Portal:Netherlands

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Welkom bij het Nederlandportaal! / Welcome to the Netherlands portal!

The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland; IPA: ["ne:dərland]) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). The Netherlands is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, located in northwestern Europe. It borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east.

In many countries, the Netherlands is often referred to by the name Holland. However widespread, this usage is incorrect in English, as Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands, consisting of two provinces. Also, the English plural form 'the Netherlands' is a remnant from times when the country was not yet independent nor united. Refer to 'naming conventions', below.

The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated and geographically low-lying countries in the world (its name literally means "Low-lands") and is popularly famous for, among other things, its dikes, windmills, wooden shoes, tulips, bicycles and social tolerance. Its liberal policies (towards drugs and prostitution among other things) receive international attention. The country is host to the International Court of Justice. Its capital is Amsterdam, as stated by the constitution, but The Hague is the seat of government, the home of the monarch. Most embassies are located in the Hague, as well. The Netherlands ranked fifth on the 2004 UN Human Development Index, behind Norway, Sweden, Australia, and Canada.

The English adjective and noun for "of or relating to the Netherlands" is "Dutch", which is also the name of the Dutch language. "Netherlands" is also used as an adjective, especially in more formal writing and in the Netherlands Antilles.

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Pillarisation (Verzuiling in Dutch, Pilarisation in French) is a term used to describe the way the Dutch and Belgians used to deal with their multicultural (but not multiethnic) societies. Society was "vertically" divided in several smaller segments or "pillars" according to different religions or ideologies, which operated separately from each other. Austrian and Maltese societies were other examples of this phenomenon.

These pillars all had their own social institutions: their own newspapers, broadcasting organisations, political parties, trade unions, schools, hospitals, building societies, universities, scouting organisations and sports clubs. Some companies even only hired personnel of a specific religion or ideology. This led to a situation where many people had no personal contact with people from another pillar.

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Keukenhof
Keukenhof

Keukenhof, situated in Lisse, Netherlands, also known as the Garden of Europe, is the world's largest flower garden. Keukenhof is open from the last week of March to mid-May. In 1949, the then-mayor of Lisse proposed a flower exhibition where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could exhibit their hybrids. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather. It is located between the towns of Hillegom and Lisse, south of Haarlem in North Holland, southwest of Amsterdam, and is accessible by bus from the stations of Haarlem or Leiden.

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Did you know

... the Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world where the government is not seated in the capital? The Constitution of Netherlands regards Amsterdam as the official capital, but The Hague is the seat of the Government of Netherlands.

... the Netherlands is the 15th most densely populated country in the world, with 395 inhabitants per square km (or 482/km² if only the land area is counted, 17,4% is water)?

... about half of the surface area of the Netherlands is below 1 meter above sea level?

... Dutch company Philips invented the audio cassette, the video tape, the compact disc and the CD-ROM?

... a UNICEF report published in 2007 ranked the Netherlands as the best country for children to live in?

... prostitution is legal in the Netherlands?

... the KLM is the longest running national airline in the world?

... Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe?

... 10% of the surface of the Netherlands has been taken from the sea?

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The Dutch Wikiportal is currently under construction. Help would be greatly appreciated!

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