Netherlands

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage and dikes
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- The heritage of Dutch humanism
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance, trade, and services
- Labor and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
- Environmental control
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Painting and sculpture
  - Literature and the performing arts
  - Music
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- The Union of Utrecht
- Foreign intervention
- The formation of a new government
- Ascendancy of the Dutch economy
- The Twelve Years’ Truce
- War with Spain (1621–48)
- The first stadtholderless period
- William III
- Dutch civilization in the Golden Age (1609–1713)
  - The economy
  - Society
  - Religion
  - Culture
- The 18th century
  - Economic and political stagnation
  - The Patriot movement
- The period of French dominance (1795–1813)
  - The Batavian Republic (1795–1806)
  - The Kingdom of Holland and the French Empire (1806–13)
- The Kingdom of the Netherlands (1814–1918)
  - King William I
  - William II and William III
  - Queen Wilhelmina and World War I
- The Netherlands since 1918
  - World War II
  - The late 20th century
  - Into the 21st century

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Political map of the Netherlands showing provincial boundaries, major cities, and surrounding countries. The map highlights cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven, and Groningen, with the North Sea to the west and international borders with Belgium and Germany. An inset locator map in the top left shows the position of the Netherlands within Europe.

Windmills in Netherlands

Map of northwestern Europe highlighting the Netherlands in orange, bordered by Germany, Belgium, and the North Sea. Major neighboring countries including France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Poland are also labeled, with Amsterdam marked as the capital.

Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program

Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums

Physical map of the Netherlands highlighting major rivers, lakes, canals, polders, islands, and national parks, with the country's low elevation areas shown in relation to the North Sea. The map includes a locator inset showing the Netherlands' position in northwestern Europe, bordered by Belgium and Germany.

Urk, Netherlands

A long, straight highway runs along the Afsluitdijk dam, dividing the IJsselmeer lake from the sea in the Netherlands, with water on both sides and a few cars on the road.

At a Glance

default image

Netherlands summary

Netherlands: Media

country, Europe

Videos

Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program

Explore Holland's population, waterways, and vast tulip cross-breeding and cultivation program

Learn about the geography, agriculture, and commerce of the Netherlands.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums

Exploring Amsterdam: Canals, design, and museums

Overview of Amsterdam.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Dennis Van De Water/Dreamstime.com

Netherlands: Delta Works flood-control project

Netherlands: Delta Works flood-control project

Learn about flood control in the Netherlands.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Floating houses: A response to rising sea levels

Floating houses: A response to rising sea levels

A discussion of homes built in waterways of the Netherlands.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

The importance of Rotterdam: Europe's largest seaport

The importance of Rotterdam: Europe's largest seaport

Overview of the port at Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

How did the Dutch Republic come to be?

How did the Dutch Republic come to be?

Learn about the founding of the Dutch Republic.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

What was the first publicly traded company?

What was the first publicly traded company?

Learn about how the Dutch East India Company secured a commercial empire for the...

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Mating ritual of cuttlefish explained

Mating ritual of cuttlefish explained

Learn about the reproduction of cuttlefish.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

See how the Netherlands combats rising sea levels with the Delta Project and its Eastern Schelde Dam

See how the Netherlands combats rising sea levels with the Delta Project and its Eastern Schelde Dam

The Delta Project of The Netherlands.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Netherlands: waterways, transportation, and agriculture

Netherlands: waterways, transportation, and agriculture

A video presents scenes of the Netherlands, including agricultural areas and inland...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Visit the Port of Rotterdam on both banks of the New Meuse River and see its Europoort outport

Visit the Port of Rotterdam on both banks of the New Meuse River and see its Europoort outport

New Waterway Canal and harbour activity in the port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Learn about the Netherlands' flower cross-breeding and cultivation program from the fields to auction

Learn about the Netherlands' flower cross-breeding and cultivation program from the fields to auction

The importance of flower cultivation to the economy of The Netherlands

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Netherlands

Flag of the Netherlands.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of the Netherlands showing provincial boundaries, major cities, and surrounding countries. The map highlights cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven, and Groningen, with the North Sea to the west and international borders with Belgium and Germany. An inset locator map in the top left shows the position of the Netherlands within Europe.

Netherlands

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Windmills in Netherlands

Windmills in Netherlands

Windmills at Kinderdijk, the Netherlands.

© IlonaBudzbon—E+/Getty Images

Map of northwestern Europe highlighting the Netherlands in orange, bordered by Germany, Belgium, and the North Sea. Major neighboring countries including France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Poland are also labeled, with Amsterdam marked as the capital.

Netherlands

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Physical map of the Netherlands highlighting major rivers, lakes, canals, polders, islands, and national parks, with the country's low elevation areas shown in relation to the North Sea. The map includes a locator inset showing the Netherlands' position in northwestern Europe, bordered by Belgium and Germany.

Netherlands

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Urk, Netherlands

Urk, Netherlands

Urk, once an island of the former Zuiderzee, now part of the North East (Noordoost)...

© Kruwt/Fotolia

A long, straight highway runs along the Afsluitdijk dam, dividing the IJsselmeer lake from the sea in the Netherlands, with water on both sides and a few cars on the road.

North dam across the IJsselmeer

Part of the north dam (the Afsluitdijk) across the IJsselmeer, Netherlands.

© Daniele Novati/Shutterstock.com

Curving flower beds of colorful tulips and blue grape hyacinths bordered by green grass and blooming cherry trees at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, Netherlands.

Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof Gardens, near Lisse, Netherlands.

© Madzia71—iStock Unreleased/Getty Images

Koninck, Philips: View over a Flat Landscape

Koninck, Philips: View over a Flat Landscape

View over a Flat Landscape, oil on canvas by Philips Koninck, 1664; in the...

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam

Rows of brightly colored tulips in full bloom stretch across flat farmland in the Netherlands under a blue sky.

Tulip cultivation

Commercial tulip cultivation in the Netherlands.

© Noradoa/stock.adobe.com

Delft

Delft

Old Church by a canal in the old inner town of Delft, Netherlands.

J. Allan Cash Photolibrary/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

An old windmill surrounded by water contained by dikes.

System of dikes

Dikes built in the Netherlands are made of natural materials and more modern materials,...

© Sarawut/stock.adobe.com

Bicycles lined up on a bridge over an Amsterdam canal at sunset, with boats on the water and a church tower in the distance.

Amsterdam

Bridge over a canal in Amsterdam.

© Andrey Danilovich—iStock/Getty Images

Painting The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn showing a group of armed men led by Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, with dramatic lighting and detailed costumes.

Rembrandt van Rijn: The Night Watch

The Company of Frans Banninck Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, better known...

Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; on loan from the City of Amsterdam (object no. SK-C-5)

Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night

Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night

The Starry Night, 1889 painting by Vincent van Gogh; in the Museum of Modern...

Museum of Modern Art, New York City; photo by Dom Slike/Alamy

Mongolian postage stamp showing runner Fanny Blankers-Koen hurdling, with Olympic rings, London 1948 medals, and her name printed beside her.

Blankers-Koen's legacy

A stamp, issued in Mongolia c. 1968, celebrating the four gold medals Dutch runner...

© Sergei Nezhinskii/Dreamstime.com

Portrait of Philip II, King of Spain, shown in ornate armor with one hand resting on a helmet, painted in the manner of Sir Anthony More against a dark background.

Philip II

Philip II, oil on canvas in the manner of Sir Anthony More; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; on loan from the Helmond Council, object no. SK-C-1696

William I

William I

William I, statue in The Hague.

F.Eveleens

Portrait of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, shown from the chest up, facing three-quarters right, wearing a dark coat and a large white ruff, painted by the workshop of Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt.

Johan van Oldenbarnevelt

Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, painting by M.J. van Mierevelt; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-A-257)

Portrait painting of Maurits, Prince of Orange, standing in ornate gold armor with a baton in his right hand, beside a table holding a plumed helmet and glove. Painted by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt.

Maurice of Nassau

Maurice, detail of a painting by Michiel Janszoon van Mierrelt; in the Rijksmuseum,...

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-A-255)

Franciscus Gomarus

Franciscus Gomarus

Franciscus Gomarus, engraving after a portrait by W.I. Swanenburgh; in the Rijksmuseum,...

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (RP-P-1896-A-19017)

Oil portrait of Hugo de Groot, also known as Hugo Grotius, by the workshop of Michiel Janszoon van Mierevelt, showing him with a ruffled white collar and dark clothing.

Hugo Grotius

Portrait of Hugo de Groot (Hugo Grotius), oil on panel by the workshop of Michiel...

Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Maarten Tromp

Maarten Tromp

Maarten Tromp, painting by Jan Lievens, c. 1660–70; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-A-838)

Portrait painting by Jacobus de Baen of Johan de Witt with long brown hair, mustache, and a white collar, with courtroom stands faintly visible in the background.

Johan De Witt

Johan De Witt, detail of a painting by Jacobus de Baen; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-A-13)

William III

William III

William III, painting after W. Wissing; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London

Painting by Jan Steen showing a lively outdoor scene with a man and woman dancing at the center, surrounded by people eating, drinking, and playing music under a vine-covered pergola.

Jan Steen, The Dancing Couple

The Dancing Couple, 1663 painting by Jan Steen; in the National Gallery...

Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (Widener Collection; accession no. 1942.9.81)

Portrait of Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft by Joachim von Sandrart, showing Hooft with light brown hair, a trimmed beard, and a white lace collar against a dark background.

Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft

Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, detail of an oil painting by Joachim von Sandrart, 1630–1700;...

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-A-364)

René Descartes

René Descartes

Philosopher and mathematician René Descartes.

National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland

J.P. Sweelinck

J.P. Sweelinck

J.P. Sweelinck, detail of an oil painting on wood by Gerrit Sweelinck; in the Haags...

Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Netherlands (0332245), kunstmuseum.nl.

Johannes Vermeer: Young Woman with a Water Pitcher

Johannes Vermeer: Young Woman with a Water Pitcher

Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, oil on canvas by Johannes Vermeer, c....

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Marquand Collection, Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1889 (89.15.21), www. metmuseum.org

Portrait of Hermann Boerhaave by Cornelis Troost, showing Boerhaave from the waist up, wearing a black robe with a white neckcloth, facing slightly to the right.

Hermann Boerhaave

Hermann Boerhaave, portrait by Cornelis Troost; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-A-2342)

Portrait painting by Johann Georg Ziesenis of William V, Prince of Orange-Nassau, shown half-length in a military uniform with a red collar and gold trim.

William V

William V, detail of a painting by J.G. Ziesenis; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-A-882)

Portrait of King William I of the Netherlands standing in regal attire with a red and white ermine-trimmed robe, painted by Joseph Paelinck, 1819.

William I

William I, oil on canvas by Joseph Paelinck, 1819; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-C-1460)

Full-length portrait painting by Jan Adam Kruseman of King William II of the Netherlands in military uniform, standing outdoors beside a dog and leaning against rocks.

William II

William II, painting by J.A. Kruseman; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-C-170)

Abraham Kuyper

Abraham Kuyper

Abraham Kuyper, gelatin silver print by an unknown photographer, c. 1880-1920.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (RP-F-F01548)

Wilhelmina

Wilhelmina

Wilhelmina, 1909.

George Grantham Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: LC-DIG-ggbain-03534)

Hendrik Antoon Lorentz

Hendrik Antoon Lorentz

Historia/Shutterstock.com

Vincent van Gogh: Self-Portrait with Straw Hat

Vincent van Gogh: Self-Portrait with Straw Hat

Self-Portrait with Straw Hat, oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1887; in...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876-1967), 1967, (67.187.70a), www. metmuseum.org

People walk and shop along Venestraat, a busy pedestrian shopping street lined with stores such as Sunglass Hut and H and M, in The Hague, Netherlands.

The Hague

Shoppers walking along Venestraat, The Hague.

© Siraanamwong/Dreamstime.com

Beatrix

Beatrix

Beatrix of the Netherlands.

© Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

Mark Rutte

Mark Rutte

The longest-serving Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, in 2023.

© Patrick van Katwijk—WireImage/Getty Images

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands raises his right hand while swearing an oath, standing beside Queen Maxima in formal attire during his investiture ceremony.

Willem-Alexander

Willem-Alexander with his wife, Máxima, during his investiture ceremony, 2013.

Peter Dejong—AFP/Getty Images

flag of the Netherlands

flag of the Netherlands

Tricolour national flag of the Netherlands, the prototype for the flags of many European...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Europe color-coded to show the expansion of the European Union by year of joining, distinguishing original 1993 members, later additions in 1995, 2004, 2007, and 2013, as well as candidate countries and the United Kingdom as a former member. Country names are labeled within their borders.

European Union

Map of Europe with European Union member states.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Historical Flags: Dutch

Historical Flags: Dutch

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Netherlands, The

Netherlands, The

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of the Netherlands

The instrumental version of the national anthem of the Netherlands.

Interactives

Netherlands: Ethnic composition

Netherlands: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Netherlands: Religious affiliation

Netherlands: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Netherlands: Urban-rural

Netherlands: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Netherlands: Age breakdown

Netherlands: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Netherlands: Major import sources

Netherlands: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Netherlands: Major export destinations

Netherlands: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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