The Netherlands is a small, heavily populated country in northwestern Europe. At its height, it built one of the world's most powerful empires. Dutch sailors and explorers charted much of the globe. The Netherlands established colonies on every continent, and the country grew wealthy from trade. Today The Netherlands remains an important center of international trade. The official capital is Amsterdam. However, The Hague is the seat of government. The country is sometimes called Holland.
The Netherlands is located on the northwestern coast of Europe. The North Sea lies to the west and north. Germany makes up the eastern border. Belgium lies to the south. The Netherlands is a small country, occupying only 16,164 square miles (41,864 kilometers). In addition, the country includes Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. These Caribbean islands are former colonies that are now self-governing parts of The Netherlands.
The Netherlands is low-lying and mostly flat. The eastern and southern parts of the country are known as the High Netherlands. The land is made up of rolling plains and a few ridges. Despite its name, the region is fairly low. The highest point in The Netherlands is Vaalser Hill, a salt hill in the extreme southeast. It reaches a height of 1,053 feet (321 meters).
The northern and western region is called the Low Netherlands. About half the region lies below sea level and used to lie underwater. Dutch engineers have drained the land using windmills and later water pumps. Barriers such as sand dunes, dikes, and dams keep the water out. These lands reclaimed from the sea are known as polders.
Rivers and canals connect many of the cities. The major rivers are the Maas and the Rhine.
The Dutch make up about 90 percent of the population. Most of the rest of the people are from Turkey, Suriname, Morocco, or Indonesia. About a third of the people are Roman Catholic, and about a quarter are Protestant. More than a third of the population follow no organized religion. Netherlandic, or Dutch, is the official language.
The Netherlands is one of the most heavily populated countries in Europe. More than 90 percent of the people live in urban areas. Amsterdam is the largest city, followed by Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.
The Netherlands has made great contributions to European culture, particularly in painting. The 16th-century painter Hiëronymus Bosch based his work on fantastic themes. Painting in the 17th century were Rembrandt van Rijn, a master of light and shadow, and Jan Vermeer, known for his interior scenes of everyday life. In the 19th century Vincent van Gogh was a powerful influence in the development of modern art.
The country's many museums attract art lovers. The Amsterdam Concertgebouw (Concert Hall) Orchestra is world famous. The National Ballet at Amsterdam and the Netherlands Dance Theatre at The Hague also are internationally renowned.
International trade and services dominate the economy. Transportation is especially important because the country is a gateway for goods traded between Western Europe and the rest of the world. The port at Rotterdam is one of the world's busiest. The major Dutch service industries include banking, insurance, and communications.
Farming employs less than 5 percent of the workforce. Nevertheless, the country is one of the world's largest exporters of food. The major crops include vegetables, fruits, grains, potatoes, and sugar beets. Cut flowers and flower bulbs, especially tulips, are important exports. Pigs, cattle, poultry, and sheep are raised for meat. Dutch dairy farming also is highly developed.
Manufacturing and construction contribute about 20 percent of the national income. Some of the major industries produce food products, metals, chemicals, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, and petroleum products. In addition, The Netherlands has large fields of natural gas.
The Roman Empire conquered the region in the middle of the 1st century BC. In the early 5th century AD, Germanic tribes invaded and ended Roman rule.
From about the 10th century, the area was divided into many small states. Each was separately ruled and constantly at war with its neighbors. In the 14th century the duke of Burgundy gained control of what are now the countries of The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. He merged the several states into a single unit, known as the Low Countries. The lands of Burgundy came under the control of the Austrian Hapsburg Empire in the 15th century.
Control over the Low Countries passed to the Hapsburg rulers of Spain in the 16th century. The Dutch rose in revolt against Spain in 1568. They established the United Provinces of the Netherlands in 1579. The war continued until Spain recognized Dutch independence in 1648.
In the 17th century the Dutch built a large overseas empire. The Netherlands soon became one of the greatest naval powers in Europe. During this “Golden Age,” Dutch colonies were established in North America, South America, Asia, and Africa.
This expansion brought the country into conflict with Europe's other major power, England. The two countries fought many wars during the mid-17th century.
In 1795 Napoleon of France invaded the Low Countries. The French were defeated in 1815, and the Kingdom of The Netherlands was created. Belgium and Luxembourg soon broke away to form separate countries.
The Netherlands was neutral during World War I (1914–19). However, in 1940, during World War II, the country was occupied by Nazi Germany. The Dutch fiercely resisted the Germans. The Netherlands was freed in 1944–45. Most of the country's large Jewish population had been sent away and killed during the war. (See also Holocaust.)
After the war, The Netherlands slowly granted independence to its colonies. They became the countries of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Suriname. The Netherlands Antilles and Aruba became self-governing territories within The Netherlands.
In 1949 The Netherlands became a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a Western military alliance. The Netherlands was also an original member of the European Economic Community (now the European Union). The Hague became the center for several international organizations, including the International Court of Justice. Population (2001 estimate), 15,968,000.
