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:''For the impact on left-wing policies on the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, see [[European migrant crisis]]''

:''For the impact on left-wing policies on the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, see [[European migrant crisis]]''

The '''Netherlands''' (Dutch: ''Nederland'') is a country in the [[European Union]] in northwestern Europe, north of Belgium and France. It is a part of [[the Kingdom of the Netherlands]]. It is bordered by [[Belgium]] and [[Germany]], and has a total population of 16.9 million (2015). Its system of government is [[constitutional monarchy]]. The country is often referred to as "Holland", which was originally the name of two densely populated provinces of the country (North-Holland and South-Holland). The cities of [[Amsterdam]], [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]] all lie in these provinces, that have always been the most influential regions in the Netherlands. The official language is [[Dutch]] and the people are referred to in English as Dutchmen or collectively as the Dutch.

The '''Netherlands''' (Dutch: ''Nederland''), also known informally as ''Holland'' or ''The Low Countries'', is a country in northwestern Europe. It is the primary component of [[the Kingdom of the Netherlands]], which also includes the [[Caribbean]] countries of [[Aruba]], [[Curaçao]] and [[Sint Maarten]]. It is bordered by [[Belgium]] to the south and [[Germany]] to the east, while facing the [[North Sea]] to the north and west. [[Amsterdam]] is the official capital, while [[The Hague]] is the actual seat of government.

 

The Netherlands is famous for being a small, low-lying, and densely populated country. Its total area is 16,160 square miles: only 12,900 (82%) of that land, the rest water, and its total population in 2020 was 17.3 million. With aquatic areas excluded, the country has a population density of 1,341/mi², the fifth-highest in the world and the second-highest in the [[European Union]], of which it is a leading member. The land area of the Netherlands would be much smaller if not for a complex process of land reclamation that dates back to the Middle Ages; more than a fourth of the land today is in fact below sea level, protected by a complex of dikes and drainage systems. The very name "Netherlands" almost directly translates as "Low Countries," in reference to its elevation.

 

Since 1848, the country has been a [[constitutional monarchy]] with a unitary system of government. Of its twelve provinces, the most important historically are North-Holland and South-Holland, which contain the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, and [[Rotterdam]]. Because of their disproportionate influence, the country is often referred to as "Holland". The official language is [[Dutch]] and the people are referred to in English as Dutchmen or collectively as the Dutch.

The major ethnic groups in the Netherlands are [[Dutch]] 79%, Turks 2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccans 2%.

The major ethnic groups in the Netherlands are [[Dutch]] 79%, Turks 2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccans 2%.

==History==

==History==