Netherlands

Full name of country: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Region: Europe

Official language: Dutch

Population: 17,772,378 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) (noun), Dutch (adjective)

Land area: 33,893 sq km (13,086 sq miles)

Water area: 7,650 sq km (2,954 sq miles)

Capital: Amsterdam

National anthem: "Het Wilhelmus" (The William), by Philips Van Marnix Van Sint Aldegonde (Presumed)/Unknown

National holiday: King's Day or Queen's Day (birthday of current monarch, celebrated day before if birthday falls on a Sunday; April 27 (1967) for King Willem-Alexander)

Population growth: 0.39% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +1

Flag: The tricolor flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of three equal and horizontal stripes of red (top), white (middle), and blue (bottom). It is considered the first and oldest tricolor flag in use today.

Independence: January 23, 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until January 30, 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General

The Netherlands is known officially as the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is also commonly referred to as Holland, which means "land in a hollow," although Holland technically refers to a region and two provinces in the Netherlands. This lowland country is located in northwestern Europe. Its overseas constituent countries include Sint Maarten and Curaçao, which are self-governing countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Aruba, which is a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Large parts of the country's domestic territory are below sea level or susceptible to flooding. Because more than one-quarter of the country is below sea level and only half of the country is more than one meter above sea level, the Dutch have had to devise ways to keep their land from flooding. The Netherlands has made valuable contributions to Western culture and the sciences and has produced such famous artists as Rembrandt, Jan Vermeer, and Vincent van Gogh.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: The Netherlands is a densely populated country, with most of its people living in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland (Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland). The most commonly spoken and the official language in the Netherlands is Dutch, a Germanic language. In the bilingual province of Friesland, the Frisian language is also spoken. Most Dutch people also speak English.

Although more than 54.1 percent (2019 estimate) of the Dutch population does not belong to any organized religion, the Roman Catholic Church, the Dutch Reformed Church, and the Protestant Church of the Netherlands are the major religious institutions.

The Dutch enjoy religious freedom and tolerance; however, society in the Netherlands has historically been loosely divided along religious lines. Catholics live primarily in the south, while Protestants are concentrated in the southeast and northwest. Class-consciousness is reflected in the country's social, religious, and political life.

Indigenous People: The Dutch are primarily a people of Germanic heritage, although the Netherlands is also home to a number of minority groups, including Turks, Indonesians, Moroccans, and Surinamese. In the 1970s, many immigrants came to live in the country, most from the Netherlands Antilles, Java, Moluccas, and Suriname.

One result of large-scale immigration has been policy reform, which placed more restrictions on residence permits and the granting of asylum. In spite of the liberal atmosphere in the Netherlands, many ethnic minorities continue to face economic and social discrimination.

While the Netherlands is considered an open and tolerant nation in the twenty-first century, it has had a troubled past. From 1940 to 1945, the country was occupied by Nazi Germany. During the occupation, the Dutch government went into exile and the Jewish population was faced with deportation and murder. Three-quarters of the Jewish Dutch population was killed during the Holocaust.

Education: The Dutch are a well-educated people, with almost universal literacy. The education system is decentralized, with students attending either public, Roman Catholic, or private schools. Both public and private schools are eligible for government funding. Primary education occurs between the ages of five and twelve. Secondary education is compulsory for children between the ages of twelve and fifteen. Starting in the fifth grade, students study the English language.

Major universities in the Netherlands include the Delft University of Technology, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Utrecht University. The University of Amsterdam is the largest in the country. There are also adult education and vocational training centers throughout the country, which combine study with practical experience.

Health Care: The Netherlands is a welfare state, or verzorgingsstaat, which means "caretaking state" in Dutch. Tax revenues support health care services. Health insurance is available through the government's insurance program or through private medical insurers, which are organized under Zorgverzekeraars Nederland (ZN).

The state insurance program serves lower-income citizens with limited health benefits and basic care. In an effort to reduce costs for the state, some benefits have been eliminated and copayments have been introduced.

The Netherlands has drawn criticism due to its policy on euthanasia, or assisted suicide. Since 2002, euthanasia conducted under specific conditions and meeting certain criteria has been decriminalized. Some of these conditions include that the patient makes a voluntary and persistent request for euthanasia and that the patient's suffering is considered unbearable, enduring, and terminal. Policies and legal decisions regarding euthanasia continue to be hotly debated in the Netherlands.

Food: Dutch food tends to be hearty and filling. Cheese is one of the specialty foods of the Netherlands; varieties such as Gouda, Edam, and Leiden are among the most famous. One popular winter dish, Dutch pea soup, contains vegetables, bacon, and sausage. Hutspot is a dish made from mashed potatoes and carrots.

Speculaas are like gingerbread cookies and are usually served on the children's holiday Sinterklaas (December 5). Oliebollen are Dutch doughnuts sprinkled with powdered sugar, traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve.

Because of the long-standing relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia, there are a variety of Indonesian foods available in the country. Indonesian sauces are often made from coconut, onion, and garlic.

Arts & Entertainment: Many famous artists and musicians from the Netherlands have influenced Western culture. Early Dutch art, especially from the Middle Ages, contains a great deal of religious symbolism. During the fifteenth century, religious iconography became a central theme, especially in the works of Rogier van der Weyden (1400–64) and Jan van Eyck (1390–1441).

Among the most famous Dutch artists is Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606–1669), a seventeenth-century painter who is known for his portraits and his treatment of light. Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) is famous for his still life compositions and his portraits of women. Vincent van Gogh's (1853–1890) landscapes, still life paintings, and self-portraits remain popular today. Piet Mondrian (1872–1944), an early twentieth-century painter who experimented with optical effects and space in his work, is considered one of the greatest modern Dutch artists.

Amsterdam is home to a number of art and heritage museums, the largest and most important of which is the Rijksmuseum. In addition to housing a collection of the seventeenth-century Dutch Masters, this museum also displays Delftware, a kind of porcelain pottery that is typically painted with blue and white designs.

There are a number of organizations promoting the performing arts, among them the Nederlands Dans Theater, which was established in 1959. The Radio Filharmonish Orkest (Radio Philharmonic Orchestra) is one of the finest orchestras in Europe. The Netherlands has also been home to a number of famous musicians and composers, such as Kees van Baaren (1906–40), Jan van Vlijmen (1935–2004), and Eddie Van Halen (1955–2020).

The Dutch have also been important contributors to literature and philosophy. The seventeenth-century philosopher Baruch de Spinoza (1632–77), author of a number of political and philosophical tracts, is among the most famous. Novelists of note include Hella Haasse, Cees Nooteboom, and Arnon Grunberg.

For recreation and leisure, the Dutch enjoy skating on frozen lakes and canals during the winter. Cycling is a popular mode of transportation in the Netherlands, and there are many scenic cycling tours for visitors. The national sport is football (soccer), and the Dutch Football Association is the country's largest sporting organization.

Netherlands's HDI value for 2022 is 0.946— which put the country in the Very High human development category—positioning it at 10 out of 193 countries and territories.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Located in northwestern Europe, the Netherlands is bounded by Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and to the north and west by the North Sea. More than half of the population lives on land that is below sea level (around 26 percent of the total land area). To the southeast, the elevation rises to about 321 meters (1,053 feet) above sea level. The lowest part of the Netherlands, located northeast of Rotterdam, is 6.7 meters (22 feet) below sea level.

Three major rivers (the Rhine, the Meuse, and the Scheldt) form a delta that has created the country's lowlands. Another notable body of water is the Zuiderzee, or "south sea." The Zuiderzee is an example of the constant battle for the Dutch to reclaim dry land that has been repeatedly flooded. A major flood in 1953, in which over one thousand people were killed, prompted the government to develop a system of floodgates and dams to control the water.

To keep their land from flooding, the Dutch employ drainage ditches, dikes, and canals. The first dikes were constructed over two thousand years ago. Windmills and electric pumps are also used to keep the water at bay and to reclaim land, known as "polder," from the sea. The extensive series of canals in the Netherlands are used for trade, travel, and recreation.

Natural Resources: The southeastern region of the Netherlands has many coal deposits, although all of the coal mines have been closed since the 1970s. Natural gas fields near Slochteren in Groningen have been an important energy source, although production has been curbed due to seismic activity in the region. While the Netherlands has offshore oil fields, most of the country's oil supply must be imported.

Wind power is another energy resource. One of the largest wind power plants in Europe is located in the Netherlands. The country also has substantial salt and clay deposits. Salt benefits the chemical industries, while clay is used in the pottery and ceramic industries.

The Netherlands has worked toward becoming a more environmentally friendly country in its agricultural and industrial practices. The National Ecological Network works to protect plants and animals that are threatened. The country has many national parks, including the Hoge Veluwe and the Veluwezoom.

Plants & Animals: Although the Netherlands has more than one hundred native species of trees and shrubs, less than a quarter of the country is covered with woodland. Rare species of trees include crab apple (Malus sylvestris), barberry (Berberis vulgaris), and red honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum). Most existing forest consists of pine trees.

The Netherlands is rich in bird life, especially migratory waterfowl. Common species include the black-winged stilt, the Terek sandpiper, and Heuglin's gull.

Grasslands are used to graze dairy cattle and other livestock. The Dutch have developed several notable breeds of domestic animals. The Dutch warmblood horse is a popular sport horse, used in events such as jumping and dressage. There are two breeds of Dutch warmblood: the Gelderlander and the Groningen. The Keeshond and the Dutch Shepherd are breeds of dog developed for guard duty and herding.

Climate: The Netherlands has a temperate climate. Winters are typically mild, with temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius (35 degrees Fahrenheit), and summer temperatures averaging about 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit). The cool summers and mild winters are a result of the country's location near the North Sea, which keeps temperatures in the moderate range. Coastal areas tend to be cooler than inland regions.

Economy

Private enterprise supports much of the Dutch economy, with a high rate of corporate investment. Shipping, agriculture, and trade form an important part of the economy; exports are responsible for more than half of the gross national product. The harbors of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, as well as the extensive system of canals, are vital to the shipping industry. The gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) was an estimated US$1.24 trillion in 2023. The GDP per capita was an estimated US$69,300 that same year.

Industry: The service industry is important to the Dutch economy, especially in transportation, trade, and in financial industries such as banking and insurance. In the industrial and manufacturing sectors, leading industries include metalworking, oil refining, chemical, and food processing.

The Netherlands participates in the European Union (EU), the Benelux Economic Union, the European Monetary System, and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Agriculture: Although only 1.2 percent (2015 estimate) of the labor force is employed by the agricultural sector, the Netherlands is one of the world's largest agricultural exporters due to its highly mechanized agricultural sector. Since most of the agricultural land is suitable for grazing cattle, dairy products such as cheese are important. Famous cheeses like Gouda and Edam are produced in the towns of the same names. Cheese, butter, and powdered milk are exported in large amounts.

Wheat is an important field crop, and special greenhouses are used to grow vegetables and flowers. Unfortunately, although farming practices are advanced and efficient, they often cause pollution because of the large amounts of fertilizer and other chemicals used.

Flower bulbs are perhaps the most famous and important agricultural product of the Netherlands. Daffodils, hyacinths, irises, and tulips are grown in greenhouses and large fields, with billions of bulbs exported each year. The tulip is also the country's national symbol.

Tourism: The tourism industry employs hundreds of thousands of people in the Netherlands. Among the many tourist attractions in the country are the many windmills that were once used to pump water and mill grain. Cycling tours and the tulip fields near Lisse are also popular among tourists.

The long coastline provides many sandy beaches to visit, and many tourists enjoy hiking and walking tours. Other visitors are drawn to the Netherlands, particularly Amsterdam, for the country's liberal policies on drug use and sex workers.

Government

The Netherlands is a parliamentary constitutional democracy under a constitutional monarch. There are twelve provinces in the country: Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, and Zuid-Holland. The Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten are the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The constitution of the Netherlands protects freedom of speech, religion, and political freedom. It also ensures the separation of church and state.

Although the monarchy's role in government is for the most part ceremonial, the monarch does have the power to appoint the Council of Ministers. This council is responsible for carrying out government policy. Another group, the Council of State, advises the government. The monarchy is also responsible for appointing judges.

There are two houses in the Dutch parliament (the States General): the First Chamber and the Second Chamber. The Second Chamber can initiate legislation and amend bills. The monarch appoints the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Second Chamber to serve as prime minister, who acts as head of government. Both legislative houses can question ministers and other officials. Members of both houses are elected to four-year terms.

The court system of the Netherlands consists of subdistrict courts, district courts, courts of appeal, and a Supreme Court that is made up of forty-one justices. Political parties in the country include the Christian Democrats, the Liberals, and the Labor Party.

Interesting Facts

• Because there is so much water in the Netherlands, children are required to learn how to swim.
• The oldest known boat, the Pesse canoe, was found in Drenthe. This boat was constructed around 6000 BCE.
• The Eleven-City Tour, a long-distance race on ice skates, follows a 200-kilometer (124-mile) course across lakes and canals in Friesland. It was only held fifteen times in the twentieth century.
• The coastal city of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe.

Bibliography

"Netherlands." The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/netherlands. Accessed 8 Jan 2025.

"Netherlands." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 29 Dec. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/netherlands. Accessed 8 Jan 2025.

"Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13th March 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

"Netherlands." World Health Organization, 2022, www.who.int/countries/nld/en/. Accessed 28 Jun. 2022.