The Netherlands

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.

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 has said it will return a stolen 3,500-year-old sculpture to Egypt.

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The Netherlands was among Western Europe’s first countries to tilt toward the far-right politically two years ago.

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Bontenbal believes Dutch voters are looking now at a return to "what I'll call 'boring politics'. The Netherlands is done with populism".

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The research team, which included scientists from Australia, The Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom, said the results have important consequences for how gut-related symptoms are managed.

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The Netherlands has been an enthusiastic adopter of electric cars.

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