German language and 19% of French language. - specifically, see Table 2.

Religion The Netherlands is one of the more secular countries in the world, with only 39% being religiously affiliated (31% for those aged under 35), although 62% are believers (but 40% of those not in the traditional sense). Fewer than 20% visit church regularly .

According to the most recent Eurobarometer 2005, 34% of Dutch citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 37% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 27% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

However, Christian schools are still funded by the government and three political parties in the Dutch parliament (CDA, ChristianUnion and SGP) base their policy on the Bible.

Culture (1466–1536)The Netherlands has had many well-known painters. The 17th century, when the Dutch republic was prosperous, was the age of the "Dutch Masters", such as Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen and many others. Famous Dutch painters of the 19th and 20th century were Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondrian. M.C. Escher is a well-known graphics artist. Willem de Kooning was born and trained in Rotterdam, although he is considered to have reached acclaim as an American artist. Han van Meegeren was an infamous Dutch art forgery.

The Netherlands is the country of philosophers Erasmus and Baruch Spinoza, and all of René Descartes' major work was done there. The Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695) discovered Saturn's moon Titan and invented the pendulum clock.

In the Dutch Golden Age, literature flourished as well, with Joost van den Vondel and Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft as the two most famous writers. 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. Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl was published after she died in The Holocaust and translated from Dutch to all major languages.

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

Windmills, tulips, Clog (shoe)s, cheese and Delftware pottery are among the items associated with the Netherlands.

Dutch law takes very liberal stances on such controversial issues as abortion, drugs and euthanasia.

References Footnotes

Statistics

Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (2006). Health statistics. Retrieved June 17, 2006.

Articles

{{cite web |url=http://www.economist.com/countries/Netherlands/profile.cfm?folder=Profile%2DPolitical%20Forces

|title=The Netherlands: Political forces|publisher=The Economist|accessdate=2007-06-20-->

Books

Paul Arblaster. A History of the Low Countries. Palgrave Essential Histories Series New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. 298 pp. ISBN 1-4039-4828-3.
J. C. H. Blom and E. Lamberts, eds. History of the Low Countries (1998)
Jonathan Israel. The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477-1806 (1995)
J. A. Kossmann-Putto and E. H. Kossmann. The Low Countries: History of the Northern and Southern Netherlands (1987)

External links

Overheid.nl - official Dutch government portal
Government.nl - official Dutch government web site
CIA - The World Factbook -- Netherlands
CBS - Key figures from the Dutch bureau of statistics
Holland.com - English website of the Netherlands tourist office
Insquish.com - English info site on the Netherlands for travellers and expats

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The Netherlands Embassy :: Home
Royal Netherlands Embassy in London. Includes information on consular affairs, visiting, and conducting business with the Netherlands.

Country Profile: Netherlands
Country Profile: Netherlands ... Area: 41,526 sq km (Total: 41,526 sq km; Land: 33,883 sq km; Water: 7,643 sq km)

BBC SPORT | Football | Euro 2008 | Netherlands
Visit BBC Sport for all the action as it happens - up-to-the-minute news, results, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC Sport covers the major events and all the ...

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Country profiles | Country profile: The ...
Key facts, figures and dates ... The Netherlands' name reflects its low-lying topography, with more than a quarter of its total area under sea level.

Netherlands immigration
Workpermit.com guide to Holand immigration, New Zealand work permits and Netherlands work visas ... This Netherlands immigration guide is aimed at employers, as only employers can ...

Netherlands - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland (help · info), IPA: [ˈne:dərlɑnt]) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands, the ...

Netherlands national football team - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Netherlands national football team is the national football team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association.

NETHERLANDS Hotels. Find your hotel in NETHERLANDS at Hotelopia
Hotels in NETHERLANDS . Welcome to Hotelopia. Hotelopia.co.uk is the hotel booking specialist which allows you to search and book your hotel using real time availability from ...

European Countries - Netherlands
This page provides general information on Netherlands ... The Netherlands, as the name indicates, is low-lying territory, with one third of the country at or below sea level.

Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory - Cannabis Coffee Shop Guide
Guide to coffee shops in Amsterdam and soft drugs in the Netherlands. Coffeeshops for cannabis, smartshops for mushrooms, growshops for seeds and headshops for pipes. Map of ...