The Netherlands

Cultural  

1. Constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe, bordered by the North Sea to the west and north, Germany to the east, and Belgium to the south. Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, and The Hague is the seat of the government. The Netherlands are also popularly known as Holland, after a region of the country.

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The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries also saw a flowering of Dutch painting by masters such as Rembrandt.

Half of the country lies below sea level. Much of this land has been reclaimed from the North Sea and is protected by dikes and irrigated by an intricate system of canals.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, The Netherlands established a powerful commercial and colonial empire. The Dutch Empire included the settlement of New Amsterdam, which later became New York, and the conquest of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).

During World War II, Germany invaded and occupied The Netherlands, exterminating most Dutch Jews (see also Jews). (See Anne Frank.)

Example Sentences

The Netherlands and Japan are the class of this group.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

The Netherlands home shirt for the World Cup is minimal and understated, in as much as one can use terms like those to describe a bright orange jersey.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

The Netherlands will hold a bond auction on Tuesday, Greece on Wednesday, while Spain and France will hold auctions on Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Most armed insurgents were limited to central Chhattisgarh state's Bastar region, a vast mineral-rich sprawl of dense forests and hills, roughly the size of The Netherlands.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

He also served as Muster-Master General to the English forces in The Netherlands between 1586 and 1593, where they were helping the Protestant Dutch to free themselves from the rule of Catholic Spain.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin