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.

---

Discover More

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 approved Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature, marking the first European regulatory approval for the software.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The Netherlands forward was impressive and scored the winner from the spot after David Hancko's header made it 2-2 in the 75th minute to snuff out any lingering hopes of an unlikely comeback.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The Netherlands will launch a new 10-year bond via a Dutch Direct Auction on Tuesday, aiming to issue between 6 billion euros and 7 billion euros.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The Netherlands and nearby Belgium are known for their great art masters and their reverence for painting.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman