Netherlands

CE5

Netherlands nĕᵺˈərləndz [key], Du. Nederland or Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, officially Kingdom of the Netherlands, constitutional monarchy (2015 est. pop. 16,938,000), 15,963 sq mi (41,344 sq km), NW Europe. It is bounded by the North Sea on the north and west, by Belgium on the south, and by Germany on the east. It is popularly known as Holland. Amsterdam is the constitutional capital; The Hague is the administrative and governmental capital. The kingdom also includes three overseas territories, Aruba, Curaçao, and Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea, as self-governing parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Saba, and Saint Eustatius are special municipalities in the Netherlands.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Postwar Years
• The Kingdom of the Netherlands
• A Succession of Wars
• The United Provinces
• Revolt in the Netherlands
• The Rise of the Netherlands
• Government
• Economy
• Land and People
• Bibliography

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