NETHERLANDS The Netherlands Dutch Nederland also

NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands, (Dutch: Nederland, also commonly called Holland in English) is a Benelux country, bordering Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. The people, language, and culture of the Netherlands are referred to as "Dutch". The Netherlands has an estimated population of 16 milion people(as of 12 August 2012).

Regions The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, administratively divided into 12 provinces (provincies). Even though the Netherlands is a small country, these provinces are quite diverse and have plenty of cultural and linguistic differences. They can be divided in four regions: Western Netherlands (Flevoland, North Holland, South Holland, Utrecht) Commonly called the Randstad, this is the heart of the Netherlands with its four biggest cities as well as typical Dutch countryside. Northern Netherlands (Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen) The least densely populated area, mostly unexplored by foreigners, but popular among the locals. The West Frisian Islands are excellent destinations for a few days out, as are the Frisian Lakes. Eastern Netherlands (Gelderland, Overijssel) Home to the largest national park of the Netherlands, Hoge Veluwe National Park, as well as the beautiful Hanzesteden, seven mediaeval cities along the IJssel River with a traditional historic centre, such as Zutphen, Zwolle, Doesburg, among others. Southern Netherlands (Limburg, North Brabant, Zeeland) Divided from the rest by its Catholic history, carnival celebrations, beer culture and its "Burgundian way of life". This article describes the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Caribbean islands Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are "special municipalities" fully integrated in the Netherlands proper.

THE CAPITAL OF THE COUNTRY IS AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam — impressive architecture, lovely canals (grachten), museums and liberal attitudes.

The Netherlands has many cities and towns of interest to travelers. Below are nine of the most notable ones: v Amsterdam v Delft v Groningen v The Hague v Leiden v Maastricht v Nijmegen v Rotterdam v Utrecht

Delft is a mid-sized city in the west of the Netherlands. It's a beautiful, unspoiled town with traditional architecture, canals and bikes. It's also home to the world famous blue and white ceramics. Delft makes a great destination for a day-trip or can serve as a base to explore the region. And if the bustling crowds of Amsterdam are not really your thing, Delft is a lovely alternative, offering an equally interesting insight into the cultural wealth of old "Holland", on a far more intimate scale.

Groningen is a city in the Netherlands with 190, 000 inhabitants and is the capital of the northern province of Groningen — student city with a relaxed atmosphere and nightlife till the sun gets up.

The Hague is a city in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is the seat of the Dutch parliament and government, and the residence of Queen Beatrix, but it is not the capital city, which is Amsterdam. The municipality has about 500, 000 inhabitants, with the greater urban area numbering about one million. The Hague lies on the North Sea and is home to Scheveningen, the most popular seaside resort of the Netherlands, as well as the smaller resort of Kijkduin.

Japanese Garden, Park Clingendael

Leiden is a town in the Netherlands. The city is known for its oldest university in the country, the birthplace of Rembrandt and its beautiful, old city centre (the second biggest after Amsterdam) and three national museums. It is a friendly, small city which has a large population of students.

Maastricht is the southernmost city in the Netherlands, and is the capital of the province of Limburg. Situated within walking distance of Belgium and cycling distance of Germany, it claims to be the oldest city in the Netherlands (a claim it shares with Nijmegen). This city is fortified mediaeval city showing the different culture, style and architecture of the south. A great place to spend some time, it contains some magnificent buildings and culture, taking the form of plenty of old houses and buildings, lovely cathedrals and a spectacularly cobblestoned town centre. The city is also well known for its fine cuisine, excellent shops and multicultural atmosphere.

Nijmegen is a large city in the southeast of the Netherlands, population 160, 000 (city proper). Nijmegen is well-known for its left-wing politics, its prominent Old Town, and its large student population.

Rotterdam is a municipality and city in the Dutch province of South-Holland, situated in the west of The Netherlands and part of the Randstad. The municipality is the second largest in the country (behind Amsterdam), with a population of approximately 600, 000 people. Rotterdam — modern architecture, good nightlife, vibrant art scene and the largest port of Europe The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe. From 1962 to 2004, it was the world's busiest port; then it was superseded by Shanghai. Rotterdam is known as a city of architecture. A few square kilometres of the city centre offers a complete overview of what the twentieth century has produced in terms of modern architecture.

Utrecht is a central Dutch city with a long history. With 316. 448 inhabitants it’s the fourth largest city in the Netherlands. Utrecht — historic centre, antique stores and the Rietveld-Schröder House. Utrecht is known as a student city with a large population of single young people. This results in a booming nightlife with many places to have a quick meal, some drinks or a dance.

t. HESE Ar. E So. ME INt. Er. ESt. ING DESt. INAt. Io. NS o. Ut. SIDE o. F t. HE MAJor CIt. IES. Efteling — renowned theme park with fairytale elements like elves and dwarves

Kinderdijk is a village in the Alblasserwaard polder of the Netherlands. It's a popular, yet authentic, tourist destination for its large network of windmills. These received recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997

Texel is an island in the West Frisian Islands region of the Netherlands

Lisse is a town in the Dutch Bulb Region of South Holland. Most visitors come here in Spring, to admire the blooming flower fields in amusement park the Keukenhof. With over 800. 000 visitors during the 2 months it's open every year, Keukenhof is one of the main tourist attractions in the Netherlands.

History of the Netherlands The southern part of the country was part of the Holy Roman Empire until it was acquired piece by the Burgundians. At the end of the Middle Ages, it became a Spanish possession (together with what is now Belgium). Little survives from this period, except a few historic city centers, and a few castles. Following the Dutch Revolt. The Netherlands became a de facto independent republic in 1572. In 1805, the country became a kingdom when Emperor Napoleon appointed his brother 'King of Holland'. In 1815, it became the 'United Kingdom of the Netherlands (Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden) together with Belgium and Luxembourg under King William I (Willem I). In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. Luxembourg received independence from the Netherlands in 1890, as the Salic Law prohibited a female ruler. Avoiding the liberal revolutions of 1848 and new adopted Treaty, The Netherlands quietly became a constitutional monarchy and remained neutral in World War I but suffered a brutal invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. In 1944, the Low Countries formed the union of the Benelux in which they economically (and sometimes politically) work together. The country was a founding member of NATO in 1949 and the European Community (EC) in 1957, and participated in the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999.

CULTURE Quite a few travellers visit the Netherlands to enjoy its famously tolerant attitude: prostitution is decriminalized but only for those prostitutes registered at a permitted brothel. Amsterdam, where red-light districts are popular, even if tourists only visit as a momento of the visit. Sex shops, sex shows and drugs museums are also popular amongst tourists. The sale, possession, and consumption of small quantities of cannabis while technically still illegal, is officially tolerated, but coffeeshops are subject to increasing restrictions. Harder drugs (eg. ecstasy or cocaine) remain illegal both in theory and practice.

E The Netherlands have a temperate climate, which means that summers are generally cool and winters are generally mild. Every month of the year has rainfall, some are although very dry or wet. The best time to go is from May to September (daily maximum 18/19°c up to 23°c), but also April and October can once be pretty good months to come, if you're lucky.

Sport Approximately 4. 5 million of the 16 million people in the Netherlands are registered to one of the 35, 000 sports clubs in the country. About two thirds of the population older than 15 years participates in sports weekly. In the Netherlands, football, basketball, speed skating, handball, cycling, field hockey, volleyball, equestrian sports, and tennis are popular sports. A lot of amateurs practice them, and the Netherlands is a strong competitor in international tournaments for these sports. Organization of sports began at the end of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th century. Federations for sports were established (such as the speed skating federation in 1882), rules were unified and sports clubs came into existence. A Dutch National Olympic Committee was established in 1912. Thus far, the nation has won 246 medals at the Summer Olympic Games and another 86 medals at the Winter Olympic Games.

CUISINE Traditional Dutch cuisine consists of working class meals. Many traditional dishes are mashed dishes, for instance potatoes mashed with kale (boerenkool), sauerkraut (zuurkool), or endive (andijvie). These dishes are served with greasy, smoked sausage (rookworst) and gravy. Another traditional dish is split pea soup (erwtensoep). As the Netherlands always had strong ties with (former) colonies Indonesia and Suriname, dishes from those countries have mixed with Dutch cuisine. Common Asian dishes in the Netherlands include noodles (bami) and rice (nasi) dishes.