The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999.
The Netherlands shares it's boundaries with Germany to the east and Belgium to the south, and has a northern and western coastline with the North Sea. About half the area of this low-lying nation is below sea level and the country is saved from inundation only by a series of coastal dikes, sand dunes and a complex network of canals.
The almost totally flat landscape is famous for it's production of Tulips and other bulb plants, along with windmills which once were used to pump water from the land. These are now largely unused, having been replaced with modern pumps.
To the south along the coast are the most densely populated areas, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The latter is the world's largest sea port. The Dutch enjoy an affluent lifestyle. Social services are well developed and the country has one of the best state-funded health care systems in the world. |
