With more than 25% of its land area below sea level, the Netherlands' name accurately describes its low-lying topography.
The country, which is now a constitutional monarchy, gained its independence as a republic during a protracted war with Hapsburg Spain in the 16th century, laying the groundwork for it to develop into one of the world's top maritime trading nations.
Dutch voters, who have historically been among the more ardent supporters of the European Union, joined French voters in rejecting the proposed EU constitution in a referendum in 2005.
Many of the most well-known artists in the world have come from the Netherlands, including Rembrandt and Vermeer in the 17th century, Van Gogh in the 18th, and Mondrian in the 20th. Visitors come here from all over the world.
- with capital letters. The Hague, The Hague (government).
- Area:. 41,850 sq km.
- Population:. seventeen billion.
- Languages:. English, West Frisian, Papiamento, and Dutch.
- the length of life. 79 (for men) and 83 (for women) years.
King Willem-Alexander is the head of state.
In April 2013, his mother Beatrix abdicated to end a 33-year reign, making King Willem-Alexander the first Dutch male king in more than a century.
During a period of recession brought on by the European Economic Crisis, the generational change in the House of Orange-Nassau provided the Netherlands with a cause for celebration and pageantry.
Thousands of people cheered outside as the beloved Beatrix ended her reign in a signing ceremony that was broadcast nationwide. As her mother and grandmother had done before her, she retired.
The current leader is Mark Rutte.
The largest winner in the March 2021 elections was the center-right VVD party, which allowed Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who has been in office since 2010, to form his fourth coalition government.
D66, a center-left party, is the second-largest party with 24 seats. Losing support is Geert Wilders' far-right party.
Public broadcasting is handled very differently in the Netherlands. Programs are created by organizations that reflect political, religious, or other interests. According to the number of members in these organizations, radio and television time is allotted to them.
Commercial stations pose a significant threat to public radio and television. A large selection of domestic and international channels are available to viewers, largely due to one of the highest rates of cable subscription in Europe. At least one local public TV channel is available in every province. The three public television stations in the country have large audiences.
Here are some significant dates in Dutch history:.
1396-1467. - The Duke of Burgundy, Phillip the Good, eventually unifies the majority of what is now the Netherlands and Belgium.
1477. - The Hapsburgs take control of the region more and more.
1500-1558. Charles V, who served as the Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, and Lord of the Netherlands in his capacity as the nominal Duke of Burgundy. He gave his Spanish relatives control of the area after being born in Ghent.
15th century. - In the Netherlands and much of northern Europe, the Protestant Reformation gains ground quickly. However, Charles V and later Philip II saw it as a danger to the political order.
1566-1648. - Dutch Revolt or The Eighty Years' War. Philip II dispatches troops to quell the uprising and restore Catholicism throughout the Netherlands in the face of growing opposition to Hapsburg centralized rule.
The rebels are not entirely put down by Spanish forces as they retake the southern Netherlands, which is now Belgium.
1579. - The Dutch Republic is founded, with a Protestant majority.
1609-1621. - Twelve Years' Truce: In response to an ongoing military conflict and rising costs, both sides decide to put an end to hostilities.
1621-1648. - As part of the larger European Thirty Years' War, fighting resumes. In the Münster Peace of Westphalia, signed in 1648, Spain recognizes the Dutch Republic while keeping the southern Netherlands.
1652-1674. The Dutch Republic and England engage in three naval wars in the 17th century as fierce competitors in both world trade and naval power.
1672 . - The year the Dutch Republic experienced a "Disaster.". France, Münster, and Cologne then invade after England declares war (the Third Anglo-Dutch War). Johan de Witt, the country's founder, and his brother Cornelis are lynched; William III is then named as the new leader.
1688. - William III invades England at the behest of Protestant British nobility at odds with James II, the Catholic. As a result, England experiences the "Glorious Revolution," which upholds the fundamentals of parliamentary government and Protestant dominance.
William and Mary, James' eldest daughter, take on the role of co-monarchs. In the Republic's ongoing wars with Louis XIV of France, this guarantees England as a crucial financial and military ally.
1785-1815. - French-Batavian Period: During the French Revolution, the Kingdom of Holland was first ruled by a pro-French Batavian Republic, then by a Bonaparte family member, and finally by the French Empire.
1815. - Following the defeat of Napoleonic France, the modern Kingdom of the Netherlands, which today includes Belgium and Luxembourg, is established.
1830 . Belgian independence from the Netherlands.
1839. - The Treaty of London recognizes Belgian independence by the Netherlands. The nation of Luxembourg attained complete independence.
1914-1918 . - The Netherlands keeps its neutral position throughout World War One.
1932 . - The Ijsselmeer, a freshwater lake with a length of 31 km, is created by a dam that spans the Zuider Zee. Since then, a portion of the lake has been drained, and the reclaimed land has been used for farming.
1940 . Hitler's Germany invades. Together with the Dutch cabinet, the Dutch Royal Family flees to England. The Netherlands gives up after being outnumbered by the enemy.
1944 . - The Netherlands becomes the scene of fierce fighting as Allied forces move closer to Germany.
1945 . German forces in the Netherlands are forced to surrender to end the occupation. Later, the Netherlands joins the UN as one of its founding members.
1948. - The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg form the Benelux customs union.
1949 . After a four-year fight for independence against Dutch colonial authorities, the Dutch East Indies, which had been occupied by Japan during World War Two, becomes Indonesia.
1949 . - The Netherlands decides to join NATO and end its neutrality policy.
1952 . - The European Coal and Steel Community, which was established in 1951 and became the European Economic Community in 1957 as a result of the Treaty of Rome, included the Netherlands as a founding member.
1963 . - Indonesia receives a colony of Netherlands New Guinea.
1975 . - Surinam declares its independence from the Dutch colony. Numerous Surinamese move to the Netherlands in their hundreds of thousands.
1980 . Queen Juliana steps down, and Beatrix takes her place.
2002 . The adoption of the euro by the Netherlands.
shock among the public as gunman kills Pim Fortuyn, leader of an anti-immigration party.
2003 . - Animal rights activist Volkert van der Graaf was given an 18-year prison term for killing Fortuyn.
2004 . - At 94 years old, Juliana, the mother of the queen, passes away. From 1948, Juliana ruled for 32 years.
Theo Van Gogh, a film director, is killed. After releasing his contentious movie about the status of women in Islamic society, he reportedly started receiving death threats. For the 2005 murder, a radical Islamist received a life sentence.
2010. - The Netherlands Antilles are dissolved, and Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten are incorporated into the Kingdom of the Netherlands as separate countries. In the Netherlands, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba were given autonomy as special municipalities.
2013 . - Queen Beatrix steps down, making her son Willem-Alexander the new monarch.
2014 . - Over Ukraine, near the Russian border, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, is shot down.
2018 . - The massacres of up to 1,5 million Armenians by Ottoman troops in 1915 receive a resounding vote of support from Parliament.
