Netherlands

Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. [8]  it is bordered to the West and North by the North Sea, along the East border by Germany and on the South by Belgium. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, the seat of Government is the Hague. The Caribbean IslandsBonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba as special municipalities part of the country.

Netherlands has a population of 16.805.037 (2013) and covering an area of high population density of 37.354 km² EUR 449.9/km² (2013). Over 18% of the area consists of water and much of the country and the population is located below sea level. The country is protected against the water by means of a system of dykes and water works.Polders are created by land reclamation. Administrative the country is divided into twelve provinces.

Netherlands became independent during the eighty years ' war (1568-1648), in which the joint Northern and southern low countries revolted against the Spanishdomination. In 1579 the northern Netherlands formed the Union of Utrecht, with which a new political entity was formed. With the peace of 1581 by the regions of that Union was the independence of the United Provinces proclaimed, those around 1609, the twelve years ' truce at the beginning of international recognition and at the end of the eighty years ' war in 1648, also of Spain at the peace of Westphalia. From the French period (1795-1813) Netherlands developed itself to a nation State, initially as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, that by the Belgian revolution in 1830, however, again fell apart.

Nowadays Netherlands is one of the most developed countries as the world's seventh economy to GDP per capita (2009). It occupies the fourth place in the human development index (2013). The Dutch economy relies especially on a very highly developed agricultural and horticultural sector, the services sector and the international trade, particularly on the transit of goods to Germany.

Netherlands is since 1848 a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy, a form of Government in which power is shared by the King (in), the ministers and the Parliament. Netherlands was a founding member of the European Union, the G-10, the NATO, the OECDand the World Trade Organization . With Belgium andLuxembourg it forms the Benelux. The Hague plays an important international role in the legal field, as a location for four international tribunals and Europol.



Content
[hide] *Name 1 
 * 2 geographical overview
 * 2.1 Water
 * 2.2 Geology
 * 2.3 Landscape
 * 2.4 Climate
 * 2.5 Flora and fauna
 * 2.6 Netherlands ' Caribbean '
 * 2.6.1 Upwind
 * 2.6.2 Downwind
 * 3 History
 * 3.1 pre-and protohistory
 * 3.2 middle ages
 * 3.2.1 Lands heerlijkheden and the rise of cities
 * 3.2.2 Consolidation
 * 3.3 sixteenth century
 * 3.4 Republic
 * Batavian time 3.5
 * United Kingdom of the Netherlands 3.6
 * 3.7 Kingdom of the Netherlands
 * 4 Population
 * 4.1 demographic characteristics
 * 4.2 Languages
 * 4.3 Religion
 * 5 governance and institutions
 * 5.1 Government
 * 5.2 political parties
 * 5.3 management structure
 * 5.4 justice and police
 * 5.5 external relations and defence
 * 5.6 Education
 * 5.7 on the environment
 * 6 Culture
 * 6.1 national symbols
 * 6.2 Traditions and holidays
 * 6.3 Art
 * 6.4 cultural and natural heritage
 * 6.5 food and drinks
 * 6.6 Media
 * 6.7 Sports
 * 6.8 Events
 * Economy 7
 * 7.1 economic basis
 * 7.2 Energy
 * 7.3 tourism
 * 7.4 transport
 * 8 external links
 * Literature 9
 * 9.1 General
 * 9.2 Geology
 * 9.3 History

Name
In the Burgundian time were referred to the low countries from the point of view of the Duke, who usually stayed in Flanders or Brabant : les pays de par deçaand eat breakfast, ' the countries of about '. That did not want to say much more than ' these countries here, directly around us '. This is in contrast to les pays de par delà, ' the countries of thither about, those countries ', namely the actual Burgundy. Also the name ' the low countries (by the sea) "is used.

In the fifteenth century came the name "Netherlands" in use. In contrast to inter alia 'France' and 'England' had this not an ethnic origin, but was initially a geographical term, which only the distinction by a higher ground. Compound names with Nieder- were on all sorts of places in the German language area is used. Niderlant was in the late Middle Ages the area between the Maas and Rhine, now including German, spreading over . The area that was started as Oberland thought approximately at the higher lying than Cologne. By extension the term could also be used on the delta of River Scheldt, Maas and Rhine, leaving it in the plural form occurred. By the great importance of the low countries became more and more specific the name for this area worked. From about 1490 were also sets the Burgundian regions referred to. In addition to "Flanders" was "the low countries" from the mid-16th century, probably the most widely used name. In French was this Pays-Bas, Paesi Bassi in Italian and in German Niederlande. In the Dutch was both the only-if the plural used, while in French and English (Pays Bas/Low Countries) only the plural was used.

In 1570 used the cartographer Abraham Ortelius the name lower Germania (lower Germany). The humanists handles back on the Belgica, name derived from Julius Caesar. After the Rebellion remained the denominations Nederlandt in Belgium and the Netherlands as a whole and for use for both the two separate States. The colonyNew-Netherlands (English: New Netherland) was called in Latin: Nova Belgica or Novum Belgium. For the Spanish and later the Austrian Netherlands was also calledBelgium Regium used while with Belgium Foederatum called the Republic of the United Provinces was referred to. For the Republic became increasingly abroad "Holland" used as a pars pro toto, as previously, "Flanders" for the Netherlands. Netherlands became still in the French time and also under King William I, translated into French as Belgique. In the first time the French were the official names, then the Batavian Republicand Batavian Commonwealth for the insertion in the French Empire the Kingdom of Holland.

Geographical overview
Netherlands without dikes. About 27% of the surface of Netherlands, including large parts of the densely populated and economically important West,NAP is down.The oosterscheldekering, which quit theOosterschelde, seen from the air. This storm surge barrier is part of the Delta works.Netherlands is located in Northwest Europe and is bordered by the North Sea, Germany and Belgium. The length of the land border is 1027 km, while the coastline451 km long. In addition some islands around the Caribbean Sea to Netherlands. Geographically these differences of the European part of Netherlands, and are treated separately.

Water
Both in the North and West Netherlands is surrounded by the North Sea. In the North is a row of dunes formed by the West Frisian Islands, a series of barrier islands behind which is the shallow Wadden Sea . In the middle of the country lies the IJsselmeer, the former Zuiderzee, a large inland sea that since the completion of the Afsluitdijk in 1932 of the Wadden Sea is sealed and contains fresh water since then. Other sea-arms and estuaries are the Dollard and the Ladyin the North and the Hollands Diep, haringvliet, the Lake and the Eastern and Western Scheldt in the Southwest. The Dutch coast are experiencing a tidedubbeldaags whose amplitude along the coast ranges between 1.5-2 meters. The wind can have a strong influence on here. In addition to the vertical water movement, there is also a horizontal water motion, the tidal flow. By a favorable sea temperature of 3 ° c in winter and 16 ° c in the summer, especially the Wadden Sea and Oosterschelde important as a nursery of tongue and plaice, mussels.

Water balance of the Netherlands shows that especially the Rhine via the supply is important for Netherlands. This carries even more than twice as much water as precipitation by comes. A large part of Netherlands is formed from the delta of the Rhine, the Meuse and the Scheldt. The Maas and the Waal, together with the Rhine, the Lek and Merwede in addition, the large rivers, a river area that a natural barrier between the North and South of the country is. The IJssel, sometimes also counted to the great rivers, is a branch of the Rhine flows northward and empties into the IJsselmeer. Lakes occur mainly in West Friesland Netherlands and Southwest for. In addition there are by the excavation of peat for peat extraction (peat) excessive urination occur. For the drinking water supply is with a share of about 70% of the groundwater in particular importance. Exception to this is the Randstad, which despite the presence of a fresh-water bag under the dunes, especially rely on surface water.

The centuries-long struggle against the water has a clear impact on the design of Netherlands. By flood and human intervention is the coastline has changed considerably in the course of history. Major disasters were the flood of 1134, with Zeeland in a archipelago changed, the Saint Lucia flood (1287), the St. Elizabeth's flood (1421) and finally the North Sea flood of 1953. During floods created new sea-arms or tidal regions where land earlier. In order to protect the country against the water since the middle ages, are all along the coast and rivers embankments constructed. [9]  another project in the fight against the water are the Delta works, which were built between 1958 and 1997. The entire Delta plan included the raising of more than 3000 km sea wall and more than 10,000 kilometers Bago along canals and rivers to delta height. Also the sea-arms over time in the southwest of the Netherlands were created by dikes of the Sea close.Another form of human intervention in nature are the large tracts of land which are drained by man and won on the water, the so-called polders. At former Lakes or puddles, these new pieces of land reclaimed land called. The largest polders are the Zuiderzee works, which have been built in the 20th century and together more than 2,500 square kilometres of new land cover.

Geology
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The present Dutch landscape is largely formed in the last 150,000 years. The geological structure of the Dutch surface is characterized by a series of horsts and grabens, which form part of a large tectonic structure that runs right through Europe, from the Mediterranean Sea at Marseille to under the North Sea. The South-East of the country is located above the lower Rhine grabens system, which still take place in the Earth's crust subsidence. In 1992 (Roermond) and 2002 (Aachen, just over the border) were still small earthquakes place. The lower Rhine Graben is in the West of the Netherlands on Dutch West Basin, which in turn passes into similar Graben structures in the subsurface under the North Sea.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">As the name suggests, is the country's low-lying Netherlands. Most of Netherlands consists of a coastal plain that geological North Sea basin belongs to the seen, a large geological basin which forms the central part the North Sea itself. The North Sea basin formed from the Chalk, about 60 million years ago. Although there are more active and less active phases, were found during this time in this basin subsidence andsedimentation place. The edges of the North Sea basin formed, to man the last thousand years was an important influence on the landscape, an example of a naturally evolving coastal area. While the central part of the North Sea is covered by the sea itself, the edges of the large rivers deltas claimed by those in the sea. On the transition between water and land formed by the action of the sea beaches, dunes and North Sea areas. The coastal plains, moving through the deposition of the river sediment formed, also contain swamps and Lakes.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">By far the most rock that crops out in Netherlands is deposited during the Quaternary period. The formations of the upper sea group form the largest part of the surface of Netherlands. Important formations are theformation of naaldwijk, whose sand and clay in much of the West and the North of Netherlands at the surface, and the formation of Nieuwkoopfrom existing. The sands of Formation Valentin can be found in the East and South, while the deposits of the rivers around the formation of E can be found. Only on small places older rocks at the surface. An exception is South-Limburg, where the Chalk is in many places at the surface.All rocks from the last 65 million years, the Quaternary and Tertiary together, are called the North Sea supergroup in Netherlands. This can be in the grabens many tens of kilometers thick and is on the Hamilton also still kilometers thick.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">As in large parts of Western Europe, is located in the Dutch Carboniferous coal, which in South Limburg until the middle of last century was won by the mining industry . In the subsurface of West-Dutch basin and under the North Sea petroleum is also won, although this is limited compared to the much larger reserves under the Norwegian Northern North Sea. There are two types of natural gas in the subsurface of the Netherlands to find: dry natural gas, that along with the coal was formed (mostly in the Carboniferous period) and wet natural gas, that together with petroleum was created, mainly in the Cretaceous period. It is found especially among the country for the first, the second kind under the North Sea and in the West-Dutch basin. The gas reservoir is the largest Dutch natural gas field in Slochteren in the North of the country. TheSlochteren Formation is part of the Upper Rotliegend group.

Landscape
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The landscape of Netherlands is nearly everywhere flat. Low height differences are found in the East and South of the country, largely caused the Saalian ice age, during the penultimate of 238,000 to 128,000 years ago. The ice sheet reached as far to the South, which the North of Netherlands was covered by glaciers . This forced the large rivers to shift their course to the current East-west running location. At the same time, worked the driving force and the weight of the glacier tongues on the surface. This resulted in the emergence of an alternation of glacial tills, such as the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the Sallandse Heuvelrug, theVeluweand glacial basins, such as the EEM-Valley and the IJssel Valley.

The Haarlemmermeer is a dry dairywhich drained of water, a human, and with it the ultimate form of a cultural landscape<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Only the far south of the province of Limburg (southern Limburg) exhibits significant relief differences. The Vaalserberg in Limburg, 323 meters high with the top the three country point with Germany and Belgium, is the highest hill of (European) Netherlands. The lowest point of Netherlands is near Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel and is 6.76 metres below sea level.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Dutch landscape consists largely of cultural landscapes and in addition from managed natural areas. In the past centuries is the living nature not only changed, but by reduction and fragmentation of the habitats and environmental pollution also regressed in quality and quantity. The fields of activity of individuals is through nature policy and tried to turn the tide, including through development of nature and restore more or less original landscapes. For example, we find such nature development areas along the major rivers, including the Gelderse Poort. In addition, there are many older Netherlands natural areas including forest, dune and heathland. There are also twenty national parks, of which the Zeeland Oosterschelde National Park veluwezoom and the largest and The Hoge Veluwe in Gelderland are the oldest.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Dutch landscape can be classified on differences in substrate, soil, water resources and the mining history. Most of the surface of the Netherlands consists of Above-Sea Group. Significant landscape types are the dune landscape, the rivierklei landscape, the sea clay landscape, the moorland landscape, the Sandy landscape and thechalk-loess landscape. Other formats lay more emphasis on the cultural history. So for example, one distinguishes the village landscape and the mounds landscape. In so-called national landscapes are important cultural landscapes protected like the green heart in the Randstad.

Climate
Snow, like here in Amsterdam, is during the Dutch winters no unusual phenomenon<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands has a so-called Cfb climate, a moderate maritime climate with mild winters and cool summers. The climate is influenced by the North Sea that moderates the temperature throughout the year, which means that both the daily temperature fluctuations as annual increase to the East. Although the last decades an increase in average temperature is to perceive, is by the great natural temperatuursfluctuaties not yet to say for sure whether this is the result of an enhanced greenhouse effect and is directly related to global warming.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">With around 1,600 hours of Sunshine Coast has the most hours of sunshine, while the rear corner with approximately 1450 hours the least Sunshine has. Despite the image of rain country, regent for an average of only 7% of the time. In the summer, especially on grassland a evaporative surplus, but on average there is annually a precipitation surplus, the largest on the Veluwe. The wettest are the Veluwe, Drenthe and South-Limburg, the driest the central part of Limburg with less than 700 mm.

Flora and fauna
Only since 1949 in Netherlands for theCollared Dove .<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The flora and fauna of Netherlands are relatively well researched. There is a long tradition of floristic and research carried out by organizations, that nowadays faunistisch as SOVON, the butterfly Foundation FLORON and. Some associations for nature study are already more than one hundred years, such as the Dutch Entomological Society, the Netherlands bird protection, the Royal Dutch natural history Association (Association for field biology) and the Dutch Mycological Society. It is known that soortenarm is relatively very Netherlands, partly as a result of the ice ages and partly because of the uniform geography. Of the higher plant species comes in two exceptional half only for areas: Zuid-Limburg and Oostvoorne. The most important nature reserve is the Wadden Sea, or, if only the land area is considered, the dune area.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Human intervention, either directly (hood of forests, reclamation, road construction, etc) or indirectly (eutrophication) has great influence on the current landscape, flora and fauna. Many animal and plant species are in danger of disappearing. To prevent this are so-called red lists that are the most endangered species. Some species to adapt to human culture, such as the Blackbird and the great tit.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In Netherlands are distinguished on the basis of so-called flora districts differences in climate, soil and water management; these districts have their own plant species. The 23rd edition of the standard flora Heukels ' Flora of Netherlands uses 15 flora districts, which than most are classified as Western European flora region. In come around 1,400 types of higher plants for Netherlands and 600 species of mosses. In addition, there are thousands of species that are no longer to the plants be counted as 4 à 5,000 types of mushrooms (macro fungi) or other fungi, and a few thousand species of lichens and algae.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Geographical districts for a number of animals are also distinguished as for breeding birds. For more than 50 species of mammals come In Netherlands, about 600 species of nesting and migratory birds, dozens of fish species, more than 50 butterflies (at 2000 will total butterflies) and thousands of invertebrates. Despite the small dimensions has Netherlands still endemic animals (which only occur in Netherlands), such as theLarge copper and Microtus oeconomus arenicola(a subspecies of the Tundra Vole).

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Because of its location in Europe and the intensive traffic there is a regular supply of adventieven, which sometimes establish with some success, such as the Ring-necked parakeet and the Zebra Mussel, but only relatively rarely forms a permanent plague; possible exceptions are the bospestand the waterweed . The species are almost all relative newcomers (from after the ice ages); so are the rabbit, the pheasant and thesweet chestnut in historical times entered. The common species here are very competitive.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There is having some success 'new natural' laid out, particularly in the area the Oostvaardersplassen, where many species thrive. The last years tried species here in historical times have been eradicated to introduce again in Netherlands, sometimes successfully, such as the Raven and the Beaver. Of other species such as the otter continues the result uncertain. The latter applies also for a European project for reintroduction of the salmon. The white-tailed eagle settles, albeit hesitant, on your own. Return of larger predators like the wolf and the lynx remains controversial. This also applies to reintroduction of plant species by planting and restoration of natural areas by interventions as lime (to prevent acidification).

Netherlands ' Caribbean '
The Quill towers above St Eustatius from.Bonaire has a steppe climate.====Upwind==== <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The islands of Saba and St. Eustatius are all part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. This Windward Islands, which also includes St. Maarten belongs, forms an elongated group, which stretches between Puerto Rico and the Venezuelan coast. The group consists of two arches, caused by subduction of the South American plate under the Caribbean plate. The Islands have their origins than also due to volcanic activity. The inner arc, which Saba and Sint Eustatius belong, is volcanic still somewhat active. The two islands are dominated by a dormant volcano which forms the highest point of each of the Islands. The Quill on Sint Eustatius has a height of 601 metres, and the highest point is Mount Sceneryof Saba, with 887 metres, also the highest point on Dutch territory (and in the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands).

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The climate on both islands can, depending on the height, in the Köppen climate classification are classified as Aw (tropical savanna climate) in the low lying areas to Am (monsoon climate) in the higher altitudes, with Af (tropical rainforest climate) on Mount Scenery and might also be on The Quill.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [11]

Downwind
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The island of Bonaire is part of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. These islands, which besides Bonaire, Curaçao and Arubaalso the Venezuelan Islands include, located a short distance off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed that they as well as the Windward Islands of volcanic origin, but only the oldest rocks are volcanic, and most of the Islands consists of calcareous rock.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The climate on the western part of these islands is similar to that of the nearby mainland, semi-arid to arid. Bonaire has a BS-climate (steppe climate) in the classification of Köppen.

History
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The habitation history of Netherlands is strongly linked to the emergence of the subsurface of the Netherlands. The environment not only changed history by the drowning of the Scheldt, Maas and Rhine, Ems during the Holocene, but the other way round is occupation of large influence on the current Dutch landscape withpolders and dikes, especially in the last 1000 years. The Perforce collectivity took care of a Board and mentality that contributed to the subsequent success of the Dutch Commission trade, including the geographically convenient location by the sea and waterways was of great importance. The Dutch regions have had varying relationships throughout history, sometimes working together, sometimes rival. Important turning points are the Rebellion with his Declaration of independence that preceded a period of great prosperity, a long period of decline and in 1795 the French invasion that marked the end of the Republic. If the Kingdom of the Netherlands Netherlands exists since 1814 and in more or less its present form from 1830 after the Belgian revolution.

Pre-and protohistory
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">With the end of the last ice age began the current era, the Holocene (9700 BC – present). This increased the temperature with a sea-level rise and the flooding of the North Sea. The marshy River delta that later would be called Netherlands, however, was still little attractive and habitation remained initially limited to passing hunter-gatherer. Spread from Southwest Asia between 8000 and the agriculture 6700 years ago about the whole of Europe. If border area began the Neolithic in the delta relatively late and even then especially on the upper loess soils. Settlements started to form, but cities such as those in the center of the old world gently started to form, were still far away.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">By the introduction of new technologies such as metal working, what could be more efficient food gathered an elite free made dealing with other matters. The main specialization was that of spiritual leaders which could indicate or even stave off dangers. Around them were centers of increasing prosperity, initially to appease the ancient gods. To protect were temporarily warriors as leader, however, gradually more power which is obtained. In this way were relatively egalitarian societies nobly with an aristocratic Board. This was true for the Netherlands who later Celts for a border area was then and the La Tène culture (ca. 450 BC to the Roman conquest in the first century BC). Attracted by Celtic prosperity, pulled in the second century BC, by the way, Germans — which the distinction with the Celts not good is clear — to the West.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">With the arrival of the Romans in 57 BC began the protohistory of the low countries. After initial attempts to expand the Empire to the Elbe, was from 47 a.d. the northern border or the Rhine limes. After the Suppression of the Batavian rebellion in the year of four emperors (68-69) was it for two centuries, up to about 250, quiet in the Rhine provinces. With the inclusion in the Roman Empire broke a period of economic expansion and strong population growth, the pax Romana, to. By the expansion of the route network and shipping took the mobility and thus the trade, helped by the increasing availability of coins. The Roman pantheon was introduced, but before Christianity became the dominant religion, there was above all a hodgepodge of pagan cults.

Middle Ages
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">However, the Germanic pressure on the limes took. The migrations, which lasted for about two centuries, all were ringing with a period of instability in. In 406 the Rhine frontier was broken. There followed a period of decline, of which the Roman Empire no longer recovered and a fragmentation of Europe that is recognizable to date. The population and trade names; money fell into disuse.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Emperor Charlemagne (768-814) knew besides the Frisians in the North, ultimately, Saxony in the East to to submit; the so-called second Christianization took place. In the following centuries the Christian faith would adapt and fully penetrate the society. Under Charlemagne were the low countries no border area more, but she layers near the Centre of the Frankish Empire.

Lands heerlijkheden and the rise of cities
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The feudalism — in which vassals in the absence of a money economy were rewarded by giving them land in loan — weakened the central authority. As a result of raids by the Vikings and communications from theFrankish Empire was an unstable period. In the tenth century brought an end to the invasions of Europe by Vikings, moors and Asian steppe peoples. The subsequent stability had from the eleventh century a expansion movement as a result. FENS and marshes were drained, forests cleared and land was mined. Through improvements in agriculture could more people are tapping to the primary production process. Now the external threat was fallen by the wayside, founded the class of warriors themselves against each other and the local population. A number of feudal lords knew to extend their authority at the expense of their neighbors. From a chaotic patchwork of areas developed secular and spiritual lands heerlijkheden. The County of Flanders under the initially weak King of France has long been the most important region. The German Emperor In Lorraine was a lot more powerful, because he with the bishops national churches system with temporal power and dynasty favoured formation against went. Nevertheless, the secular lands heerlijkheden grew from ca. 1100 to practically independent principalities. The conquest of Rhenen by John II of Cleves in 1499, master of Rhenen.

The Dukes, Earls and other men questioned the weak power of the Emperor, but also each other. The relative independence of the emperor was for the common people is not necessarily a blessing.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The population growth rate in this period had an impact on trade and, therefore, on the cities, which especially by their walls were a dominant factor of importance.This was the beginning of the breakdown of the feudal system. The cities were not only a source of income for Danvers, but were later also a competitive power factor. In areas with few cities remained the nobility, however, still play an important role for centuries. There was a structure to the work on the dikes to coordinate, which locks and water boards and heemraadschappen were established. Through it all changed the social and economic structure and one could also focus on the fishery, the cloth industry and overseas trade. With the growing power of the bourgeoisie became the Church's cultural monopoly broken. The cultural revival in this period, in which also the first schools and universities were founded, is called the renaissance of the 12th century .

Consolidation
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The fourteenth century was a period of crisis for Europe, in many respects, including the black death (1347-1351) and the hundred years ' war. In economic terms, there was even talk of a general malaise which lasted until ca. 1475. However, this is not for the low countries went on and was of economic expansion. Where the position of the French King in previous centuries was strengthened and developed its own identity, France developed a strong German identity itself was in the low countries only enjoy their delicious after this occurred. This development was one of the factors that made that the Netherlands would eventually no longer be part of the Holy Roman Empire.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The expansionism of the Lords expressed itself into several mutual wars, but especially the marriage politics made sure — often through coincidences — that large parts of the Low countries under foreign Princes houses fell. The success of the marriage politics turned out especially when the Dukes of Burgundy. Who knew between 1384 and 1428 a number of Northern and virtually all southern regions to unite for the first time since Carolingian times.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Under the Burgundians sought was more to get a grip on the particularistic regions. Despite the internal weaknesses and profited in the regions of opspelende unrest locally the Elimination of mutual rivalry of the previous centuries and there began a period of prosperity.

Sixteenth century
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Then also for the Habsburgs were the economic strong Netherlands from importance. Under Emperor Charles V (1515-1555), the area was part of the Spanish Empire. The center of gravity shifted to the Board of the Netherlands, especially Spain which was left to a Governor. That the low countries were part of the Habsburg empire also meant that these regions have long been involved in on-going Italian wars between France and the Habsburgs. France saw itself, also become King of Spain after Charles V was, to a large extent surrounded by the Habsburg House. The Italian wars dominated the European political until 1559 and the Franco-Habsburg rivalry two centuries longer. The so-called XVII Provinces were created in this period until a far-reaching independent unit.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Protestant reformation, from the 1920s in this area that has long been a critical stance against the Roman Catholic Church. Economically and demographically speaking was there from the end of the fifteenth century a strong growth. The wars, with high taxes and trade quays as a result, however, heavy on the expressed population. This time came there by the reformation and especially the hard another new factor in prosecution thereof. This explosive mixture would lead to the Rebellion. The first rebellion in 1567-1568 could still be called again, but the hard policy much resistance on. on 1 april 1572 the geuzen manage to take in Den Briel and started a second rebellion. The fall of Antwerp in 1585 sealed afterwards in military sense the separation of the northern and Southern Netherlands. In the absence of a suitable other Danvers was founded in 1588 the Republic.

Republic Of
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Helped by the imperial overstretch which could prevent the Republic of Spain, was to be recaptured. In fact, it did take maximum advantage of shifting the economic center of the Mediterranean Sea to Western Europe. Where the northern Netherlands were earlier in the shadow of the southern regions, took Amsterdam after the fall and blockade of Antwerp the place over as a trading centre of Europe, while Holland controlled shipping in Europe. Although the Dutch East India Company managed to reach great profits for the shareholders, carried the trade on India but to the gains, which especially in the European trade were reached. The subsequent golden age was a period with a larger political, cultural and economic meaning than ever before that or after that in the low countries. By the economic ascendancy could Holland dominate the States General. Once the interests of Holland and orange no longer agreed, this could paralyze the Board completely.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Although the Government was Protestant, there was freedom of conscience, but there was no freedom of worship. The tolerance was a lot larger than elsewhere in Europe, but it was an opportunistic, which prevented one faced an exodus as the dogmatic Spain had experienced. The bourgeoisie became the dominant class, while the influence of the nobility and the clergy's previously reduced. Regents started the political climate to master.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1648 the war with Spain ended, against the wishes of stadtholder William II. His attempts to take power resulted after his unexpected death in 1650 to the first stadtholderless period. This era was domestic marked by the true freedom by trade and foreign wars. Landscape with fishermen and farmers in the peat bogs stabbing, 1783, Hendrik Willem Schweickhardt.

Large-scale mechanical energy generation took place for the first time with wind and water mills. An important contribution to the prosperity of the United Provinces during the golden age was supplied by peat. The whole made a proto-industrializationpossible that pass beyond sought with the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">England and France were Meanwhile freed from their internal problems and took their share of trade and shipping. The subsequent first Anglo-Dutch war was lost by the Republic. Although convincing the Second Anglo-Dutch war was won and the Dutch fleet Supreme made, it became increasingly clear that the Republic would be in trouble as soon as one the major powers not to play off against each other knew. This turned out to be in the year of disaster. While the foreign troops with a bewildering speed went up to the water line, were the brothers De Witt lynched in the Hague, after which was appointed stadtholder William III .

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The crisis gave the Orange order prevailed. Under William III knew one from the stuffy situation, with Michiel de Ruyter the joint naval forces of France and England in 1673 knew to beat. Hereinafter referred to as William III would continue to focus on forming a European Coalition against the expansionism of Louis XIV. In 1688 it came to a Glorious Revolution after a daring invasion of William III on English territory with a large army, in which he his father-in-law James II of England overturned. When William III also in England was in power, he was even stronger focus on fighting the French hegemony. He played an important role in anti-French coalitions during the nine years ' war (1688-1697) and until his death in 1701 in the war of Spanish Succession (1701-1713).

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Political and military was the Republic in the subsequent second stadtholderless period on the second rank. The forty years war with France economically played after huge public debt a large role, especially after the Spanish Succession war showed that the Republic of above her power worked and dependent on Great Britain. De Zeven Provinciën were a nachtwakers State. Where the country is not a democracy, but rather the people could exercise influence, though it was now in the hands of more and more closed class that a Regent. International politics for a long time could be based on knocking out the Franco-British conflict, but after the seven years ' war had formed a new balance of power in Europe, making this no longer worked and the Republic was increasingly at the mercy of the goodwill of the superpowers. The great Scene of Folly, 1720.

A boom arrived in England when the end of the South Sea Bubble and the Mississippi Company in France by John Law. Also the fair in Rotterdam hits got because of a sharp fall in prices, but less severe than in London and Paris, where many actionisten by wind trade significant losses. In Amsterdam was the English coffeehouse in the ' Kalverstraat ' stormed.The mayors banned the brokers to act in the bubble-and trade wind .<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">With the Fourth Anglo-Dutch war (1780-1784) came to an end almost a century of Alliance. The war was disastrous for the Republic and the domestic discontent escalated in 1786 and 1787 under the Patriots. A revolution began to emerge at the local level, but with a Prussian invasion it came to theOrange restoration. Many Patriots fled to France, where they had a not insignificant role in the French Revolution. They would return to the Republic during the Batavian revolution.

Batavian time
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">After the French Revolution fell in 1795 the French troops within Netherlands. They gave the Patriots, who along with the French armies, the power returned and established the Batavian Republic. William V of Orange fled to England. Inland there was initially some independence. With the Constitution of 1798 became the first Dutch Constitution introduced a radical break with the area's main State provincialism and change since the rebellion.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">From an economic point of view, however, the war with England was a strong decline. Netherlands Amsterdam turned into a agrarian society where even lost a large part of its population. In stages the country was then annexed by the French Empire. From 1806-1810 was the Kingdom of Holland with Netherlands Louis Napoleon Bonaparte as King. In 1813 the French troops left the country. Although the role of Orange in years past seemed to be, was the son of the deceased William V asked to be sovereign. In particular the introduction of the French legislation and administration, which regional and local differences had erased, however, would prove of lasting meaning.

United Kingdom of the Netherlands
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Prince William I was in 1813 and in 1815 the first King of the Netherlands by the United Kingdom of the Netherlands which, after the Congress of Vienna were North and South United. He was the second Dutch King, after Louis Napoleon Bonaparte. William I picked up the powerful to reconstruction. So he left numerous channels dig and improve roads. The time flourishing in the South in the French industry was stimulated, while in the North the focus was on the restoration of trade and shipping. So energetic, so conservative as William stimulated the economy was his politics. The language coercion provided the necessary resistance in the South, while the Catholics demanded freedom of education and religion and the Liberals had objections against the authoritarian reign style of William I. This led to the monstrous Covenant and finally the Belgian secession.

Kingdom of the Netherlands
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The precious perseverance politics of William I resulted in high financial burden. It was clear that the Netherlands and with a policy of neutrality.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The year 1848 revolution took place in Netherlands relatively quiet, because Willem II a new Constitution showed designs by Thorbecke. The school struggle would then form an important part of politics, in which denominational parties started to form in opposition to the long-standing predominance of Liberals.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">At the end of the nineteenth century finally came the industrialization on corridor that had previously taken place elsewhere in Europe. As a result, the lower social strata of society were visible as working class and eventually a labor movement. Next to the school fight were extension of the voting rights and improvement of the social conditions of the workers important political themes. The real poverty gradually disappeared, while working conditions were given a legal basis. Therepillarization began to emerge with a civil character to the sixties of the twentieth century Dutch society would characteristics.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">During the first world war knew Netherlands to remain neutral, but it was the end of the strong economic growth. Under pressure from the circumstances of war came to an end the school struggle and universal suffrage for men was introduced two years later followed by the women's suffrage. The social question was not resolved and after the mistake of Troelstra was severely weakened the position of the Socialists.

The Centre of Rotterdam after the bombing in 1940.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In the period after the first world war followed a hefty economic revival in Netherlands and the infrastructure was expanded and in the industrial sector grew some very large companies. Also a social system slowly began to emerge. Sought was to resolve ideological differences with a pacification policy, which especially in philosophical issues not always succeeded. The crisis of the thirties that began in 1929 after a period of prosperity brought unemployment despite huge State reserves have not been thoroughly was fought. The crisis lasted very long in Netherlands to be followed by the Second World War. This would eventually an increasing influence of the State on society.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Germany fell unexpectedly to Netherlands on 10 May 1940, and Japan did the same in Dutch East Indies in January 1942. The war cost two hundred thousand people in Netherlands eventually life, including more than one hundred thousand Jews — 75% of the Jewish population in Netherlands — who were killed in death camps. Only a small part could survive by hiding them. In Dutch East Indies died about 3 million people starving to death. During the occupation used the Netherlands National-Socialistadministration as conquered land to support the war and tried in addition to Cavalry officers transferred tothe population. There was large-scale collaboration of almost the entire public administration and business. Over 500,000 men were used for forced labour, mainly in Germany. From the February strike got the resistance more size, while that ultimately led to the hiding of 350,000 Dutch.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">After the war, relinquished the failing policy of neutrality with the membership of the UN, the EC and, in particular, the NATO during the cold war. Dutch East Indies went lost after a struggle for independence . This gold to Black Sinterklaas in 1957 for the economic ties with Indonesia not next to the Marshall plan for the reconstruction of great importance were.

A shit barrels creator in 1953 with feces in the Jordaan district in Amsterdam on the way to thebeerkar, mockingly called boldootkar . The company changed faster than ever.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Although the war had left behind penniless and destroyed the country, this reconstruction was very prosperous, thanks in part to large u.s. aid through theMarshall aid. The welfare State could be expanded. In the 1950s, the competitive position vis-à-vis the rest of the world improved by the wage policy led. The decade that saw the discovery of the aardgasbel and with large wage increases the beginning of the consumer society. There was a youth culture that is rejecting the older generation, while the sexual morality was more freely. Also other social movements such as the women's movement had strong is stirring, been running the women's emancipation to date behind relative to surrounding countries. Parallel to the decompartmentalization played himself off the Christianization from this period. With the myriad of newly formed social movements, including the environmental movement, created new cultural orientations.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">After the oil crisis followed an economic downturn. In particular, the labour-intensive industry pulled away to low-wage countries. The subsequent largeunemployment, particularly among the low-skilled, including many guest workers, who, during the stormy growth of the sixties were attracted. This does not end the welfare State to be fully sustainable.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In the 1990s, the Dutch economy pulled back on. The latent concern here and there on the extent and often different habits of ethnic minorities was articulated by the new politician Pim Fortuyn. Frustration over the alleged failing government policies appeared after nine days after the murder of Fortuyn 's Party, the LPF, brought about an unprecedented shift in the Dutch general election of 2002.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Where in the 1960s universal values should be given priority, was from now again called attention to the national culture that danger, on the one hand, European integration and, on the other hand, would run the large groups of ethnic minorities. The murder of Theo van Gogh seemed to be the confirmation of what is referred to as the by Paul Scheffer the multicultural drama of an ethnic underclass who only partly integrates, with possible radicaliseringstendenzen as a result.While the traditional ladies and reduced tolerance towards immigrants, continued to exist in other areas, it is clear from the introduction of the same-sex marriageand the relatively liberal legislation regarding abortion, euthanasia, prostitution and soft drugs.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">National is there after the decompartmentalization for many people no clear ideological flow more from where they are to be able to focus, to which also the end of the cold war and the associated shifts in international relations has contributed. In addition, there are the problems with integration that are appointed by Pim Fortuyn to be addressed. Nevertheless, Netherlands a very prosperous country with good social care and a stable society, that, despite the recent political murders has experienced a relatively poor development of violence.

Demographic characteristics
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands (2013) has 16.805.037 inhabitants. Compared to the rest of Europe is the last century and a half the Dutch population has grown relatively quickly: 3 million in 1850, 5 million in 1900, 10 million in 1950, 16 million in 2000.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [12]  in comparison, the Belgian population grew from one and a half times the size of the Netherlands (4.5 million in 1850) to just over a third smaller (10 million in 2000). The Central Bureau of statistics expected that the population will increase to a maximum of 17.5 million in 2038, after which a population decline follows.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [13]

Population density by province in Netherlands.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">With a population density of EUR 449.9/km² (2013) Netherlands hears at the 30 most densely populated countries in the world. Netherlands France no city with more than 1 million inhabitants; well there are 25 municipalities that have more than 100,000 inhabitants. The four largest cities are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Utrecht, all four located in the West of the country. In between and around it is a Crown of medium-sized spots, which together form the so-called Randstad . About 40% of the Dutch population is here on a much smaller percentage of the land area concentrated around a relatively open space, known as the green heart.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">South Holland is with more than three and a half million people the most populous province of the country, followed by North Holland and North Brabant (both over two million). In that last province forms the five towns of Brabant City with a catchment area of 1.5 million people and 20% of the industrial production of Netherlands another important urban region. In the East Arnhem-Nijmegen and Twente city century, as well as the urbanized South of Limburg in the extreme South (Maastricht-Sittard-Geleen-Heerlen-Kerkrade). This latter region in addition also the highly urbanised cross-border Euregio Meuse-Rhine, in which it together with a German and Belgian adjacent area includes approximately 3.9 million inhabitants. In addition, there are some cities that have an important function at the regional level, such as Groningen andLeeuwarden in the North and Maastricht in the far south. A total of 82% of Dutch people living in an urban area.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [14]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands has over the centuries, known a significant immigration to a greater or lesser extent are integrated and assimilated . According to figures from a 2005 estimate counted: 80.9% Dutch, 2.4% Indonesian, 2.4% German, 2.2% Turkish, 2.0% Surinamese, 1.9% Moroccan, 0.8% Antillean and Aruban, and 6.0% different.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [15]  In the period 1845-1860 and the first 20 years after 1945 are also considerable numbers of Dutch people emigrated, especially to the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Since 2005 the Frisians are recognized as national minority under the Framework Convention for the protection of national minorities.

Languages
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The official language is Dutch. In addition, there are several other languages official. In the province of Friesland the Frisian is an official language. On the island of Bonaire is Papiamentu is an official language, and on the islands of Saba and St. Eustatius is the English an official language. These languages are also used in regional administrative level, and as the language of instruction used in primary schools. The Yiddish and the Sinti-Romanes in 1996 by Netherlands recognized as non-territorial languages. Furthermore, the Dutch low Saxon and Limburgish partly by the European Charter for regional or minority languagesrecognized as regional language.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">A large part of the Dutch population speaks one or more other languages. Responsible for this is the extended language education; on virtually all elementary schools is taught English, contact with neighbours and the presence of immigrants themselves. English, German and French are spoken by many Dutch as a second language. Many immigrants of the first and second generation still speak their original language. As a result, there are still large groups of Dutch people who, Indonesian, Hindi, Malay has Surinamese, Turkish, Berber languages, Moroccan Arabic, Chinese/Cantonese, Kaapverdiaans, Kurdish, Urdu and Vietnamesespeaking.

Religion
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands, since the middle of the middle ages a Christian country, is nowadays one of the most ontkerkelijkte countries in Europe. Where traditionally the Catholics and the Protestants were the main schools of thought, these greatly diminished. Since 1989, the non-denominationalism even the main flow and the number of adults without religion in 2008 amounted to 42 percent.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Half of Catholics exist of the unchurched (29 per cent), while 9 percent, 6 percent indicates to the reformed Protestant Church in the Netherlands and 4 percent reformed is. About 4 percent are Muslim, while Buddhism is espoused by 1 percent. The Hinduism has a slightly smaller share, while Judaism is professed by less than half a percent. Take the kerksheid faster than the Christianization, especially among Catholics and Muslims.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CBS_Religie_3-1" len="173" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [3]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There is a Parallel to the de-Christianization is an increase in an untethered spiritual group who are looking for meaning in movements like new ageand Freemasonry.This group is in the statistics as without religion characterized and makes a quarter of the society.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [16]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 2004 there were 99,000 Hindus in Netherlands.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [17]

Governance and institutions
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a State consisting of Netherlands with territory in Western Europe and the Caribbean where Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius are that State able to hear, and further the countries Netherlands Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The four countries within the Kingdom are equal parts of the territory of the Kingdom. The political position of the countries within the Kingdom, however, is different. Netherlands is divided into twelve provinces, The Islands in the Caribbean are special municipalities that each individual directly fall under the responsibility of the national Government.

Government
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands is a constitutional hereditary monarchy and a parliamentary democracypolitical. Important milestones in the political history were the constitutional reform of 1848 led by the Liberal statesman Thorbecke, which shall include an end was made to the personal reign power of the King, the Royal inviolability and ministerial responsibility for Government policy were introduced and Parliament got more influence; and 1919, when the universal suffrage was introduced. Dutch politics was long marked by the denominational segregation, the Division of the population in different social groups. At the same time, there is a strong commitment to achieving consensus, often referred to as the polder model. In an international perspective is also known for its liberal Netherlands policy on drugs, prostitution, gay marriageand euthanasia . The capital of Netherlands is Amsterdam. The Hague is, however, already almost continuously since the sixteenth century the seat of Government and residence of the monarch.

The Binnenhof in the Hague is the center of Dutch politics.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The distribution of power is not entirely in Netherlands according to the trias politica. The head of State is on 30 april 2013 King Willem-Alexander. He followed then Queen Beatrix on. together with the Council of Ministers it is the Dutch Government, which holds the Executive power, though the influence of the monarch quite limited. ThePresident of the Council of Ministers, the Prime Ministeris currently Mark Rutte. The ministers and Secretaries of State who assist them at the main their ministries, together form the cabinet. The current cabinet is a cabinet formed by the VVD and the PvdA. The main advisory body to the Government is the Council of State, of which the de jure head of State is the President.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Government shares the legislative power with the Parliament, the States General, which consists of two rooms. Both chambers must agree to legislation and ministers to account. The lower House is the House of Commons and has 150 seats on the basis of direct General national elections based on proportional representation be divided for four years. The upper House of Parliament, the Senate, whose 75 members for four years by the members of the provincial Council are chosen, which in turn are directly elected; Unlike the lower House should they submit or change any laws, but laws adopted by the lower House only approve or disapprove.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Finally, there is the judiciary, whose judges are appointed by the King for life (in). For civil law and criminal law is the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, the highest court for administrative law is the Council of State the Supreme Tribunal.

Political parties
Distribution of seats for the lower House since theelections in 2012. <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Because of the multi-party system and the large number of Dutch parties is never one since the 18th century the party managed to achieve a full majority in Parliament. Since the elections in 2012, the Second Room eleven groups.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Roughly, it can be said that the political system traditionally has been dominated by three blocks: the Christian Democrats, with the CDA and to some extent the ChristianUnion as representatives, the Social Democrats, with the labour party as the largest party, and the Liberal Democratsas the largest party, with the VVD.Since the 1970s, the system is more dispersed: parties lost seats as the CDA and D66 and green left new parties, such as in the 1990s and the SP in recent years, achieved success in the elections.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">At the beginning of the 21st century, especially developments in the right-wing area. In 2002, Pim Fortuyn founded the Lijst Pim Fortuyn . This party obtained, without the shot Fortuyn, shortly before the elections that year as a newcomer 26 seats. However, they fell apart again soon and disappeared at the elections of 2006 all the way from the House. The same year, also the party for freedom (PVV) was established, which in subsequent years with Geert Wilders would print a clear mark on the politics.

Governance Structure
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands is a decentralized unitary State where different territorial units have independent powers. Thelevels consist of the national Government or Central Government with the province, 411 municipalities and25 water boards.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The provinces are active in areas such as spatial planning, infrastructure, economy, culture, nature and the environment. Also keep them monitoring the municipalities and water boards. The day-to-day management of each province is formed by Executive Council, which is controlled by the Provincial States. The provincial Council must be elected by the people and then a college of Gedeputeerde Staten forms. The members of the Senate are elected by the members of the States-provincial. The President of the College of Gedeputeerde Staten and of provincial States of a province is the Commissioner of the King. The municipalities are classified within a State.

Dutch water boards per 1/1/2014<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Netherlands municipalities forms in the third tier. The highest governing body within the municipalities is the City Council, which is electedevery four years. The daily management is the college van burgemeester en wethouders, formed by the Councillors, who are appointed by the Council and the Mayor, which in turn is appointed by the Crown. The tasks of the municipality include among other urban development, traffic, education, welfare and Social Affairs. The municipalities receive most of their money from the national Government, the rest comes from things like property taxes, parking fees and fees. Within the municipality are the towns classified. The towns form the fourth tier. The highest governing body within the towns is theParish Council, which is formed by portfolio holders, who are appointed by the District Council and by the President, which in turn elected by the District Council.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The water boards are separate from the classification into provinces and municipalities and regulate the water management within a certain area. The administration of a water Board is elected by the landowners and residents. The outside keeping the water has traditionally been one polder general interest, where residents were forced to work together. From that necessary cooperation are the water boards created.

Justice and police
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The judiciary consists of judges and prosecutors that the Public Prosecutor's Office forms. Judges and members of the public prosecutor's Office are appointed by theCrown . Judges are appointed for life. A distinction is made In the case law in civil or criminal law, civil law and administrative law.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Since 1993, the police in Netherlands divided into 25 Corps region and a national police (KLPD). In the event of a crisis, the fire brigade and ambulance services worked together in the Security regioncorresponding region with the police, and with other government departments. The police fell under the responsibility of two ministries; the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom relations and the Ministry of Justice. After joining the cabinet Rutte I, the police under the Ministry of security and justice, headed by Minister Ivo Opstelten.

Foreign relations and defence
The Peace Palace in the Hague houses the International Court of Justice<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">As core values of the foreign policy of the Dutch Government in 1995 were adopted: to promote European integration, maintaining relations with neighbouring countries, ensuring European security and stability and participation in conflict management and peacekeeping missions.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands was co-founder of the NATO, the European Union, the OECD and the United Nations and in addition makes part of, among other things, the Benelux, theCouncil of Europe, the Western European Union (WEU), the World bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Netherlands is home to or host of, among others, the following international institutions: the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, Europol the European security organisation and theEuropean Space Agency.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Netherlands defence organisation falls entirely under the Department of Defense and consists of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy(including Naval Aviation and Marine Corps) and the Royal Marechaussee. Since the attendance requirement for the military service has been suspended is the armed forces fully from voluntarily serving staff. Serve a total of more than 50,000 men and women in the armed forces. The Government is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, in daily practice is that feature observed by the Secretary of Defense. Reports to him the Commander of the armed forces. The Commander of the armed forces leads the individual services. Netherlands In 2009 was the twentieth country in the world to military spending.

Education
Academic building of the University of Groningen.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Education is compulsory from the first day of the month after a child has become five years until the end of the school year in which the child is sixteen years. However, most children go from fourth to elementary education. In the school year in which a child is seventeen years, compulsory education and it is partially will still need at least two days per week to school. If the school has concluded a practice agreement with a company, then one day school per week required.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Education can start education on a toddler playgroup. Then follows primary education primary education, either. Then there is the secondary, either secondary education and finally, vocational education, higher vocational education or academic education possible. There are several institutions of higher education and secondary vocational education institutions (roc's), on different levels. The Leiden University was founded in 1575 and is the oldest university in the Netherlands. There are fourteen Government-funded universities, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Groningen and Utrecht University the biggest ones.

<p lang="en" len="477" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">For a comparison between the Netherlands and Flanders, see education structures in Education structure (Flanders and Netherlands), where the corresponding stages of education as much as possible, be placed next to each other.

On The Environment
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Because of the high population density, the strong industrialization and intensive agriculture Netherlands has to do with different environmental problems.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The nuisance Act of 1875 was for a long time the only law in the field of environmental management. In the 1960s, the public was aware of the environmental problems and since then Netherlands developed an environmental policy. This focused initially on remediation, but also from the 1980s began to focus on prevention and management.Today, about 70% of the legislation in this area at European level. The policy has ensured that despite the economic growth has declined in a number of areas the pollution and environmental quality has improved.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The current policy is defined in the Future environmental agenda in which the Government chooses to focus on the themes of climate change, air quality and degradation of biodiversity and nature.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [18]  this agenda builds on the last National environmental policy plan.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [19]

National symbols
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">National symbols exist on different levels. For example, often the portrait of the head of State made on coins and stamps. This is the case especially in ruling Royal houses. Netherlands is no exception. Calibrated official symbols are, in particular, the following: The Dutch flag with orange pennant*The Netherlands flag consists of three horizontal bands of equal height in the colors red, white and blue. The flag dates from 1579, when the Netherlands was declared independence and was officially adopted in 1796 and confirmed as national emblem in 1937. The white and blue are the livery colours of the French Principality of Orange, where the House of Nassau, the Dutch Royal family, later connected to hit (see René of châlon). The Red was originally Orange, for the name of the Principality, but was replaced in the course of the seventeenth century by vermilion red, that was easier to spot during naval battles. On holidays that have to do with the Royal family or during diplomatic trips abroad is also called an orange pennant hung above the flag. <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Informal applies the color Orange in general nowadays as a symbol for Netherlands. This is, except in the color of the clothing of representative sports teams, also reflected in the way in which supporters show themselves in and to the rest of the world.
 * The coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 is originally designed and adapted in 1907. The checkered shield with a lion, sword and arrows is the heraldic symbol of the King and the country.
 * The Wilhelmus is the national anthem since 10 May 1932. Before that it was from 1817 (with the exception of a hole from 1832 to 1833) Wien Neêrlands blood the national anthem.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">At all these symbols, explicitly or implicitly, the King House plays a role. The monarch and the Royal family fulfill itself, however, also an important symbolic function for Netherlands, both institutionally and in personam.This is all the more the case because the House of Orange shares for more than four centuries of its history with the people of Netherlands. William the silent was the Prince of Orange who led the Netherlands from 1568 to independence.

Traditions and holidays
Sinterklaas is not a national holiday, but is widely celebrated<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands has eight official events (spread over ten public holidays),<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[20]  two of which are referred to as national holiday . The first is Koningsdag, a day of unity and togetherness on 27 april, the birthday of the present King, King Willem-Alexander. The other national holiday: on 5 may Liberation Dayis the capitulation of the German army inWorld War II during the Netherlands celebrated. Liberation Day is a national holiday each year; or as free day, however, depends on the cao or the employer.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands is strongly influenced by the Christian faith and that is why there is also a large number of Christian parties on the holiday calendar: Christmas (Christmas and boxing day), Good Friday, Easter (first and second Easter Day), Ascension and Pentecost. On these days, except Good Friday, most Dutch people smoking. New year's dayalso is on the list of public holidays.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Furthermore, there are still some traditions and holidays that although not officially, but are widely celebrated. For example, during the National Remembrance Day on may 4, one day before liberation day, all war victims since the outbreak of the second world war remembered. Saint Martin is a Christian feast, but it is mainly celebrated in the North of the country. The Christian Carnival is also of origin, prior to Ash Wednesday, celebrated the most abundant in the South of the country. The children's Party Sinterklaas is celebrated throughout the country, culminating in the so-called pakjesavond on 5 december. On new year's Eve, the year traditional evening with oliebollen, the Fireworks andnew year's Eve conference closed.

Art
The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Dutch painting is represented by a large number of masters. The flowering period took place in the 'Golden' seventeenth century. The best known painter of this period is Rembrandt, but other old Dutch masters like Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen enjoy international renown. Although the painting from the period after less known, is the work of nineteenth-century Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh have become world famous, albeit only after his death. From the first half of the twentieth century was the abstract art of Piet Mondrian, who was involved in the De Stijlart movement. In 1948, the Cobra Art Association founded, with members likeKarel Appel and Corneille. Another Dutch artist of the 20th century, M.C. Escher, who in his graphic works of art made frequent use of optical illusions and impossible objects.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Dutch literature from the golden age built an own tradition on, along with the emergence of a widely accepted standard for the Dutch language, with Joost van den Vondel and Pieter corneliszoon Hooft as most famous representatives. Multatuli described and criticised in the nineteenth century the situation in his Max Havelaar inDutch East Indies. Louis Couperus was one of the first Dutch representatives of the naturalism, that in response to the idealistic romance gold. During World War II wroteAnne Frank in the secret annex in Amsterdam her world-famous diary, that after her death by her father during the Holocaust was published. In the postwar literature is often spoken of 'the big three', referring to Willem Frederik Hermans, Harry Mulisch and Gerard Reve. Other notable writers of this period are Jan Wolkers and Hella s. Haasse. Obviously, the international recognition of the Dutch literature hampered by a language barrier, but the books by contemporary writers as Arnon Grunberg,Herman Koch and Cees Nooteboom also abroad find deductions. Nooteboom with German translations of larger quantities than his work with the Dutch original.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Dutch School was in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries a large flow in the Renaissance music. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and Jacob van Eyck were internationally known composers, like in the twentieth century including Willem Pijper, Henk Badings, Lex van Delden and recent composers such as Peter Schat, Tristan Keuris, Simeon ten Holt and Louis Andriessen -see list of Dutch music.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In the seventies of the twentieth century, the Dutch rock band Golden Earring short global success, on a smaller scale were also groups and artists such as Shocking Blue, Earth & Fire and George Baker successful.Of Dutch pop music, also referred to as nederpop, are today under more Anouk and Within Temptation, as well as dj's known as Tiësto and Armin van Buuren. On Dutch-speaking area are several artists worth noting: by Boudewijn de Groot, Rob de Nijs and past Frank Boeijen , Guus Meeuwis to BLØF, and Marco Borsato nowadays. The song also is a popular music genre, with names such as André Hazes, Frans Bauerand John Smith. Pinkpop, Lowlands and the North Sea Jazz Festival are some great music festivals.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Characteristic of the Dutch architecture are Hendrik Petrus Berlage, the Amsterdam School and the style.

Cultural and natural heritage
The Kinderdijk Mills are on theUNESCOWorld Heritage list -<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Museumssuch as the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Mauritshuis Museum, open air museum Arnhem and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, shapes, if only because of their presence, to a large extent, the Netherlands's cultural heritage . Much larger museums are located in architecturally unique buildings and some are landscaping beautifully situated, such as Royal Palace ' Het Loo ' and the Kröller-Müller Museum.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The natural heritage of Netherlands consists to a large extent of the flat landscape with rivers, wet polders and Mills. In addition, there are nature-related areas such as theKeukenhof, the Veluwe, the Wadden Islands and the Biesbosch. Nature in Netherlands is strongly influenced by humans, mainly because of the water management. The best known examples of this are the IJsselmeer polders and the Delta works. The windmills of kinderdijk are a world heritage site since 1997.

Food and drinks
Curly kale stew with smoked sausage<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The traditional Dutch cuisine is primarily influenced by the agrarian life in former times. The main meal is in the evening Netherlands eaten and a typical Dutch meal consists of a combination of potatoes, vegetables and meat. Also Salas- and meal soups and stews are characteristic of the Dutch cuisine. At breakfast and in the afternoon is often eaten with bread, butter and all kinds of sweet and savoury sandwich filling, ranging from cold cuts and cheese to sprinkles,chocolate spread and peanut butter; also cereals as corn flakes , muesli and be with milk or yogurt, as breakfast.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">At breakfast and midday meal is often coffee or tea. In the colder months (warm) chocolate is also a popular drink. Beer is by far the most liquordrunk: in 2008, an average of 78.5 litres per Dutchman drunk. Of the total Dutch beer production in that year, over 2.7 billion gallons, more than 1.6 billion litres was exported, with which Netherlands that year was the largest beer exporter in the world.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [21]  The Dutch beer culture developed in recent years: a growing number of breweries beers brewed in more and more different styles.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Edam and Gouda cheese are also very well known outside of Netherlands. Other famous Dutch dishes and products are mostly sweets, such as pancakes and poffertjes,Limburgse vlaai, oliebollenand stroopwafels . Croquettes and patties are typical Dutch snacks. Also fish is sometimes eaten as fast food, for example in the form of herring orkibbeling (fried fish pieces in batter). In addition to these typical Dutch dishes, there are also many external influences. Among other things from the Dutch-Indian, the Chinese and Italian cuisine are dishes retrieved,

Media
Several Dutch newspapers in a magazine rack<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The most important Dutch daily newspapers are The Telegraaf, Algemeen Dagblad, de Volkskrant, NRC Handelsblad and Trouw. Historically, het Parool that also in the second world war as a resistance newspaper was founded an important newspaper. Nowadays it is mainly focused on the city and region Amsterdam. For (Protestant) Church readers are the Reformatorisch Dagblad and the well-known Dutch Newspaper national newspapers. With ''[http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=nl&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2Fnl.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSp!ts Sp! ts] and also Metro France Netherlands two free newspapers.Elsevier, HP/De Tijd, Vrij Netherlands and De Groene Amsterdammer ''are four opinion sheets.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Dutch television has both public and commercial channels. These last were admitted from 1988, later than in surrounding countries. Public service broadcasting consists ofNPO 1, 2 and 3 and for Dutch people abroad BVN and is characterized by the compartmentalized structure. The main companies that provide commercial television RTL Netherlands are and SBS Broadcasting, which together manage a total of seven channels. Some other commercial channels are Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Kindernet.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">On radio area there is also a large number of channels. There are six rural public channels, with NPO Radio 1and Radio 2 NPO , NPO 3FM as the most important, and several digital and regional public channels. Radio 538, Sky Radio and Q-music are the main players in the commercial market.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In Netherlands is a high degree of freedom of the press, without ex ante control on publications in the press or on radio, TV and internet. The limitation here is that who is guilty of insult, discrimination, hate speech, etc. the chance to have to justify itself runs afterwards. The media law provides for public service broadcasters media pluralism within the order. The competent authority can also set age limits for access to certain media.

Sports
Ice skating is one of the most popular sports in Netherlands<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands is the main sport In football . The Dutch national football team won the 1988 UEFA European Football Championshipand won at European Championships and world cups a lot of other places of honor; former football players as Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, as well as abroad working trainer-coach Guus Hiddink helped Netherlands in this area that was known all over the world. Other popular sports include field hockey, skating, cycling,equestrian, handball, volleyball, korfball, tennis, golf and swimming. Typical Dutch sports include fierljeppen, kaatsen, curling and korfball.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">From the second half of the nineteenth century, sports clubs and associations formed. An important figure in the Dutch sports history is Pim Mulier, who at the end of the 19th century many hitherto hardly well-known sports introduced in Netherlands and professionalized. He was also the initiator of the elfstedentocht, a 200 km long natural ice skating tour along the eleven Frisian cities. In 1900 was the debut of Netherlands at the Olympics a fact: since then, including more than 300 medals were achieved 100 gold. That is the Netherlands 17th on the all-time Olympic Games medal table.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The NOC * NSF is the umbrella sports organization of the Dutch sports associations and the Dutch IOCrepresentative within the International Sports Dome. Amsterdam hosted the 1928 summer Olympics; in 1980 summer Paralympics took place in Arnhem. Together with Belgium Netherlands was host of the UEFA Euro 2000. There are also plans to organize the 2028 summer Olympics .

Events
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Many events are held In Netherlands. Among other things there are several fairs such as the AutoRAI and the household exhibition in Amsterdam and various trade fairs in the Exhibition halls in Utrecht. Also, there are recurring events such as Sail Amsterdam. In the area of art and culture consisting of art events, such as at the opening of the cultural season the Uitmarkt.

Economic basis
The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the world's oldest financial trade fair<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands is a prosperous country with an open economy, which is relying heavily on foreign trade, especially with Germany. The economy is characterized by stable relationships, a moderate inflation, a reluctant financial policy and by its important role as a European transport vein. Netherlands to hear across the Board viewed the 20 largest economies of the world, after the ' great powers ' if (no particular order) the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the like. Germany (25.2 percent),Belgium (14.6%), the United Kingdom (8.9%), France (8.4%) and Italy (4.6%) are the main export partners of Netherlands.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[22]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">After the United States and France is Netherlands, although small in absolute size, surfacein the third export country in the field of agricultural and horticultural products. In the intensive, mechanized agriculture and horticulture works, although only 4% of the Dutch labor force, but there are huge quantities of food by the sector for the food processing industry and exports produced. The greenhouse farming is of great magnitude and represents almost half of the total European capacity. Also the bulb cultivation with the famous bulb fields (among other tulip bulbs) is of major importance. Netherlands is the main producer in this field for the European and North American market.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The foodand drink industry, the chemical industry, the petroleum industry and the metal industry are the main industrial activities in Netherlands.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Other important parts of the economy are international trade and banking. Amsterdam is the financial and business centre of Netherlands and belonged still in 2008 at the ten largest business centres in the world.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [23]  The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the location of the Amsterdam Exchange Index (AEX) and is now part of Euronext. Since 1 January 2002, the Euro the sole legal tender. Before that was paid with the Dutch guilder. In the special municipalities Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba is the US dollarlegal tender.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [24]

Energy
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">As a highly developed economy has Netherlands just like other industrialised countries a high energy consumption, 3330 PJ for 2008. Most of this is generated using fossil fuels, especially oil, natural gas and coal. Apart from natural gas is mainly imported. A large part of the petroleum is exported again after refining . Also the natural gas from its own soil is to a large extent carried out. With natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal is also the largest part of the necessary electricity generated. A limited contribution herein is supplied by renewable energy and nuclear energy and also imports the Dutch electricity market via the trans-European energy networks.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [25]

<p lang="en" len="311" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">To 30% by 2020 to emit less greenhouse gases, the policy here on energy saving and renewable energy.

Tourism
A canal boat in the AmsterdamKeizersgracht.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Netherlands is annually by about 10 to 11 million foreign tourists visited. Among the most important attractions are the historical cities, particularly Amsterdam, the Delta works and the polder landscape.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Dutch cities are major tourist destination. Especially the capital Amsterdam is popular among foreign tourists, thanks to the coffee shops and the red light districtthe prostitution area. Also the Canal area with a large number of historic buildings and important museums are regarded as an important point of interest. With 4.9 million tourists (2007), Amsterdam is the fifth most visited tourist destination in Europe and the sixth largest Congress city in the world.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [26]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The other three major cities have their own characteristics. Rotterdam has a modern skyline and Harbour, the Hague, the Knights Hall, Madurodam and the seaside resort of Scheveningen and Utrecht is well known for its DOM Tower. In addition, there are many other interesting towns and villages. There are historical places like Gouda, Delftand Alkmaar, Veere , Middelburgand Maastricht and places with a folk character such as Volendam, Marken and the Zaanse Schans. Many larger and medium-sized towns also have a very specific character such as Eindhoven (with its industrial heritage) and the cities Groningen, Breda, 's-Hertogenbosch, Leiden, Leeuwarden and rich in historical heritage.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There are also theme parks such as the Efteling, Duinrell, Walibi Holland and the miniature city Madurodam and zoos such as Artis and Blijdorp Zoo.

Transport
The E-pier of Schiphol Airport<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Of great importance to the Dutch economy is the transport sector. The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Other major port areas are Amsterdam, Eemshaven and Flushing/Terneuzen. The hinterland of these ports is supported by an extensive network of rivers, canals and other waterways.The inland navigation and the nautical play therefore an important role in the Dutch economy. The rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt that influx from neighbouring countries and in the Netherlands, North Sea lead to create a node for centuries for inland waterways transport in Europe.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Mainport Schiphol ranks as the world's largest international airports. Eindhoven Airport is since 2006 the largest regional airport in Netherlands, Rotterdam The Hague Airport is the second regional airport of the country and also acts for Royal and diplomatic receptions.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Partly as a result of the high population density Netherlands possesses a very dense infrastructure. The roads and rail network can handle the growing traffic pressure, however, less and less good. There is an extensive route network of motorways and highways with a total length of approximately 116.500 kilometers. Virtually all roads are toll free, with the exception of a number of river crossings.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The railway network has a total length of 2808 kilometres and is one of the busiest rail networks of Europe. The main carrier of passengers is the NS. Other carriers with train connections in Netherlands are: Arriva, Connexxion, Syntus, Veolia, and Bring. City and regional transport by bus is also largely driven by these transport companies. In some cities drive local carriers, and in much of the North operates Qbuzz the bus connections.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In the agglomerations of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Utrecht drive trams and light rail vehicles around. Metro systems are only in Rotterdam and Amsterdam to find. Light Rail is a light rail network around the Hague, Zoetermeer and Rotterdam in which a number of tram and metro lines and a former railway lines are integrated.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.399999618530273px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Because of the short distances within the cities, the flat landscape and low cost bicycle has a large share in the movement of persons. Students cities like Groningen, Nijmegen and Amsterdam have a bicycle use by 40% or more, but other cities and municipalities have a high bicycle use.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" len="163" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [27]  Elderly cyclists are, unlike in many other countries, quite common.