The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in Northwestern Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague.
The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are actually two of its twelve provinces. The word Dutch is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything appertaining to the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 27% of its area and 60% of its population located below sea level. Significant areas have been gained through land reclamation and preserved through an elaborate system of polders and dikes. Much of the Netherlands is formed by the estuary of three important European rivers, which together with their distributaries form the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. Most of the country is very flat, with the exception of foothills in the far south–east and several low-hill ranges in the central parts created by ice-age glaciers.
The Netherlands is a densely populated country. It is known for its traditional windmills, tulips, cheese, clogs (wooden shoes), delftware and Gouda cheese, for its bicycles, and in addition, traditional values and civil virtues such as its social tolerance. The country has more recently become known for its liberal policies toward drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, and euthanasia. It also has one of the most free market capitalist economies in the world, ranking 12th of 157 countries in one index.
Capital
Amsterdam
Largest city
Amsterdam
National language
Dutch
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Timezone
UTC+1 to UTC-4
Daylight Savings Time
UTC+2 to UTC-4
Electricity
Unknown
Drives on the
Right
Major attractions in the Netherlands
Delft
Historic town famous for its blue and white ceramics.
Groningen
Known for its nightlife
The Hague
Judicial capital of the world and home of the royal family
Leiden
3 national museums
Rotterdam
Largest port of Europe, modern architecture, vibrant art scenes and good nightlife.
Utrecht
The historic center with antique stores and Rietveld-Schröder House.
Efteling
Renowned theme park with fairytale elements such as dwarves and elves
Keukenhof
Enormous flower fields in Spring
Hoge Veluwe National Park
Largest national park
Schokland
Ghost village, evacuated in 1859
Volendam
traditional Dutch countryside village with clogs, costumes and windmills
