Netherlands

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Kingdom of the Netherlands
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Je Maintiendrai"  (French) "Ik zal handhaven"  (Dutch) "I shall stand fast"1
Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe
Location of the  Netherlands  (orange) – on the European continent  (camel & white) – in the European Union  (camel)
Capital (and largest city)	Amsterdam2 52°21′N 04°52′E
Official languages	Dutch3
Ethnic groups	80.9% Dutch   2.4% Indonesians   2.4% Germans   2.0% Surinamese 12.3% others
Government	Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy
- Monarch	Queen Beatrix
- Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Independence	Eighty Years' War
- Declared	July 26, 1581
- Recognised	January 30, 16484
Accession to EU	March 25, 1957
Area
- Total	41,526 km² (134th) 16,033 sq mi
- Water (%)	18.41
Population
- July 2006 estimate	16,491,461 (59th)
- 2001 census	16,105,285
- Density	395 /km² (23rd) 1,023 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
- Total	$503.394 billion (23rd)
- Per capita	$30,876 (15th)
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
- Total	$625.271 billion (16th)
- Per capita	$38,618 (10th)
HDI (2006)	0.947 (high) (10th)
Currency	Euro (€)5 (EUR)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD	.nl6
Calling code	+31
1 The literal translation of the motto is "I will maintain". Here "maintain" is taken to mean to stand fast or to hold ground. 2 The Hague is the seat of the government. 3 In the Netherlands the Frisian language is also an official language (although only spoken in Friesland); Low Saxon and Limburgish are officially recognised as regional languages. 4 Peace of Westphalia. 5 Prior to 2001: Dutch guilder. 6 The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) (IPA: ) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden), which consists of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, located in northwestern Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The current borders were established in 1839.

The Netherlands is often referred to by the name Holland. This terminology is not correct, as the provinces of North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country's twelve provinces (for more on this and other naming issues see Netherlands terminology).

The Netherlands is a densely populated and geographically low-lying country and is popularly known for its windmills, cheese, clogs (wooden shoes), dikes, tulips, bicycles and social tolerance. Its policies are liberal toward drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.

The Netherlands has an international outlook, and is among others member of the European Union, NATO, OECD and signed the Kyoto protocol. The country is host to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the European Union's criminal intelligence agency (Europol) at The Hague. It is also one of the Benelux nations along with Belgium and Luxembourg.