Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Stefan Molyneux

2019-11-26T07:51:45Z

Boer Republican: Molyneux no longer supports abortion

'''Stefan Molyneux''' is a popular Canadian American [[anarcho-capitalist]] pundit, historian and commentator on [https://www.youtube.com/user/stefbot/about YouTube].<ref>328,094 subscribers and 79,247,060 views as of January 25, 2016. [https://www.youtube.com/user/stefbot/about YouTube]</ref>

Molyneux is liberal on some social issues. The legalization of all drugs, and [[same-sex marriage]]. He formerly supported abortion. He's also an [[atheism|atheist]] and he dislikes the fact that the [[atheist worldview]] tends to produce people who are [[leftism|left]] leaning when it comes to economics (See: [[Atheism and economics]] and [[Atheism and politics]]).<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqQdc0mX1_c Why I Was Wrong About Atheism]</ref>
He said it makes him question whether or not atheism is true.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqQdc0mX1_c Why I Was Wrong About Atheism]</ref>

He earned a Masters in History from University of Toronto in 1993, a BA in History from McGill University in 1991, studied 2 years of English Literature at York University in Toronto, and studied acting at the National Theatre School of Canada.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/stefan.molyneux/about Facebook profile]. Accessed January 25, 2016.</ref>

According to his YouTube pages, [[Freedomain Radio]] videocast and [[podcast]] offers "topics range from philosophy to economics to art to how to achieve real [[freedom]] in the modern world. Passionate, articulate, funny and irreverent, Freedomain Radio shines a bold light on old topics - and invents a few new ones to boot! Freedomain Radio is the largest and most popular philosophy show on the web, with over 100 million downloads and is 100% funded by viewers".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/user/stefbot/about YouTube]</ref>

According to [[IMDB]], "Prior to launching Freedomain Radio, Stefan built a thriving career as a software entrepreneur and executive. In 2006, he left his work in the tech industry to devote his efforts to Freedomain Radio. Now a self-identified full-time parent and philosopher, Stefan speaks regularly at [[liberty]]-themed events all over North and South America. His speeches cover subjects ranging from politics, philosophy, science, atheism and economics to relationships, parenting and how to achieve real freedom in your life. As the host of Freedomain Radio, Stefan has interviewed experts [[Noam Chomsky]], Dr. Nathaniel Branden, Dr. Warren Farrell, [[Peter Schiff]], Dr. Peter Boghossian, Dr. Mary J. Ruwart and many others."<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1919879/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm Stefan Molyneux on IMDB]. Accessed January 25, 2016.</ref>

==Published Works==
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#humanownership The Handbook of Human Ownership]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#atg Against the Gods?]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#truth On Truth]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#upb Universally Preferable Behaviour]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#rtr Real-Time Relationships]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#ea Everyday Anarchy]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#pa Practical Anarchy]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#hownot How (not) To Achieve Freedom]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#tgoa The God of Atheists]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#rev Revolutions]
* [https://freedomainradio.com/free/#origins The Origins of War in Child Abuse]

==Quotes==
* "The idea that the [[State]] is capable of solving social problems is now viewed with great skepticism - which foretells a coming change. As soon as [[skepticism]] is applied to the State, the State falls, since it fails at everything except increasing its power, and so can only survive on [[propaganda]], which relies on unquestioning faith."<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1919879/bio?ref_=nmbio_ql_dyk_1#quotes Quotes from Stefan on IMDB.com]. Accessed January 25, 2016</ref>

==See also==
* [[Libertarianism]]
* [[Anarchism]], a form of which Molyneux sees as a goal

==External links==
* [http://stefanmolyneux.com Official StefanMolyneux.com Personal Webpage]
* [http://freedomainradio.com Official FreeDomainRadio.com Blog]
* [http://www.fdrpodcasts.com Official Podcast]
* [http://freedomain.blogspot.com Blogspot.com]: "The Logic of Personal and Political Freedom with Stefan Molyneux: Powerful ideas for all lovers of personal and political freedom."
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/stefbot YouTube: Stefbot]
* [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFHyoiRW5Ya5HJc9laaoUfA YouTube: Freedomain Radio]
* [https://www.facebook.com/stefan.molyneux Facebook: stefan.molyneux]
* [https://twitter.com/freedomainradio Twitter: @FreeDomainRadio], 11.5K followers as of January 24, 2016
* [https://twitter.com/stefanmolyneux Twitter: @StefanMolyneux], 19.7K followers as of January 24, 2016
* [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freedomain-radio!-volume-6/id552010683 ITunes podcast]
* [https://plus.google.com/+StefanMolyneux_Freedomain_Radio Google+]
* [https://www.pinterest.com/stefanmolyneux Pinterest: stefanmolyneux]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/stefanmolyneux Flickr.com stefanmolyneux]
* [https://vimeo.com/freedomainradio Vimeo:freedomainradio]
* [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1919879/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm IMDB.com Bio]
* [https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Stefan+ Search for Stefan Molyneux on [[Duck Duck Go]] [[Privacy]] search engine]
* [mailto:operations@freedomainradio.com His email] is operations@freedomainradio.com

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molyneux, Stefan}}

[[Category:YouTube]]
[[Category:Libertarian Authors]]
[[Category:Libertarian Bloggers]]
[[Category:Libertarian Podcasters]]
[[Category:Libertarian Media]]
[[Category:Canadian Authors]]
[[Category:Bloggers]]
[[Category:Agnostics]]
[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]
[[Category:Anti-Communism]]

Marvel Cinematic Universe

2019-09-18T15:15:22Z

Boer Republican: Disney is really hellbent on destroying the west.

The '''Marvel Cinematic Universe''', or MCU for short, is an ongoing series of films produced by Marvel Studios that feature characters from Marvel Comics. It started in 2008 with the release of [[Iron Man (film, 2008)|''Iron Man'']]. In recent years it has increasingly been promoting left-wing propaganda, arguably starting with Captain Marvel. It has also set to replace most of its white male characters.

==Films==
The films are being released in "phases."

===Phase One: Avengers Assembled===
* ''[[Iron Man (film, 2008)|Iron Man]]'' (2008)
* ''The Incredible Hulk'' (2008)
* ''[[Iron Man 2]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Captain America: The First Avenger]]'' (2011)
* ''Thor'' (2011)
* ''Marvel's The Avengers'' (2012)

===Phase Two===
* ''Iron Man 3'' (2013)
* ''Thor: The Dark World'' (2013)
* ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' (2014)
* ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' (2014)
* ''Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015)
* ''Ant-Man'' (2015)

===Phase Three===
* ''[[Captain America: Civil War]]'' (2016)
* ''Doctor Strange'' (2016)
* ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' (2017)
* ''Thor: Ragnarok'' (2017)
* ''Spider-Man: Homecoming'' (2017)
* ''Black Panther'' (2018)
* ''[[Avengers: Infinity War]]'' (2018)
* ''Ant-Man and the Wasp'' (2018)
* ''Captain Marvel'' (2019)
* ''[[Avengers: Endgame]]'' (2019)
* ''Spider-Man: Far From Home'' (2019)

===Phase Four===
* ''Black Widow'' (2020)
* ''Eternals'' (2020)
* ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' (2021)
* ''Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' (2021)
* ''Thor: Love & Thunder'' (2021)

==Television Series==
The MCU has also produced television series to tie-in with the films.

===ABC Series===
* ''Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2013)
* ''Marvel's Agent Carter'' (2015-2016)
* ''Marvel's Inhumans'' (2017)

===Netflix Series===
* ''Marvel's Daredevil'' (2015)
* ''Marvel's Jessica Jones'' (2015)
* ''Marvel's Luke Cage'' (2016)
* ''Marvel's Iron Fist'' (2017)
* ''Marvel's The Defenders'' (2017)
* ''Marvel's The Punisher'' (2017)

===Freeform Series===
* ''Marvel's Cloak & Dagger'' (2018)

===Hulu Series===
* ''Marvel's Runaways'' (2017)
* ''Marvel's Ghost Rider'' (2020)
* ''Marvel's Helstrom'' (2020)

===Disney+ Series===
* ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' (2020)
* ''WandaVision'' (2021)
* ''Loki'' (2021)
* ''What If...?'' (2021)
* ''Hawkeye'' (2021)

==Non-MCU==
Although a considerable number of Marvel characters are a part of the MCU, there are still a few that are not, due to rights being owned by other studios. Among them is ''X-Men'', which 20th Century Fox owns the rights. Another is ''Fantastic Four'', also owned by 20th Century Fox. In addition, the film rights to ''Spider-Man'', despite the inclusion of the character in the MCU with the release of 2016's ''Captain America: Civil War'', continue to be owned and controlled by Sony Pictures. On November 6, 2017, Disney was in talks to purchase 21st Century Fox, which would mean the rights of ''X-Men'' and ''Fantastic Four'' would revert to Marvel.<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/11/06/disney-has-been-talks-buy-parts-21st-century-fox-reports-say/836737001/</ref> In April 2019, the deal was finalized.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Comic Book Movies]]

User:Boer Republican

2019-05-15T14:54:28Z

Boer Republican: changed my page a bit.

Christian,Nationalist and Reactionary.

User:Boer Republican

2019-04-20T16:36:05Z

Boer Republican: Made my own page will be using it mostly to test wiki editing I am new to it.

<inputbox>
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Netherlands

2019-04-20T16:31:41Z

Boer Republican: The Dutch has a bible belt surprisingly.

{{Country|
|map=Netherlands rel87.jpg
|map2=Netherlands location.PNG
|flag=Netherlandsflag.gif
|arms=
|capital=Amsterdam
|government=Constitutional monarchy
|language=Dutch
|king=Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
|president=
|chancellor=
|pm=Mark Rutte
|area=41,526 km² (18,41% water)
|pop=17,016,967
|pop-basis=2016
|gdp-year=2006 (est)
|gdp-pc=$35,078
|currency=Euro (€) (EUR)
|idd=31
|tld=.nl
}}
:''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 major ethnic groups in the Netherlands are [[Dutch]] 79%, Turks 2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccans 2%.

==History==
See [[History of the Netherlands]]

==Dike system==
The term "Netherlands" means "low country": about a quarter of the land area, containing more than half of the population, is actually below sea level, and would flood if the sea were not held back by a system of [[dike]]s. The Dutch have a saying that "God created the earth, but the Dutch made Holland".

A major breach of the dikes occurred in 1953, killing 1800 people. To avoid a repeat of the disaster the Dutch began construction of the "Delta Project" to protect the country from future inundations. Begun in 1953 and completed in 2002 the Delta Project is considered a modern wonder of civil engineering. After [[Hurricane Katrina]], a delegation of American engineers was invited by the Dutch government to see how the project works and how its technology can be applied in the United States for low-lying cities like [[New Orleans]]. Intentional flooding of the countryside has also been used to halt invading armies, dating back to the 80 years war.

==Major cities==
[[Amsterdam]], named for the Amstel river, is the largest city, and the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is ringed by an extensive system of concentric canals. The seat of government, however, is located for historical reasons in [[The Hague]] (''Den Haag'').

[[Eindhoven]], a city of the southern province of Brabant, is the location of the giant electronics corporation, '''Philips''' (full name: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.), with annual revenue equivalent to about $40 billion. (The U.S. corporation [[General Electric]] has revenues of about $150 billion, but much of it is from non-electronics businesses). The Eindhoven area is known for its high concentration of high-tech industires, which include '''ASML''', the world primary producer of lithography system for the production of semiconductors, and '''Océ''', a leading producer of printers and copiers.

[[Groningen]] is home to many branches of ''KPN'', the former state company of Post, Telegraphy and Telephony. It had its headquarters in Groningen when it was still state run, and move to [[The Hague]] since. ''KPN'' stands for ''Koninklijke PTT Nederland'', or ''Royal PTT Netherlands''. Groningen is also home to ''Gasunie'' (Gasunion), a public-private partnership that exploits the natural gas reseves in the province of Groningen and the adjoint [[North Sea]].

[[File:Jongkind A Windmill near Delft 1857.jpg|thumb|left|[[Johan Barthold Jongkind]], A Windmill near Delft, 1857.]]
[[Delft]] is a small town in [[South Holland]], situated between [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]]. It is noted for the blue-and-white Delft pottery, and as the home of the great artist [[Jan Vermeer]].

[[Arnhem]] is a city in Gelderland, lying on the north bank of the Lower Rhine river. It was the scene of a major battle during [[Operation Market Garden]] in September 1944, when British and allied paratroop forces captured its strategic road bridge before being overwhelmed by German forces in the area.

[[Leeuwarden]] ([[Frisian]]: ''Ljouwert'') is the capital of the northern province of Friesland; it was also the home town of the spy [[Mata Hari]] and the artist [[M.C. Escher]].
It has a population of 92,000.

[[Utrecht]] is a city of the central province of Utrecht. It is the seat of a bishopric and is a major communications hub and rail center. With a population of 290,000, it is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
The city is best known as the site of lengthy peace negotiations to end the [[Wars of Spanish Succession]] in the 18th century. The resulting peace, called the [[Treaty of Utrecht]], was signed in April 1713.

Hoek van Holland ("Hook of Holland", literally 'corner of Holland') is a port in [[South Holland]], and is administratively part of the city of [[Rotterdam]]. It lies at the outflow of the Nieuwe Waterweg [[canal]] and the [[North Sea]], and is the base for ferry services to [[Harwich]] in eastern [[England]].

==Provinces==

South Holland contains the cities of [[The Hague]] and [[Rotterdam]].

Flevoland is the youngest of the twelve provinces, having the least population (ca. 360,000). It was created in 1986 on two [[polder]]s: just 80 years ago, there was no dry land but the [[Zuiderzee]]. Its capital is [[Lelystad]].

Friesland is a coastal province in the north, home to the [[Frisian]] language and people.

Gelderland borders [[Germany]] to the east, and extends north to the [[Ijsselmeer]]. Gelderland includes the major cities of [[Nijmegen]] and [[Arnhem]], as well as the extensive heathland known as the Veluwe, now a national park.

North Brabant is often referred to as ''Brabant'', as there is no ''south Brabant'' in the Netherlands.
The southern part of the former ''duchy of Brabant'' (including the important cities of [[Antwerp]] and [[Leuven]]) now belongs to Belgium. While [[Eindhoven]] is the biggest city in North Brabant, its capital is [['s-Hertogenbosch]].

==Business==
The Netherlands is the home of the Anglo-Dutch oil company [[Royal Dutch Shell]] . Other well known Dutch or partly Dutch multinationals are [[Unilever]], a company owning many household brands, ''ING Group'', a banking group, ''Ahold'', an international chain of supermarkets, ''Reed Elsevier'', a publishing house, ''Nielsen Company'', owner of the [[Yellow Pages]], and ''Randstad Holding'', a company providing [[human resource services]]. The famous ''Dutch East India Company'', which dominated trade in with South-East Asia in the 17th century, is regarded as the first multinational in history.
The Netherlands has long been famous for its production of flowers, and also for a related economic event, the "[[tulip mania]]" of 1636-1637. [[Tulip]]s were traded on stock exchanges, and bid up to fantastic prices by people who understood that the prices were crazy but hoped to sell at a profit to even crazier investors. Many people mortgaged their homes for a single tulip bulb and in one case an entire brewery was exchanged for a few bulbs. As with all [[economic bubble]]s, when bidding began to lag people tried to sell and the bubble burst with disastrous consequences. Since then the Dutch have been renowned for their carefulness with money and have established a significant presence in the banking and financial sectors.

==King's Day==
April 27 is King's Day - the national holiday to mark the official birthday of the monarch. King's Day is the one day of the year when ordinary Netherlanders are permitted to sell goods on the streets without a license. Consequently, the whole country is turned into a gigantic flea market (garage sale). The primary effect of this is that people buy goods they do not want or need, solely in order to sell them the following year. In an act of patriotism, most of the populace wear orange colored clothing (the national color) to identify with the Royal House Of Orange-Nassau.

Those not involved with selling their surplus belongings celebrate the national holiday at outdoors parties in the cities or with fine weather, spend the free day on a terrace of a pub, or cycle in the national ''Fietsen op Dijken'' tour around the nation's dikes.

==Anne Frank==
[[Anne Frank]] was a famous Jewish girl who hid from Nazis in the house of friends in Amsterdam. She wrote a diary which was later published and became a best seller. Her family left Germany in 1933 because of the Nazis, but the Nazis caught up with her and sent her to Belsen death camp where she died before end of war in 1945. Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam is now a popular tourist attraction.

==Society==
[[Same-sex marriage]] has been recognized by the Dutch government since 2001.<ref>[http://marriage.about.com/cs/samesexmarriage/a/samesex.htm About.com]</ref> Furthermore, legal [[prostitution]], [[euthanasia]], [[abortion]] and its drug policy (see above) make The Netherlands the most liberal country in the world by most standards. Christianity was once the dominant factor in Dutch society and politics, but since the 1970s plays a secondary role in society, with only 15% of the population being [[Protestant]] (2015) and just under 24% are [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]]. There is a rising [[Muslim]] population (5%) which has caused social strains. An overall decline in religion can be seen as of 2004. These days The Netherlands are considered one of the least churchgoing countries in Europe. However the Dutch does have its own bible belt which is still very conservative.

===Drug policies===
The Netherlands is noted for its low-crime rate (although comparable to other western European nations) and [[libertarian]] legislation. Examples are licensed prostitution in designated areas of major cities, such as Amsterdam's Red Light District, the legal soft [[drugs]] sold in the country's many coffee shops, [[abortion]] rights, [[same-sex marriage]]s and [[euthanasia]].

Consuming and carrying (for personal use only) the "soft drugs" ([[marijuana]], [[hashish]] and [[hallucinogenic mushrooms]]) were made legal in the Netherlands in 1976 in a final attempt to stop drug-related crime in the 1970s. Soft drugs can be legally purchased by individuals over 18 in the famed (licensed) coffee shops, that do sell coffee as well, but are prohibited from serving alcohol.
The Dutch policy regarding soft drugs (and previously prostitution) is called "gedoogbeleid" (condonement policy). This means that although certain behavior is officially prohibited by law, a condonement clause prevents law enforcement agencies from prosecuting this behavior. This clause is, legally speaking, not a law and can be reverted much easier than a regular law.

The main reason for this policy is to try to split the market for "soft drugs" from the one for "hard drugs", this to avoid that users "upgrade" from soft to "hard drugs" (the latter are still illegal). So in short, the law tries to prevent citizen's exposure to hard drugs by providing a legal context in which to purchase cannabis. The policy also allows the police to focus on the war on hard drugs and criminal trade, and avoid the exhaustive bureaucratic costs associated with low-profile possession busts. In fact, most major cities in the world have similar non-prosecution policies, but the Dutch one is the only nationwide one.

Growing marijuana and hashish for commercial purposes is still officially illegal (it is legal to own up to four plants per household), causing coffee shop owners to rely on illegal homegrown products. Only two state run companies are exempted from this rule in order to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes. Leftist movements have stated that the government should make its mind up: "either make growing marijuana and hashish legal, or ban soft drugs altogether".

Some argue that the legal status of soft drugs has had no significant adverse effects on Dutch society.{{who}} This is probably due to the fact that it has become a more or less socially accepted drug like alcohol and tobacco, removing the need for dealers and effectively terminating cannabis' status as an anti-establishment symbol, and in effect diminishing its' popularity somewhat amongst youth. Some disagree:
* {{marijuana-passive-Dutch}}

== See also ==

*[[Painting of the Dutch Century]]
*[[Gallery of Flemish and Dutch painting]]
*[[Flemish School of Painting]]
*[[Gallery of Dutch Still life Masterpieces]]
*[[Countries of the world - Gross Domestic Product per capita]]

==Bibliography==
===Guides===
* DK. ''Amsterdam'' (2008) [https://www.amazon.com/Amsterdam-EYEWITNESS-TRAVEL-GUIDE-Publishing/dp/075662441X/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-9 excerpt and text search]
* DK. ''Netherlands'' (2008) [https://www.amazon.com/Holland-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Ewart/dp/0789493055/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]
* ''Lonely Planet the Netherlands'' (2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Netherlands-Travel-Guides/dp/1741042992/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* ''Michelin the Green Guide Netherlands'' (2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Green-Guide-Netherlands-Guides/dp/2067123319/ref=pd_bbs_sr_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
===Current conditions===
* Delsen, Lei. ''Exit Polder Model? Socioeconomic Changes in the Netherlands'' (2002) [http://www.questia.com/read/113099417?title=Exit%20Polder%20Model%3f%20%20Socioeconomic%20Changes%20in%20the%20Netherlands online edition]
* Mathijs, Ernest, ed. ''The Cinema of the Low Countries.'' (2004). 268 pp.
* Vuijsje, Herman. ''The Politically Correct Netherlands: Since the 1960s.'' (2000). 244 pp.
* White, Colin, et al. ''The Undutchables: An Observation of the Netherlands, Its Culture And Its Inhabitants'' (2005)
===History surveys===
* Arblaster, Paul. ''A History of the Low Countries.'' (2006). 298 pp.
* Blom, J. C. H. and E. Lamberts, eds. ''History of the Low Countries'' (2006) 504pp [https://www.amazon.com/History-Low-Countries-J-Blom/dp/1845452720/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]; also [http://www.questia.com/read/1379132?title=History%20of%20the%20Low%20Countries complete edition online]
* Hooker, Mark T. ''The History of Holland'' (1999) 264pp [https://www.amazon.com/History-Holland-Greenwood-Histories-Nations/dp/0313306583/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209805742&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
* Israel, Jonathan. ''The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477-1806'' (1995) a major synthesis; [http://www.questia.com/read/91981119?title=The%20Dutch%20Republic%3a%20Its%20Rise%2c%20Greatness%2c%20and%20Fall%2c%201477-1806 complete online edition]; also [https://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Republic-Greatness-1477-1806-History/dp/0198207344/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Kossmann, E. H. ''The Low Countries 1780-1940'' (1978)
* van Oostrom, Frits, and Hubert Slings. ''A Key to Dutch History'' (2007)
* Pirenne, Henri. ''Belgian Democracy, Its Early History'' (1910, 1915) 250 pp. history of towns in the Low Countries [http://www.questia.com/read/1276323?title=Belgian%20Democracy%2c%20Its%20Early%20History online free]
* Rietbergen, P.J.A.N. ''A Short History of the Netherlands. From Prehistory to the Present Day''. 5th ed. Amersfoort: Bekking, 2002. ISBN 9061094402
* Vlekke, Bernard H. M. ''Evolution of the Dutch Nation'' (1945) 382 pp. [http://www.questia.com/read/82243176?title=Evolution%20of%20the%20Dutch%20Nation online edition]

==Online resources==
* [http://www.iisg.nl/ International Institute of Social History (IISH)]
* [http://www.minbuza.nl/history/en/home History of the Netherlands, introduction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
* [http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/lowcountries/dutchrevolt.html Dutch revolt: maps]

==References==
<references/>

{{European Union}}

[[Category:Dutch History]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]

Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

2019-03-23T17:58:58Z

Boer Republican: forgot space

'''Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand Jonkheer van Amsberg''' (27 April 1967 in [[Utrecht]]) is since 30 April 2013 the King of the [[Netherlands]].

He is the eldest child of Queen [[Beatrix]] and [[Prince Claus, Jonkheer van Amsberg]]. He has one living younger brother, Constantijn, and one deceased brother, Friso (who died after being buried in an avalanche).

He was the first male Dutch royal baby since the birth of Prince Alexander in 1851, and the first immediate male heir since Alexander's death in 1884. As of 2018, he is the second-youngest monarch in Europe after King Felipe VI of Spain.

His spouse, Queen Maxima, is from Argentina and is of Basque, Portuguese, and Italian ancestry. The couple has three daughters: Catharina-Amalia (The Princess of Orange, who is next in line to inherit the throne), Alexia, and Ariane.

He is a part-time pilot.<ref>Reid, David (March 18, 2017). [https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/18/dutch-king-klm-pilot-for-21-years.html Dutch king reveals he has been a KLM pilot for 21 years]. ''CNBC''. Retrieved March 23, 2019.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Current Heads of State]]
[[Category:Dutch Monarchs]]

Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

2019-03-23T17:58:05Z

Boer Republican: Got infobox wrong.

Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

2019-03-23T17:56:59Z

Boer Republican: Added Infobox

{{Infobox person
|name= Willem-Alexander
|image= Koning-willem-alexander-okt-15-s.jpg
|imagedesc=
|byline=
|born= {{birth date and age|1967|4|27|df=y}}
|birthplace= [[University Medical Center Utrecht]], [[Utrecht]], Netherlands
|dead=
|deathplace=
|nationality=
|party=
|spouse=
|religion=

|position1=
|period1=
|predecessor1=
|successor1=

|position2=
|period2=
|predecessor2=
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|signature=
}}

'''Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand Jonkheer van Amsberg''' (27 April 1967 in [[Utrecht]]) is since 30 April 2013 the King of the [[Netherlands]].

He is the eldest child of Queen [[Beatrix]] and [[Prince Claus, Jonkheer van Amsberg]]. He has one living younger brother, Constantijn, and one deceased brother, Friso (who died after being buried in an avalanche).

He was the first male Dutch royal baby since the birth of Prince Alexander in 1851, and the first immediate male heir since Alexander's death in 1884. As of 2018, he is the second-youngest monarch in Europe after King Felipe VI of Spain.

His spouse, Queen Maxima, is from Argentina and is of Basque, Portuguese, and Italian ancestry. The couple has three daughters: Catharina-Amalia (The Princess of Orange, who is next in line to inherit the throne), Alexia, and Ariane.

He is a part-time pilot.<ref>Reid, David (March 18, 2017). [https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/18/dutch-king-klm-pilot-for-21-years.html Dutch king reveals he has been a KLM pilot for 21 years]. ''CNBC''. Retrieved March 23, 2019.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Current Heads of State]]
[[Category:Dutch Monarchs]]

LGBTQ+

2019-03-23T07:23:35Z

Boer Republican: Perhaps that is how they decide their gender.

'''LGBTQIAPK''' is one of several acronyms intended to represent all current varieties of sexual perversion. This acronym stands for: [[Lesbian]], [[Gay]], [[Bisexual]], [[Transgender]], Queer (or Questioning), Intersex, Asexual (or Aromantic or Ally), [[Polyamorous]] (or pansexual) and Kink.<ref>http://www.mtv.co.uk/pride/news/lgbtq-acronym-guide</ref> There seems to be some minor disagreement over what each letter means, while others just add in multiples of each letter to include them all. Ths means that the acronym can also be: LGBTQQIAAAPPK<ref name="humans.media">https://humans.media/lgbtqiapk-and-what-it-means</ref><br />
Some also say that even this is not a suitably detailed list, because other terms such as Agender, Bigender, Trigender, Pangender, Polygender, Cis, Gender Apathetic, Demigender are not included.<ref name="humans.media">https://humans.media/lgbtqiapk-and-what-it-means</ref> To be more "all-inclusive" and avoid causing someone to think someone else might be offended, sometimes a plus sign is added on the end of whatever acronym is used, to represent those not listed.<br />

[[Facebook]] recognizes 58 genders as of last count.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/13/tech/social-media/facebook-gender-custom/index.html</ref>

As a result, the acronym looks like a monkey got its hands on a typewriter.
==See also==
*[[Homosexual rights advocacy]]
*[[Gender confusion]]
*[[Progressive movement]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Sexuality]]

Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

2019-03-23T07:15:31Z

Boer Republican: Spelling err

'''Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand Jonkheer van Amsberg''' (27 April 1967 in [[Utrecht]]) is since 30 April 2013 the King of the [[Netherlands]].

He is the eldest child of Queen [[Beatrix]] and [[Prince Claus, Jonkheer van Amsberg]]. He has one living younger brother, Constantijn, and one deceased brother, Friso (who died after being buried in an avalanche).

He was the first male Dutch royal baby since the birth of Prince Alexander in 1851, and the first immediate male heir since Alexander's death in 1884. As of 2018, he is the second-youngest monarch in Europe after King Felipe VI of Spain.

His spouse, Queen Maxima, is from Argentina and is of Basque, Portuguese, and Italian ancestry. The couple have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia (The Princess of Orange, who is next in line to inherit the throne), Alexia, and Ariane.

He is a part-time pilot.
[[Category:Current Heads of State]]
[[Category:Dutch Monarchs]]

Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

2019-03-23T07:13:11Z

Boer Republican: The king likes flying.

'''Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand Jonkheer van Amsberg''' (27 April 1967 in [[Utrecht]]) is since 30 April 2013 the King of the [[Netherlands]].

He is the eldest child of Queen [[Beatrix]] and [[Prince Claus, Jonkheer van Amsberg]]. He has one living younger brother, Constantijn, and one deceased brother, Friso (who died after being buried in an avalanche).

He was the first male Dutch royal baby since the birth of Prince Alexander in 1851, and the first immediate male heir since Alexander's death in 1884. As of 2018, he is the second-youngest monarch in Europe after King Felipe VI of Spain.

His spouse, Queen Maxima, is from Argentina and is of Basque, Portuguese, and Italian ancestry. The couple have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia (The Princess of Orange, who is next in line to inherit the throne), Alexia, and Ariane.

He is a part-time Pilot.
[[Category:Current Heads of State]]
[[Category:Dutch Monarchs]]

Netherlands

2019-03-22T11:52:59Z

Boer Republican: Fixed minor spelling error.

{{Country|
|map=Netherlands rel87.jpg
|map2=Netherlands location.PNG
|flag=Netherlandsflag.gif
|arms=
|capital=Amsterdam
|government=Constitutional monarchy
|language=Dutch
|king=Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
|president=
|chancellor=
|pm=Mark Rutte
|area=41,526 km² (18,41% water)
|pop=17,016,967
|pop-basis=2016
|gdp-year=2006 (est)
|gdp-pc=$35,078
|currency=Euro (€) (EUR)
|idd=31
|tld=.nl
}}
:''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 major ethnic groups in the Netherlands are [[Dutch]] 79%, Turks 2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccans 2%.

==History==
See [[History of the Netherlands]]

==Dike system==
The term "Netherlands" means "low country": about a quarter of the land area, containing more than half of the population, is actually below sea level, and would flood if the sea were not held back by a system of [[dike]]s. The Dutch have a saying that "God created the earth, but the Dutch made Holland".

A major breach of the dikes occurred in 1953, killing 1800 people. To avoid a repeat of the disaster the Dutch began construction of the "Delta Project" to protect the country from future inundations. Begun in 1953 and completed in 2002 the Delta Project is considered a modern wonder of civil engineering. After [[Hurricane Katrina]], a delegation of American engineers was invited by the Dutch government to see how the project works and how its technology can be applied in the United States for low-lying cities like [[New Orleans]]. Intentional flooding of the countryside has also been used to halt invading armies, dating back to the 80 years war.

==Major cities==
[[Amsterdam]], named for the Amstel river, is the largest city, and the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is ringed by an extensive system of concentric canals. The seat of government, however, is located for historical reasons in [[The Hague]] (''Den Haag'').

[[Eindhoven]], a city of the southern province of Brabant, is the location of the giant electronics corporation, '''Philips''' (full name: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.), with annual revenue equivalent to about $40 billion. (The U.S. corporation [[General Electric]] has revenues of about $150 billion, but much of it is from non-electronics businesses). The Eindhoven area is known for its high concentration of high-tech industires, which include '''ASML''', the world primary producer of lithography system for the production of semiconductors, and '''Océ''', a leading producer of printers and copiers.

[[Groningen]] is home to many branches of ''KPN'', the former state company of Post, Telegraphy and Telephony. It had its headquarters in Groningen when it was still state run, and move to [[The Hague]] since. ''KPN'' stands for ''Koninklijke PTT Nederland'', or ''Royal PTT Netherlands''. Groningen is also home to ''Gasunie'' (Gasunion), a public-private partnership that exploits the natural gas reseves in the province of Groningen and the adjoint [[North Sea]].

[[File:Jongkind A Windmill near Delft 1857.jpg|thumb|left|[[Johan Barthold Jongkind]], A Windmill near Delft, 1857.]]
[[Delft]] is a small town in [[South Holland]], situated between [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]]. It is noted for the blue-and-white Delft pottery, and as the home of the great artist [[Jan Vermeer]].

[[Arnhem]] is a city in Gelderland, lying on the north bank of the Lower Rhine river. It was the scene of a major battle during [[Operation Market Garden]] in September 1944, when British and allied paratroop forces captured its strategic road bridge before being overwhelmed by German forces in the area.

[[Leeuwarden]] ([[Frisian]]: ''Ljouwert'') is the capital of the northern province of Friesland; it was also the home town of the spy [[Mata Hari]] and the artist [[M.C. Escher]].
It has a population of 92,000.

[[Utrecht]] is a city of the central province of Utrecht. It is the seat of a bishopric and is a major communications hub and rail center. With a population of 290,000, it is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
The city is best known as the site of lengthy peace negotiations to end the [[Wars of Spanish Succession]] in the 18th century. The resulting peace, called the [[Treaty of Utrecht]], was signed in April 1713.

Hoek van Holland ("Hook of Holland", literally 'corner of Holland') is a port in [[South Holland]], and is administratively part of the city of [[Rotterdam]]. It lies at the outflow of the Nieuwe Waterweg [[canal]] and the [[North Sea]], and is the base for ferry services to [[Harwich]] in eastern [[England]].

==Provinces==

South Holland contains the cities of [[The Hague]] and [[Rotterdam]].

Flevoland is the youngest of the twelve provinces, having the least population (ca. 360,000). It was created in 1986 on two [[polder]]s: just 80 years ago, there was no dry land but the [[Zuiderzee]]. Its capital is [[Lelystad]].

Friesland is a coastal province in the north, home to the [[Frisian]] language and people.

Gelderland borders [[Germany]] to the east, and extends north to the [[Ijsselmeer]]. Gelderland includes the major cities of [[Nijmegen]] and [[Arnhem]], as well as the extensive heathland known as the Veluwe, now a national park.

North Brabant is often referred to as ''Brabant'', as there is no ''south Brabant'' in the Netherlands.
The southern part of the former ''duchy of Brabant'' (including the important cities of [[Antwerp]] and [[Leuven]]) now belongs to Belgium. While [[Eindhoven]] is the biggest city in North Brabant, its capital is [['s-Hertogenbosch]].

==Business==
The Netherlands is the home of the Anglo-Dutch oil company [[Royal Dutch Shell]] . Other well known Dutch or partly Dutch multinationals are [[Unilever]], a company owning many household brands, ''ING Group'', a banking group, ''Ahold'', an international chain of supermarkets, ''Reed Elsevier'', a publishing house, ''Nielsen Company'', owner of the [[Yellow Pages]], and ''Randstad Holding'', a company providing [[human resource services]]. The famous ''Dutch East India Company'', which dominated trade in with South-East Asia in the 17th century, is regarded as the first multinational in history.
The Netherlands has long been famous for its production of flowers, and also for a related economic event, the "[[tulip mania]]" of 1636-1637. [[Tulip]]s were traded on stock exchanges, and bid up to fantastic prices by people who understood that the prices were crazy but hoped to sell at a profit to even crazier investors. Many people mortgaged their homes for a single tulip bulb and in one case an entire brewery was exchanged for a few bulbs. As with all [[economic bubble]]s, when bidding began to lag people tried to sell and the bubble burst with disastrous consequences. Since then the Dutch have been renowned for their carefulness with money and have established a significant presence in the banking and financial sectors.

==King's Day==
April 27 is King's Day - the national holiday to mark the official birthday of the monarch. King's Day is the one day of the year when ordinary Netherlanders are permitted to sell goods on the streets without a license. Consequently, the whole country is turned into a gigantic flea market (garage sale). The primary effect of this is that people buy goods they do not want or need, solely in order to sell them the following year. In an act of patriotism, most of the populace wear orange colored clothing (the national color) to identify with the Royal House Of Orange-Nassau.

Those not involved with selling their surplus belongings celebrate the national holiday at outdoors parties in the cities or with fine weather, spend the free day on a terrace of a pub, or cycle in the national ''Fietsen op Dijken'' tour around the nation's dikes.

==Anne Frank==
[[Anne Frank]] was a famous Jewish girl who hid from Nazis in the house of friends in Amsterdam. She wrote a diary which was later published and became a best seller. Her family left Germany in 1933 because of the Nazis, but the Nazis caught up with her and sent her to Belsen death camp where she died before end of war in 1945. Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam is now a popular tourist attraction.

==Society==
[[Same-sex marriage]] has been recognized by the Dutch government since 2001.<ref>[http://marriage.about.com/cs/samesexmarriage/a/samesex.htm About.com]</ref> Furthermore, legal [[prostitution]], [[euthanasia]], [[abortion]] and its drug policy (see above) make The Netherlands the most liberal country in the world by most standards. Christianity was once the dominant factor in Dutch society and politics, but since the 1970s plays a secondary role in society, with only 15% of the population being [[Protestant]] (2015) and just under 24% are [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]]. There is a rising [[Muslim]] population (5%) which has caused social strains. An overall decline in religion can be seen as of 2004. These days The Netherlands are considered one of the least churchgoing countries in Europe.

===Drug policies===
The Netherlands is noted for its low-crime rate (although comparable to other western European nations) and [[libertarian]] legislation. Examples are licensed prostitution in designated areas of major cities, such as Amsterdam's Red Light District, the legal soft [[drugs]] sold in the country's many coffee shops, [[abortion]] rights, [[same-sex marriage]]s and [[euthanasia]].

Consuming and carrying (for personal use only) the "soft drugs" ([[marijuana]], [[hashish]] and [[hallucinogenic mushrooms]]) were made legal in the Netherlands in 1976 in a final attempt to stop drug-related crime in the 1970s. Soft drugs can be legally purchased by individuals over 18 in the famed (licensed) coffee shops, that do sell coffee as well, but are prohibited from serving alcohol.
The Dutch policy regarding soft drugs (and previously prostitution) is called "gedoogbeleid" (condonement policy). This means that although certain behavior is officially prohibited by law, a condonement clause prevents law enforcement agencies from prosecuting this behavior. This clause is, legally speaking, not a law and can be reverted much easier than a regular law.

The main reason for this policy is to try to split the market for "soft drugs" from the one for "hard drugs", this to avoid that users "upgrade" from soft to "hard drugs" (the latter are still illegal). So in short, the law tries to prevent citizen's exposure to hard drugs by providing a legal context in which to purchase cannabis. The policy also allows the police to focus on the war on hard drugs and criminal trade, and avoid the exhaustive bureaucratic costs associated with low-profile possession busts. In fact, most major cities in the world have similar non-prosecution policies, but the Dutch one is the only nationwide one.

Growing marijuana and hashish for commercial purposes is still officially illegal (it is legal to own up to four plants per household), causing coffee shop owners to rely on illegal homegrown products. Only two state run companies are exempted from this rule in order to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes. Leftist movements have stated that the government should make its mind up: "either make growing marijuana and hashish legal, or ban soft drugs altogether".

Some argue that the legal status of soft drugs has had no significant adverse effects on Dutch society.{{who}} This is probably due to the fact that it has become a more or less socially accepted drug like alcohol and tobacco, removing the need for dealers and effectively terminating cannabis' status as an anti-establishment symbol, and in effect diminishing its' popularity somewhat amongst youth. Some disagree:
* {{marijuana-passive-Dutch}}

== See also ==

*[[Painting of the Dutch Century]]
*[[Gallery of Flemish and Dutch painting]]
*[[Flemish School of Painting]]
*[[Gallery of Dutch Still life Masterpieces]]
*[[Countries of the world - Gross Domestic Product per capita]]

==Bibliography==
===Guides===
* DK. ''Amsterdam'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Amsterdam-EYEWITNESS-TRAVEL-GUIDE-Publishing/dp/075662441X/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-9 excerpt and text search]
* DK. ''Netherlands'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Holland-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Ewart/dp/0789493055/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]
* ''Lonely Planet the Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Netherlands-Travel-Guides/dp/1741042992/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* ''Michelin the Green Guide Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Green-Guide-Netherlands-Guides/dp/2067123319/ref=pd_bbs_sr_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
===Current conditions===
* Delsen, Lei. ''Exit Polder Model? Socioeconomic Changes in the Netherlands'' (2002) [http://www.questia.com/read/113099417?title=Exit%20Polder%20Model%3f%20%20Socioeconomic%20Changes%20in%20the%20Netherlands online edition]
* Mathijs, Ernest, ed. ''The Cinema of the Low Countries.'' (2004). 268 pp.
* Vuijsje, Herman. ''The Politically Correct Netherlands: Since the 1960s.'' (2000). 244 pp.
* White, Colin, et al. ''The Undutchables: An Observation of the Netherlands, Its Culture And Its Inhabitants'' (2005)
===History surveys===
* Arblaster, Paul. ''A History of the Low Countries.'' (2006). 298 pp.
* Blom, J. C. H. and E. Lamberts, eds. ''History of the Low Countries'' (2006) 504pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Low-Countries-J-Blom/dp/1845452720/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]; also [http://www.questia.com/read/1379132?title=History%20of%20the%20Low%20Countries complete edition online]
* Hooker, Mark T. ''The History of Holland'' (1999) 264pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Holland-Greenwood-Histories-Nations/dp/0313306583/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209805742&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
* Israel, Jonathan. ''The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477-1806'' (1995) a major synthesis; [http://www.questia.com/read/91981119?title=The%20Dutch%20Republic%3a%20Its%20Rise%2c%20Greatness%2c%20and%20Fall%2c%201477-1806 complete online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Republic-Greatness-1477-1806-History/dp/0198207344/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Kossmann, E. H. ''The Low Countries 1780-1940'' (1978)
* van Oostrom, Frits, and Hubert Slings. ''A Key to Dutch History'' (2007)
* Pirenne, Henri. ''Belgian Democracy, Its Early History'' (1910, 1915) 250 pp. history of towns in the Low Countries [http://www.questia.com/read/1276323?title=Belgian%20Democracy%2c%20Its%20Early%20History online free]
* Rietbergen, P.J.A.N. ''A Short History of the Netherlands. From Prehistory to the Present Day''. 5th ed. Amersfoort: Bekking, 2002. ISBN 9061094402
* Vlekke, Bernard H. M. ''Evolution of the Dutch Nation'' (1945) 382 pp. [http://www.questia.com/read/82243176?title=Evolution%20of%20the%20Dutch%20Nation online edition]

==Online resources==
* [http://www.iisg.nl/ International Institute of Social History (IISH)]
* [http://www.minbuza.nl/history/en/home History of the Netherlands, introduction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
* [http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/lowcountries/dutchrevolt.html Dutch revolt: maps]

==References==
<references/>

{{European Union}}

[[Category:Dutch History]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]

Netherlands

2019-03-22T11:49:00Z

Boer Republican: Mentioned a interesting fact about Intentional flooding during war time.

{{Country|
|map=Netherlands rel87.jpg
|map2=Netherlands location.PNG
|flag=Netherlandsflag.gif
|arms=
|capital=Amsterdam
|government=Constitutional monarchy
|language=Dutch
|king=Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
|president=
|chancellor=
|pm=Mark Rutte
|area=41,526 km² (18,41% water)
|pop=17,016,967
|pop-basis=2016
|gdp-year=2006 (est)
|gdp-pc=$35,078
|currency=Euro (€) (EUR)
|idd=31
|tld=.nl
}}
:''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 major ethnic groups in the Netherlands are [[Dutch]] 79%, Turks 2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccans 2%.

==History==
See [[History of the Netherlands]]

==Dike system==
The term "Netherlands" means "low country": about a quarter of the land area, containing more than half of the population, is actually below sea level, and would flood if the sea were not held back by a system of [[dike]]s. The Dutch have a saying that "God created the earth, but the Dutch made Holland".

A major breach of the dikes occurred in 1953, killing 1800 people. To avoid a repeat of the disaster the Dutch began construction of the "Delta Project" to protect the country from future inundations. Begun in 1953 and completed in 2002 the Delta Project is considered a modern wonder of civil engineering. After [[Hurricane Katrina]], a delegation of American engineers was invited by the Dutch government to see how the project works and how its technology can be applied in the United States for low-lying cities like [[New Orleans]]. Intentional Flooding of the countryside has also been used to halt invading armies, dating back to the 80 years war.

==Major cities==
[[Amsterdam]], named for the Amstel river, is the largest city, and the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is ringed by an extensive system of concentric canals. The seat of government, however, is located for historical reasons in [[The Hague]] (''Den Haag'').

[[Eindhoven]], a city of the southern province of Brabant, is the location of the giant electronics corporation, '''Philips''' (full name: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.), with annual revenue equivalent to about $40 billion. (The U.S. corporation [[General Electric]] has revenues of about $150 billion, but much of it is from non-electronics businesses). The Eindhoven area is known for its high concentration of high-tech industires, which include '''ASML''', the world primary producer of lithography system for the production of semiconductors, and '''Océ''', a leading producer of printers and copiers.

[[Groningen]] is home to many branches of ''KPN'', the former state company of Post, Telegraphy and Telephony. It had its headquarters in Groningen when it was still state run, and move to [[The Hague]] since. ''KPN'' stands for ''Koninklijke PTT Nederland'', or ''Royal PTT Netherlands''. Groningen is also home to ''Gasunie'' (Gasunion), a public-private partnership that exploits the natural gas reseves in the province of Groningen and the adjoint [[North Sea]].

[[File:Jongkind A Windmill near Delft 1857.jpg|thumb|left|[[Johan Barthold Jongkind]], A Windmill near Delft, 1857.]]
[[Delft]] is a small town in [[South Holland]], situated between [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]]. It is noted for the blue-and-white Delft pottery, and as the home of the great artist [[Jan Vermeer]].

[[Arnhem]] is a city in Gelderland, lying on the north bank of the Lower Rhine river. It was the scene of a major battle during [[Operation Market Garden]] in September 1944, when British and allied paratroop forces captured its strategic road bridge before being overwhelmed by German forces in the area.

[[Leeuwarden]] ([[Frisian]]: ''Ljouwert'') is the capital of the northern province of Friesland; it was also the home town of the spy [[Mata Hari]] and the artist [[M.C. Escher]].
It has a population of 92,000.

[[Utrecht]] is a city of the central province of Utrecht. It is the seat of a bishopric and is a major communications hub and rail center. With a population of 290,000, it is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
The city is best known as the site of lengthy peace negotiations to end the [[Wars of Spanish Succession]] in the 18th century. The resulting peace, called the [[Treaty of Utrecht]], was signed in April 1713.

Hoek van Holland ("Hook of Holland", literally 'corner of Holland') is a port in [[South Holland]], and is administratively part of the city of [[Rotterdam]]. It lies at the outflow of the Nieuwe Waterweg [[canal]] and the [[North Sea]], and is the base for ferry services to [[Harwich]] in eastern [[England]].

==Provinces==

South Holland contains the cities of [[The Hague]] and [[Rotterdam]].

Flevoland is the youngest of the twelve provinces, having the least population (ca. 360,000). It was created in 1986 on two [[polder]]s: just 80 years ago, there was no dry land but the [[Zuiderzee]]. Its capital is [[Lelystad]].

Friesland is a coastal province in the north, home to the [[Frisian]] language and people.

Gelderland borders [[Germany]] to the east, and extends north to the [[Ijsselmeer]]. Gelderland includes the major cities of [[Nijmegen]] and [[Arnhem]], as well as the extensive heathland known as the Veluwe, now a national park.

North Brabant is often referred to as ''Brabant'', as there is no ''south Brabant'' in the Netherlands.
The southern part of the former ''duchy of Brabant'' (including the important cities of [[Antwerp]] and [[Leuven]]) now belongs to Belgium. While [[Eindhoven]] is the biggest city in North Brabant, its capital is [['s-Hertogenbosch]].

==Business==
The Netherlands is the home of the Anglo-Dutch oil company [[Royal Dutch Shell]] . Other well known Dutch or partly Dutch multinationals are [[Unilever]], a company owning many household brands, ''ING Group'', a banking group, ''Ahold'', an international chain of supermarkets, ''Reed Elsevier'', a publishing house, ''Nielsen Company'', owner of the [[Yellow Pages]], and ''Randstad Holding'', a company providing [[human resource services]]. The famous ''Dutch East India Company'', which dominated trade in with South-East Asia in the 17th century, is regarded as the first multinational in history.
The Netherlands has long been famous for its production of flowers, and also for a related economic event, the "[[tulip mania]]" of 1636-1637. [[Tulip]]s were traded on stock exchanges, and bid up to fantastic prices by people who understood that the prices were crazy but hoped to sell at a profit to even crazier investors. Many people mortgaged their homes for a single tulip bulb and in one case an entire brewery was exchanged for a few bulbs. As with all [[economic bubble]]s, when bidding began to lag people tried to sell and the bubble burst with disastrous consequences. Since then the Dutch have been renowned for their carefulness with money and have established a significant presence in the banking and financial sectors.

==King's Day==
April 27 is King's Day - the national holiday to mark the official birthday of the monarch. King's Day is the one day of the year when ordinary Netherlanders are permitted to sell goods on the streets without a license. Consequently, the whole country is turned into a gigantic flea market (garage sale). The primary effect of this is that people buy goods they do not want or need, solely in order to sell them the following year. In an act of patriotism, most of the populace wear orange colored clothing (the national color) to identify with the Royal House Of Orange-Nassau.

Those not involved with selling their surplus belongings celebrate the national holiday at outdoors parties in the cities or with fine weather, spend the free day on a terrace of a pub, or cycle in the national ''Fietsen op Dijken'' tour around the nation's dikes.

==Anne Frank==
[[Anne Frank]] was a famous Jewish girl who hid from Nazis in the house of friends in Amsterdam. She wrote a diary which was later published and became a best seller. Her family left Germany in 1933 because of the Nazis, but the Nazis caught up with her and sent her to Belsen death camp where she died before end of war in 1945. Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam is now a popular tourist attraction.

==Society==
[[Same-sex marriage]] has been recognized by the Dutch government since 2001.<ref>[http://marriage.about.com/cs/samesexmarriage/a/samesex.htm About.com]</ref> Furthermore, legal [[prostitution]], [[euthanasia]], [[abortion]] and its drug policy (see above) make The Netherlands the most liberal country in the world by most standards. Christianity was once the dominant factor in Dutch society and politics, but since the 1970s plays a secondary role in society, with only 15% of the population being [[Protestant]] (2015) and just under 24% are [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]]. There is a rising [[Muslim]] population (5%) which has caused social strains. An overall decline in religion can be seen as of 2004. These days The Netherlands are considered one of the least churchgoing countries in Europe.

===Drug policies===
The Netherlands is noted for its low-crime rate (although comparable to other western European nations) and [[libertarian]] legislation. Examples are licensed prostitution in designated areas of major cities, such as Amsterdam's Red Light District, the legal soft [[drugs]] sold in the country's many coffee shops, [[abortion]] rights, [[same-sex marriage]]s and [[euthanasia]].

Consuming and carrying (for personal use only) the "soft drugs" ([[marijuana]], [[hashish]] and [[hallucinogenic mushrooms]]) were made legal in the Netherlands in 1976 in a final attempt to stop drug-related crime in the 1970s. Soft drugs can be legally purchased by individuals over 18 in the famed (licensed) coffee shops, that do sell coffee as well, but are prohibited from serving alcohol.
The Dutch policy regarding soft drugs (and previously prostitution) is called "gedoogbeleid" (condonement policy). This means that although certain behavior is officially prohibited by law, a condonement clause prevents law enforcement agencies from prosecuting this behavior. This clause is, legally speaking, not a law and can be reverted much easier than a regular law.

The main reason for this policy is to try to split the market for "soft drugs" from the one for "hard drugs", this to avoid that users "upgrade" from soft to "hard drugs" (the latter are still illegal). So in short, the law tries to prevent citizen's exposure to hard drugs by providing a legal context in which to purchase cannabis. The policy also allows the police to focus on the war on hard drugs and criminal trade, and avoid the exhaustive bureaucratic costs associated with low-profile possession busts. In fact, most major cities in the world have similar non-prosecution policies, but the Dutch one is the only nationwide one.

Growing marijuana and hashish for commercial purposes is still officially illegal (it is legal to own up to four plants per household), causing coffee shop owners to rely on illegal homegrown products. Only two state run companies are exempted from this rule in order to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes. Leftist movements have stated that the government should make its mind up: "either make growing marijuana and hashish legal, or ban soft drugs altogether".

Some argue that the legal status of soft drugs has had no significant adverse effects on Dutch society.{{who}} This is probably due to the fact that it has become a more or less socially accepted drug like alcohol and tobacco, removing the need for dealers and effectively terminating cannabis' status as an anti-establishment symbol, and in effect diminishing its' popularity somewhat amongst youth. Some disagree:
* {{marijuana-passive-Dutch}}

== See also ==

*[[Painting of the Dutch Century]]
*[[Gallery of Flemish and Dutch painting]]
*[[Flemish School of Painting]]
*[[Gallery of Dutch Still life Masterpieces]]
*[[Countries of the world - Gross Domestic Product per capita]]

==Bibliography==
===Guides===
* DK. ''Amsterdam'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Amsterdam-EYEWITNESS-TRAVEL-GUIDE-Publishing/dp/075662441X/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-9 excerpt and text search]
* DK. ''Netherlands'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Holland-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Ewart/dp/0789493055/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]
* ''Lonely Planet the Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Netherlands-Travel-Guides/dp/1741042992/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* ''Michelin the Green Guide Netherlands'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Green-Guide-Netherlands-Guides/dp/2067123319/ref=pd_bbs_sr_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443999&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
===Current conditions===
* Delsen, Lei. ''Exit Polder Model? Socioeconomic Changes in the Netherlands'' (2002) [http://www.questia.com/read/113099417?title=Exit%20Polder%20Model%3f%20%20Socioeconomic%20Changes%20in%20the%20Netherlands online edition]
* Mathijs, Ernest, ed. ''The Cinema of the Low Countries.'' (2004). 268 pp.
* Vuijsje, Herman. ''The Politically Correct Netherlands: Since the 1960s.'' (2000). 244 pp.
* White, Colin, et al. ''The Undutchables: An Observation of the Netherlands, Its Culture And Its Inhabitants'' (2005)
===History surveys===
* Arblaster, Paul. ''A History of the Low Countries.'' (2006). 298 pp.
* Blom, J. C. H. and E. Lamberts, eds. ''History of the Low Countries'' (2006) 504pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Low-Countries-J-Blom/dp/1845452720/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]; also [http://www.questia.com/read/1379132?title=History%20of%20the%20Low%20Countries complete edition online]
* Hooker, Mark T. ''The History of Holland'' (1999) 264pp [http://www.amazon.com/History-Holland-Greenwood-Histories-Nations/dp/0313306583/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209805742&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
* Israel, Jonathan. ''The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477-1806'' (1995) a major synthesis; [http://www.questia.com/read/91981119?title=The%20Dutch%20Republic%3a%20Its%20Rise%2c%20Greatness%2c%20and%20Fall%2c%201477-1806 complete online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Republic-Greatness-1477-1806-History/dp/0198207344/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209443552&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Kossmann, E. H. ''The Low Countries 1780-1940'' (1978)
* van Oostrom, Frits, and Hubert Slings. ''A Key to Dutch History'' (2007)
* Pirenne, Henri. ''Belgian Democracy, Its Early History'' (1910, 1915) 250 pp. history of towns in the Low Countries [http://www.questia.com/read/1276323?title=Belgian%20Democracy%2c%20Its%20Early%20History online free]
* Rietbergen, P.J.A.N. ''A Short History of the Netherlands. From Prehistory to the Present Day''. 5th ed. Amersfoort: Bekking, 2002. ISBN 9061094402
* Vlekke, Bernard H. M. ''Evolution of the Dutch Nation'' (1945) 382 pp. [http://www.questia.com/read/82243176?title=Evolution%20of%20the%20Dutch%20Nation online edition]

==Online resources==
* [http://www.iisg.nl/ International Institute of Social History (IISH)]
* [http://www.minbuza.nl/history/en/home History of the Netherlands, introduction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
* [http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/lowcountries/dutchrevolt.html Dutch revolt: maps]

==References==
<references/>

{{European Union}}

[[Category:Dutch History]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]