The history, geography, demographics, government, foreign relations, and culture of the Netherlands. The Netherlands ("Lower Countries"), officially the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden), is a small, densely populated country located in Western Europe with three island territories in the Caribbean. It shares borders with Belgium and Germany, and maritime borders with Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Its three most important cities are Amsterdam, The Hague, and Rotterdam.

1. Netherlands

2. History
 The Dutch United Provinces gained independence from Spain in 1579; they
became a leading seafaring and commercial power in the seventeenth century,
with settlements and colonies around the world.
 Following a twenty-year French occupation, the Kingdom of the Netherlands was
established in 1815.
 Belgium seceded in 1830 and became a separate kingdom.
 The Netherlands remained nonaligned during World War I, but suffered German
invasion and occupation during World War II.
 A modern and industrial country, the Netherlands is also a significant exporter of
farming products.
 The Netherlands is a founding member of NATO and the European Economic
Community (now the European Union), and took part in the introduction of the Euro
currency in 1999.
 In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved; the three biggest
islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba) became special municipalities in the
Netherlands governmental structure.
 The bigger islands of Sint Maarten and Curaçao joined the Netherlands and Aruba
as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

3. Geography
 Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between
Belgium and Germany
 Geographic coordinates: 52 30 N, 5 45 E
 Area
 Total: 41,543 sq km
 Land: 33,893 sq km
 Water: 7,650 sq km
 Country comparison to the world: 135
 Area – comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
 Land boundaries
 Total: 1,053 km
 Border countries: Belgium 478 km, Germany 575 km
 Coastline: 451 km

4. Demographics
 Nationality
 Noun: Dutch man, Dutch woman
 Adjective: Dutch
 Ethnic groups: Dutch 80.7%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%,
Moroccan 2%, Caribbean 0.8%, other 4.8% (2008 estimation)
 Official language(s): Dutch (Frisian, Dutch Low Saxon, and Limburgish are
recognized under the European Charter for Regional or Minority
Languages)
 Religious affiliations: Roman Catholic 28%, Protestant 19% (includes Dutch
Reformed 9%, Protestant Church of the Netherlands 7%, Calvinist 3%), other
11% (includes about 5% Muslim and smaller numbers of Hindu, Buddhist,
Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Orthodox Christians), no affiliation 42% (2009
estimation)
 Population: 16,947,904 (July 2015 estimation)
 Country comparison to the world: 66

5. Government
 Official name: Kingdom of the Netherlands (Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
 Government type: Constitutional monarchy
 Capital: Amsterdam (The Hague is the seat of government)
 Administrative divisions: Twelve provinces (provincies): Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan
(Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-
Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South
Holland)
 Dependent areas: Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten
 Independence: 23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries
settled the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581, they officially
declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration, but it was not until 30
January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this
independence)
 National holiday: King’s Day (Koningsdag), April 27 (King Willem-Alexander’s
birthday; celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday)
 Constitution: previous 1597, 1798; latest adopted 24 August 1815 (substantively
modified in 1848); altered many times, most recently in 2010 (2013)

6. Provinces Map

7. Government (cont.)
 Legal system: civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not
allow judicial review of acts of the States General
 International law organization International Court of Justice jurisdiction with
arrangements; accepts International Criminal Court jurisdiction
 Suffrage: Eighteen years of age; universal
 Chief of state: King Willem-Alexander (since 30 April 2013)
 Head of government: PM Mark Rutte (since 14 October 2010), Deputy PM Lodewijk
Asscher (since 5 November 2012- note: Mark Rutte heads his second cabinet since 5
November 2012)
 Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch – note: there is also a
Council of State made up of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors that
delivers instruction to the cabinet on legislative and administrative policy

8. King Willem-Alexander and PM Mark Rutte

9. International Organization participation
 ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer),
Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB,
EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners),
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA,
MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance
(observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

10. Flag Description
 Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue.
 Similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colors
were those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against
Spanish sovereignty in the later half of the sixteenth century.
 The upper band initially was orange (see slide 2), but because it often diminished to
red over time, the red shade was ultimately made the enduring color; the banner is
possibly the oldest tricolor still in use.

11. National symbols
 Lion
 Tulip
 Windmill
 Orange (national color)

12. Windmill and tulip fields

13. Major airports
 Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
 Eindhoven Airport
 Rotterdam The Hague Airport

14. Dutch cheese market

15. References
 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nl.html