Belanda

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden

Belanda (bahasa Belanda: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, secara harfiah berarti "Kerajaan Tanah-Tanah Rendah") adalah sebuah negara di Eropa bagian barat laut. Di sebelah timur negara ini berbatasan dengan Jerman, di sebelah selatan dengan Belgia dan di sebelah barat dengan Laut Utara.

(Bendera)

(Lambang)

Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Perancis: "Saya akan mempertahankan") Lagu kebangsaan: Wilhelmus

Ibu kota

Amsterdam, Den Haag 1

5221 LU 0452 BT

Kota terbesar Bahasa resmi Pemerintahan Ratu Perdana Menteri

Amsterdam Belanda, Frisia Monarki konstitusional Beatrix Jan Peter Balkenende Dari Spanyol 26 Juli 1581 30 Januari 1648 41.526 km (131) 18,41% 16.570.613 (58) 395 jiwa/km; (15) perk. 2005 US$477,4 miliar (23) US$29.332 (15) Euro
3 2

Kemerdekaan - Proklamasi - Diakui Wilayah - Total - Air (%) Penduduk - Perk. 2007 - Sensus - Kepadatan PDB (PPP) - Total - Per kapita Mata uang Zona waktu - Musim panas (DST) TLD Kode telepon

(EUR)

(UTC+1) (UTC+2) .nl

+31

1. Amsterdam adalah ibu kota konstitusi; Den Haag

Kata Belanda dalam bahasa Indonesia diambil dari bahasa Portugis: Holanda -> olanda -> wolanda -> bolanda -> "Belanda". Belanda adalah salah satu negara yang pernah menguasai Indonesia dan baru mengakui kedaulatan Indonesia pada tanggal 27 Desember 1949, namun sekarang mengakui Indonesia merdeka pada 17 Agustus 1945. Belanda merupakan salah satu negara yang terpadat di dunia dan kebanyakan tanahnya berada di bawah permukaan laut. Belanda juga terkenal dengan dijk (tanggul), kincir angin, terompa kayu, tulip dan sifat terbuka masyarakatnya. Sifat liberalnya menjadi sebutan masyarakat internasional. Belanda juga menjadi tempat kedudukan Mahkamah Internasional. Amsterdam merupakan ibu kota Belanda dan Den Haag pusat administrasi dan kediaman Ratu Belanda.

Sejarah
Di bawah pemerintahan Karel V (kaisar Romawi Suci dan raja Spanyol) kawasan ini (kini Belanda) merupakan salah satu dari 17 daerah Belanda, yaitu daerah yang meliputi sebagian besar kawasan yang dikenal hari ini sebagai Belgia, Luxemburg dan Utara Perancis. Selepas mendapat kemerdekaan dari Phillip II (anak lelaki Karel V) pada 1648, Belanda menjadi sebuah negara republik yang dinamakan Republik Tujuh Belanda Bersatu (Republiek der Zeven Provincin). Republik ini menjadi penguasa ekonomi dan penjelajah laut yang mahir pada abad ke 17. Zaman ini dikenal sebagai Zaman Keemasan Belanda. Antara perusahaan-perusahaan internasional yang berawal di sini termasuk VOC. Belanda pernah mempunyai beberapa koloni, salah satu yang paling ternama adalah Dutch East Indies (yakni Indonesia) dan Suriname (nantinya di barter dengan Inggris untuk New Amsterdam, atau sekarang dikenal dengan New York). Koloni ini pertama diadministrasi oleh Dutch East India Company dan Dutch West India Company, keduanya adalah dua perusahaan milik pribadi. Tiga abad kemudian, perusahaan ini mendapat kesulitan finansial dan teritori dimana mereka beroperasi diambil alih oleh pemerintahan Belanda (pada tahun 1815 dan 1791). Pada saat inilah daerah tersebut menjadi koloni resmi pemerintahan Belanda Belanda masuk ke dalam Kekaisaran Perancis oleh Napoleon Bonaparte, yang kemudian dibebaskan selepas kekalahannya. Selepas itu, Kerajaan Belanda didirikan pada 1815 dengan meliputi kawasan yang dikenali pada hari ini sebagai Belgia dan Luxemburg. Belgia mendapat kemerdekaan pada 1830, sedangkan Luxemburg berpisah selepas kematian Raja Willem III. Pada abad ke-19,

Belanda sudah menjadi sebuah negara industri yang sebanding dengan negara negara tetangganya. Pada abad ke-19. Belanda dapat dikategorikan 'lamban' dalam proses industrialisasi jika dibandingkan oleh negara tetangganya, terutama karena ketergantungannya terhadap infrastruktur air dan kekuatan angin. Belanda bersifat netral semasa Perang Dunia I dan Perang Dunia II. Belanda ditaklukkan oleh Nazi pada Mei 1940 pada saat perang dunia ke II, dan memaksanya untuk menjadi anggota sekutu. Belanda secara sekejap dalam masa itu untuk didominasi oleh Nazi. Lebih dari 100000 Yahudi-Belanda dibunuh semasa itu. Perkumpulan Bersenjata Abad ke-21 (The 21st Century Army Group) melaksanakan operasi militer yang bertujuan untuk membebaskan Belanda setelah pertentangan oleh warga Normandy, Inggris, Kanada, Polandia dan Amerika yang bertempur di Belanda mulai dari tahun 1944 sampai Belanda dibebaskan tahun 1945. Selepas perang, ekonomi Belanda menjadi semakin maju dengan Belanda menjadi anggota Benelux dan Komunitas Eropa. Belanda juga menjadi anggota NATO.Belanda merupakan negara perintis Uni Eropa saat pendirian organisasi itu pada 1992.

Daerah
Peta Belanda, dengan titik merah menandakan ibu kota provinsi dan titik hitam menandakan kota terkenal lainnya. Belanda dibagi kepada 12 kawasan administrasi yang dinamai provinsi (provincies).

Groningen Friesland/Frysln Drenthe Overijssel Flevoland Gelderland

Utrecht Noord-Holland (Holland Utara) Zuid-Holland (Holland Selatan) Zeeland Noord-Brabant (Brabant Utara) Limburg

Setiap daerah terbagi atas kota-kota (gemeenten). Ada beberapa pulau di Karibia yang berada di bawah pemerintahan Belanda: Antillen Belanda dan Aruba.

Geografi
Salah satu bentuk muka yang menarik di Belanda ialah permukaan tanahnya sangat rata. Hampir separuh daripada negara Belanda berada kurang 1 meter dpl. Walaupun demikian, provinsi Limburg, yang berada di bagian tengara negeri Belanda, sedikit berbukit.Permukaan tertinggi ialah Vaalserberg, yang berada di provinsi Limburg, mempunyai ketinggian 321 m. Permukaan yang terendah ialah Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, yang berada 6.76 dibawah permukaan laut. Banyak tanah rendah dikawal oleh dijk dan dinding laut. Sebagian kawasan di Belanda, misalnya daerah Flevoland, mesti direklamasi. Kawasan yang direklamasi itu dipanggil polder. Salah satu konstruksi yang terkenal ialah "Afsluitdijk" (Penutup Tanggul), yang memisahkan danau IJssel (IJsselmeer, dulunya disebut laut Zuider atau Zuiderzee) dengan laut Wadden (Waddenzee). Panjang dari tanggul ini 32 km dan lebarnya 90 m. Negara ini dibagi kepada dua bagian utama oleh sungai Rhine (Rijn), Waal, dan Maas. Arah angin yang utama di Belanda ialah barat daya, yang menyebabkan iklim kepulauan yang sederhana, dengan musim panas yang dingin dan musim sejuk yang sederhana.

Ekonomi
Belanda mempunyai ekonomi yang maju dan terbuka yang mana pemerintahan telah mengurangi peranannya dalam mengawal ekonomi Belanda sejak 1980-an. Aktivitas ekonomi utama di Belanda adalah termasuk pemrosesan makanan, bahan kimia, pemrosesan minyak, dan pembuatan mesin listrik. Walaupun sektor pertaniannya hanya menyediakan peluang pekerjaan kurang dari 4% populasi, Belanda mampu menghasilkan kelebihan dalam industri makanan untuk diekspor. Belanda menduduki urutan ketiga dalam daftar pengekspor makanan, setelah Amerika Serikat dan Perancis. Sebagai negara perintis Euro, Belanda menggantikan mata uang lamanya, gulden, pada 1 Januari 2002.

Budaya
Belanda mempunyai banyak pelukis ternama. Ketika abad ke-17, Belanda melahirkan banyak pelukis andal seperti Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen dan lain-lain. Pelukis ternama

abad ke-19 dan 20 pula ialah Vincent van Gogh dan Piet Mondriaan selain M.C. Escher (ahli seni grafik) dan Han van Meegeren (pemalsu seni)*[1]. Belanda juga merupakan tanah air Desiderius Erasmus dan Baruch de Spinoza. Ren Descartes pula banyak menjalankan pekerjaannya di Belanda. Belanda menjadi umum pada 14 SM dalam Reformasi Bahasa Hoovers van Otton(14 SM-29 M dalam budaya Tradisi Belanda kebanyakan Bahasa Belanda (92%)

Olahraga
Secara umum, orang Belanda menyukai olahraga. Bila dilihat dari jumlah penduduknya yang relatif sedikit, negara Belanda banyak memenangkan piala di kejuaraan internasional. Contohnya, pada olimpiade musim panas di Sydney (2000), Belanda berada di tempat ke delapan dalam memenangkan piala emas. Sepak bola adalah cabang olahraga yang paling populer. Selain itu, berenang, sepeda balap, tenis, dan bola voli juga digemari.

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: "Het Wilhelmus"

Location of Netherlands (orange) on the European continent (camel & white) in the European Union (camel) [Legend] Capital (and largest city) Official languages Ethnic groups Amsterdam[2] 5221N, 0452E Dutch[3]

80.9% Ethnic Dutch 19.1% various others Demonym Dutch Parliamentary democracy and Government Constitutional monarchy - Monarch Queen Beatrix Prime Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA) Minister through the Eighty Years' War Independence from Philip II of Spain - Declared July 26, 1581 - Recognised January 30, 1648[4] EU accession March 25, 1957 Area 41,526 km (135th) - Total 16,033 sq mi - Water (%) 18.41 Population 2008 estimat 16,408,557 (61st) e 395/km (25th) - Density 1,023/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate - Total 670,929 Billion (16th) - Per capita $35,078 (10th) GDP (nominal) 2005 estimate - Total $625.271 billion (16th) - Per capita $38,618 (10th) HDI (2005) 0.953 (high) (9th)

Currency Euro ()[5] (EUR) Time zone CET (UTC+1) Summer (DS CEST (UTC+2) T) Internet TLD .nl[6] Calling code +31 ^ The literal translation of the motto is "I will 1 maintain". Here "maintain" is taken to mean to stand firm or to hold ground. ^ While Amsterdam is the constitutional 2 capital, The Hague is the seat of the government. ^ West Frisian is also an official language in the Netherlands, although only spoken in 3 Friesland; Dutch Low Saxon and Limburgish are officially recognised as regional languages. 4 ^ Peace of Westphalia 5 ^ Before 2002: Dutch guilder. 6 ^ The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states. The Netherlands [nlndz] (helpinfo) (Dutch: Nederland (helpinfo), IPA: [ne:drlnt]) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean. The Netherlands is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy, located in Western Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are merely two of its twelve provinces. For more on this issue see terminology of the Netherlands. The word Dutch is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything indigenous to the Netherlands. The Netherlands has an international outlook. Among other affiliations the country is a founding member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, and has signed the Kyoto protocol. With Belgium and Luxembourg it constitutes the Benelux economic union. The country is host to five international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Jusztice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The former four are situated in The Hague as is the EU's criminal intelligence agency Europol. This has led to the city being dubbed "the world's legal capital."[1] The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 27% of its area and 60% of its population located below sea level. [2][3] Significant areas have been gained through land reclamation and preserved through an elaborate systems of polders and dikes. Much of the Netherlands is formed by the estuary of three important European rivers, which together

with their distributaries form the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. Most of the country is very flat, with the exception of foothills of the Ardennes in the far southeast and several low-hill ranges in the central parts created by ice-age glaciers. The Netherlands is a densely populated country. It is popular for its traditional windmills, tulips, cheese, clogs (wooden shoes), delftware and gouda pottery, for its bicycles, and in addition, traditional values and civil virtues such as its classic social tolerance. Being an old parliamentary democracy, the country is more recently known for its rather modern, liberal policies toward drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, and euthanasia. Geography Main article: Geography of the Netherlands Rivers

Map of the Netherlands The country is divided into two main parts by three large rivers, the Rhine (Rijn) and its main distributary Waal, as well as the Meuse (Maas). These rivers function as a natural barrier between earlier fiefdoms, and hence created traditionally a cultural divide, as is evident in some phonetic traits that are recognisable north and south of these "Large Rivers" ( de Grote Rivieren). In addition to this, there was, until quite recently, a clear religious dominance of Catholics in the south and of Protestants in the north. The south-western part of the Netherlands is actually a massive river delta of these rivers and two tributaries of the Scheldt (Westerschelde and Oosterschelde). Only one significant branch of the Rhine flows northeastwards, the IJssel river, discharging into the IJsselmeer, the former Zuiderzee ('southern sea'). This river also happens to form a linguistic divide. People to the east of this river speak Low Saxon dialects (except for the province of Friesland that has its own language).[8] Floods In years past, the Dutch coastline has changed considerably as a result of human intervention and natural disasters. Most notable in terms of land loss is the 1134 storm, which created the archipelago of Zeeland in the south west. The St. Elizabeth flood of 1421 and the mismanagement in its

aftermath destroyed a newly reclaimed polder, replacing it with the 72 square kilometres (28 sq mi) Biesbosch tidal floodplains in the southcentre. The most recent parts of Zeeland were flooded during the North Sea Flood of 1953 when 1,836 people were killed, after which the Delta Plan was executed.

Panoramic view of windmills at Kinderdijk The disasters were partially increased in severity through human influence. People had drained relatively high lying swampland to use it as farmland. This drainage caused the fertile peat to compress and the ground level to drop, locking the land users in a vicious circle whereby they would lower the water level to compensate for the drop in ground level, causing the underlying peat to compress even more. The problem remains unsolvable to this day. Also, up until the 19th century peat was mined, dried, and used for fuel, further adding to the problem. To guard against floods, a series of defences against the water were contrived. In the first millennium AD, villages and farmhouses were built on man-made hills called terps. Later, these terps were connected by dykes. In the 12th century, local government agencies called "waterschappen" (English "water bodies") or "hoogheemraadschappen" ("high home councils") started to appear, whose job it was to maintain the water level and to protect a region from floods. (These agencies exist to this day, performing the same function.) As the ground level dropped, the dykes by necessity grew and merged into an integrated system. By the 13th century, windmills had come into use in order to pump water out of areas below sea level. The windmills were later used to drain lakes, creating the famous polders. In 1932, the Afsluitdijk (English "Closure Dyke") was completed, blocking the former Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) from the North Sea and thus creating the IJsselmeer (IJssel Lake). It became part of the larger Zuiderzee Works in which four polders totalling 2,500 km2 (965 mi2) were reclaimed from the sea.[9][10] Delta works Main article: Delta Works After the 1953 disaster, the Delta project, a vast construction effort designed to end the threat from the sea once and for all, was launched in 1958 and largely completed in 2002. The official goal of the Delta project was to reduce the risk of flooding in the province of Zeeland to once per 10,000 years. (For the rest of the country, the protection-level is once per 4,000 years.) This was achieved by raising 3,000 kilometres (1,864 miles)

of outer sea-dykes and 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) of inner, canal, and river dikes to "delta" height, and by closing off the sea estuaries of the Zeeland province. New risk assessments occasionally show problems requiring additional Delta project dyke reinforcements. The Delta project is one of the largest construction efforts in human history and is considered by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Additionally, the Netherlands is one of the countries that may suffer most from climatic change. Not only is the rising sea a problem, but also erratic weather patterns may cause the rivers to overflow. [11][12][13] Climate

Satellite image of the Netherlands (May 6, 2000) The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is south-west, which causes a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. The following tables are based on mean measurements by the KNMI weather station in De Bilt between 1971 and 2000:

Month

Ja Fe M Ap M Ju Au Se Oc N D Ye Jul n b ar r ay n g p t ov ec ar

Avg. highest temp. (C)

5. 9. 12. 17. 19. 22. 22. 18. 14. 9. 6. 13. 6.1 2 6 9 6 8 1 3 7 2 1 4 7

Avg. lowest temp. (C)

0. 2. 10. 12. 12. 3. 1. 3.5 7.5 9.6 6.5 5.7 0 0.1 0 2 5 0 2 3

Avg. temp. (C)

2. 5. 12. 15. 17. 17. 14. 10. 6. 4. 3.0 8.3 9.8 8 8 7 2 4 2 2 3 2 0

Month

Ja Fe M A M Ju Ju A Se O N D Ye n b ar pr ay n l ug p ct ov ec ar

Avg. precipitation (mm)

67 48 65 45 62 72 70 58 72 77 81 77

79 3

Avg. hours sunshine

52 79

11 15 20 18 19 19 13 10 15 60 44 4 8 4 7 6 2 3 6 24

Nature See also: List of national parks of the Netherlands and List of extinct animals of the Netherlands. National Park Schiermonnikoog. The Netherlands has 20 national parks and hundreds of other nature reserves. Most are owned by Staatsbosbeheer and Natuurmonumenten and include lakes, heathland, woods, dunes and other habitats. Phytogeographically, the Netherlands are shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of the Netherlands belongs to the ecoregion of Atlantic mixed forests. In 1871 the last old original natural woods (Beekbergerwoud) were cut down and most woods today are planted monocultures of trees like Scots Pine and trees that are not native to the Netherlands. These woods were planted on anthropogenic heaths and sand-drifts (overgrazed heaths) (Veluwe). Government and administration Government

Thorbecke reformed the Dutch government to a parliamentary monarchy. The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy since 1815 and a parliamentary democracy since 1848; before that it had been a republic from 1581 to 1806, a kingdom between 1806 and 1810, and a part of France between 1810 and 1813. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state. Dutch politics and governance are characterised by an effort to achieve broad consensus on important issues, within both the political community and society as a whole. In 2007, The Economist ranked The Netherlands as the third most democratic country in the world. The monarch is the head of state, at present Queen Beatrix. Constitutionally, the position is equipped with considerable powers, but in practice it has become a ceremonial function. The monarch can exert most influence during the formation of a new cabinet, where they serve as neutral arbiter between the political parties.

In practice, the executive power is formed by the ministerraad, the Dutch cabinet. The cabinet consists usually of thirteen to sixteen ministers and a varying number of state secretaries. One to three ministers are ministers without portfolio. The head of government is the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, who often is the leader of the largest party of the coalition. In fact, this has been continuously the case since 1973. The Prime Minister is a primus inter pares, meaning he has no explicit powers beyond those of the other ministers.

The Binnenhof is the centre of Dutch politics. The cabinet is responsible to the bicameral parliament, the States-General which also has legislative powers. The 150 members of the Second Chamber, the Lower House, are elected in direct elections, which are held every four years or after the fall of the cabinet (by example: when one of the chambers carries a motion of no-confidence, the cabinet offers her resignation to the monarch). The provincial assemblies are directly elected every four years as well. The members of the provincial assemblies elect the 75 members of the First Chamber, the upper house, which has less legislative powers, as it can merely reject laws, not propose or amend them. Both trade unions and employers organisations are consulted beforehand in policymaking in the financial, economic and social areas. They meet regularly with government in the Social-Economic Council. This body advises government and its advice cannot be put aside easily. While historically the Dutch foreign policy was characterised by neutrality, since the Second World War the Netherlands became a member of a large number of international organisations, most prominently the UN, NATO and the EU. The Dutch economy is very open and relies on international trade. The Netherlands has a long tradition of social tolerance. In the 18th century, while the Dutch Reformed Church was the state religion, Catholicism and Judaism were tolerated. In the late 19th century this Dutch tradition of religious tolerance transformed into a system of pillarisation, in which religious groups coexisted separately and only interacted at the level of government. This tradition of tolerance is linked to the Dutch policies on recreational drugs, prostitution, LGBT rights, euthanasia, and abortion which are among the most liberal in the world. Political parties Main article: Political parties of the Netherlands

Dutch Tweede Kamer seats after the 2006 elections PvdD (2) D66 (3) GL (7) SP CU (6) CDA (41) VVD (25) PvdA (33) (22) SGP (2) PVV (9) Due to the multi-party system no single party has ever held a majority in parliament since the 19th century, therefore coalition cabinets have to be formed. Since suffrage became universal in 1919 the Dutch political system has been dominated by three families of political parties: the strongest family were the Christian democrats currently represented by the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), second were the social democrats, of which the Labour Party (PvdA) is currently the largest party and third were the liberals of which the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is the main representative. These cooperated in coalition cabinets in which the Christian democrats had always been partner: so either a centre left coalition of the Christian democrats and social democrats or a centre right coalition of Christian democrats and liberals. In the 1970s the party system became more volatile: the Christian democratic parties lost seats, while new parties, like the radical democrat and progressive liberal D66, became successful. In the 1994 election the CDA lost its dominant position. A "purple" cabinet was formed by the VVD, D66 and PvdA. In 2002 elections this cabinet lost its majority, due to the rise of LPF, a new political party around the flamboyant populist Pim Fortuyn, who was shot to death a week before the elections took place. The elections also saw increased support for the CDA. A short lived cabinet was formed by CDA, VVD and LPF, led by the leader of the Christian democrats, Jan Peter Balkenende. After the 2003 elections in which the LPF lost almost all its seats, a cabinet was formed by the CDA, the VVD and D66. The cabinet initiated an ambitious program of reforming the welfare state, the health care system and immigration policies. In June 2006 the cabinet fell, as D66 voted in favour of a motion of no confidence against minister of immigration and integration Rita Verdonk in the aftermath of the upheaval about the asylum procedure of Ayaan Hirsi Ali instigated by the Dutch immigration minister Verdonk. A care taker cabinet was formed by CDA and VVD, and the general elections were held on 22 November 2006. In these elections the Christian Democratic Appeal remained the largest party and the Socialist Party made the largest gains. The formation of a new cabinet started two days after the elections. Initial investigations toward a CDA-SP-PvdA coalition failed, after which a coalition of CDA, PvdA and ChristianUnion was formed. Administrative divisions Main articles: Provinces of the Netherlands and Municipalities in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is divided into twelve administrative regions, called provinces, each under a Governor, who is called Commissaris van de Koningin (Commissioner of the Queen), except for the province Limburg where the commissioner is called Gouverneur (Governor). All provinces are divided into municipalities (gemeenten), 458 in total (1 January 2006). The country is also subdivided in water districts, governed by a water board (waterschap or hoogheemraadschap), each having authority in matters concerning water management. As of 1 January 2005 there are 27. The creation of water boards actually pre-dates that of the nation itself, the first appearing in 1196. In fact, the Dutch water boards are one of the oldest democratic entities in the world still in existence.

Map of the Netherlands, linking to the province articles; red dots mark provincial capitals and black dots other notable cities or towns. Area Populatio Density Flag Capital Largest (per Province (km) city n[15] km) Drenthe Assen Assen 2,641 486,197 184 Flevoland Lelystad Almere 1,417 374,424 264 Friesland Leeuward Leeuward 3,341 642,209 192 (Frysln) en en Gelderland Arnhem Nijmegen 4,971 1,979,059 398 Groninge Groninge Groningen 2,333 573,614 246 n n Maastrich Maastrich Limburg 2,150 1,127,805 525 t t North (Noord) Den Eindhove 4,916 2,419,042 492 Brabant Bosch n North (Noord) Amsterda Haarlem 2,671 2,613,070 978 Holland m Overijssel Zwolle Enschede 3,325 1,116,374 336 Utrecht Utrecht Utrecht 1,385 1,190,604 860 Zealand Middelbur Middelbur 1,787 380,497 213 (Zeeland) g g The South (Zuid) Hague Rotterda 2,814 3,455,097 1228 Holland (Den m Haag)

Demographics and urbanisation Demographics Main article: Demographics of the Netherlands Population density in the Netherlands, 2006 The Netherlands is the 25th most densely populated country in the world, with 395 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,023 sq mi) or 484 people per square kilometre (1,254/sq mi) if only the land area is counted. The fertility rate in the Netherlands with 1.72 children per woman is high compared to many other European countries, but well below the 2.1-rate required for natural population replacement. [citation needed] Life expectancy is high in the Netherlands: 82 years for newborn girls and 77 for boys (2007). The Dutch people are amongst the tallest in the world, with an average height of about 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) for adult males and 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) for adult females.[16] People in the south are on average about 2 cm shorter than those in the north. [17] The ethnic origins of the citizens of the Netherlands are diverse. Nevertheless, the majority still remains indigenous Dutch. However, from a historic point of view, the latter notion is also to be relativised strongly. [clarify] A 2005 estimate counted:[18]

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

80.9% Dutch 2.4% Indonesian (Indo-Dutch, South Moluccan) 2.4% German 2.2% Turkish 2.0% Surinamese 1.9% Moroccan 0.8% Antillean and Aruban 8. 6.0% other Urbanisation The Netherlands is a very densely populated country, although the cities are modest in size compared to international standards. It is not the size of the biggest cities, but the very high number of middle sized cities and towns, that accounts for the high degree of urbanisation. The capital and largest city is Amsterdam, although the government is located in The Hague. While the word capital is usually defined as the city of the government seat, no Dutchman would ever call The Hague the capital of The Netherlands.

Schematic map of the Randstad The Randstad Main article: Randstad Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, and the largest metropolitan area. The Randstad (literally "Edge City") is a conurbation in the western part of the Netherlands. It consists of the four largest Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht), plus their surrounding areas. With its 7.5 million inhabitants (almost half of the population of the Netherlands; when other conurbations connected to this area are also taken into consideration, it would have a population a little over 10 million, almost two-thirds of the entire Dutch population) it is one of the largest conurbations in Europe. There is discussion to what extent the Randstad may form a single more integrated metropolis in the future. At this moment, urban structures between these cities are not yet developed to such a level that the Randstad could be considered a kind of distributed super-agglomeration. Conurbation is not restricted to the Randstad alone, although the centre of gravity lies there. Quite typically, in the Netherlands there are many medium sized cities, but no truly large ones. Its largest city, Amsterdam with about 750,000 inhabitants in its own municipality, belongs to one of the smaller European capitals. The 10 largest cities

Urbanisation in the Netherlands List of the most populous municipalities according to the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (central statistics agency) in 2006: 1. Amsterdam (North Holland) 744,740 2. Rotterdam (South Holland) 581,615

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

The Hague (Den Haag / 's-Gravenhage) (South Holland) 474,245 Utrecht (Utrecht) 294,742 Eindhoven (North Brabant) 209,601 Tilburg (North Brabant) 200,975 Almere (Flevoland) 183,738 Groningen (Groningen) 180,824 Breda (North Brabant) 170,451 10. Nijmegen (Gelderland) 160,732 However, municipality sizes alone do not reflect the degree of urbanisation in the Netherlands comprehensively. Many of the larger Dutch cities are the cores of a significantly larger urban agglomeration. Language, religion, and culture Language Main articles: Dutch Language and Languages of the Netherlands The official language is Dutch, which is spoken by a majority of the inhabitants, the exception being some groups of immigrants. Another official language is West Frisian, which is spoken in the northern province of Friesland, called Frysln in that language.[19] West Frisian is coofficial only in the province of Friesland, although with a few restrictions. Several dialects of Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch in Dutch) are spoken in much of the north and east, like the Twentse language in the Twente region, and are recognised by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, as well as the Meuse-Rhenish Franconian varieties in the southeastern province of Limburg, here called Limburgish language.[20]

There is a tradition of learning foreign languages in the Netherlands: about 70% of the total population have good knowledge of English, 55 59% of German and 19% of French.[21] Some Dutch secondary schools also teach Latin and Ancient Greek. Religion Main article: Religion in the Netherlands Dom Tower of Utrecht The Netherlands is one of the more secular countries in the Western Europe, with only 39% being religiously affiliated (31% for those aged under 35), although 62% are believers (but 40% of those not in the traditional sense). Fewer than 20% visit church regularly .[22]

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[23] 34% of Dutch citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 37% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 27% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". In 1950, before the secularisation of Europe, and the large settlement of non-Europeans in the Netherlands, most Dutch citizens identified themselves as Christians. In 1950, out of a total population of almost 13 million, a total of 7,261,000 belonged to Protestant denominations, 3,703,000 belonged to the Roman Catholic Church, and 1,641,000 had no acknowledged religion. However, Christian schools are still funded by the government, but the same applies for schools founded on other religions, nowadays Islam in particular. While all schools must meet strict quality criteria, from 1917 the freedom of schools is a basic principle in the Netherlands. Three political parties in the Dutch parliament (CDA, ChristianUnion and SGP) base their policy on the Christian belief system. Culture Vincent Van Gogh (18541890) The Netherlands has had many well-known painters. The 17th century, when the Dutch republic was prosperous, was the age of the "Dutch Masters", such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen, Jacob van Ruysdael and many others. Famous Dutch painters of the 19th and 20th century were Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondriaan. M. C. Escher is a well-known graphics artist. Willem de Kooning was born and trained in Rotterdam, although he is considered to have reached acclaim as an American artist. Han van Meegeren was an infamous Dutch art forger.

Wooden clogs, a symbol of the Netherlands. The Netherlands is the country of philosophers Erasmus of Rotterdam and Spinoza. All of Descartes' major work was done in the Netherlands. The Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens (16291695) discovered Saturn's moon Titan and invented the pendulum clock. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe and describe single-celled organisms with a microscope. In the Dutch Golden Age, literature flourished as well, with Joost van den Vondel and P.C. Hooft as the two most famous writers. In the 19th century, Multatuli wrote about the bad treatment of the natives in Dutch colonies. Important 20th century authors include Harry Mulisch, Jan Wolkers, Simon Vestdijk, Cees Nooteboom, Gerard (van het) Reve and Willem Frederik

Hermans. Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl was published after she died in The Holocaust and translated from Dutch to all major languages. Replicas of Dutch buildings can be found in Huis ten Bosch, Nagasaki, Japan. A similar Holland Village is being built in Shenyang, China. Windmills, tulips, wooden shoes, cheese and Delftware pottery are among the items associated with the Netherlands. Military Main article: Military of the Netherlands Royal Dutch Air Force F-16 Conscription in the Netherlands was suspended in 1996. All military specialities, except the Submarine service and Marine Corps(Korps Mariniers), are open to women. The Dutch Ministry of Defence employs almost over 70,000 personnel, including over 20,000 civilian and over 50,000 military personnel. [24] The military is composed of four branches, all of which carry the prefix Koninklijke (Royal):

Koninklijke Landmacht (KL), the Royal Netherlands Army Koninklijke Marine (KM), the Royal Netherlands Navy, including the Naval Air Service and Marine Corps Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu), the Royal Netherlands Air Force Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMar), the Royal Military Police, tasks include military police and border control

Economy

Aalsmeer Flower Auction is the largest commercial building in the world, and a centre of international flower trade. The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy in which the government has reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food-processing (for example Unilever and Heineken International), chemicals (for example DSM), petroleum refining (for example Royal Dutch Shell), and electrical machinery (for example Philips). In the north of the Netherlands, near Slochteren, one of the largest natural gas fields in the world is situated. So far (2006) exploitation of this field resulted in a total revenue of 159 billion since the mid 1970s. N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie still is the largest public-private partnership P3 world-wide following the global energy-transition of 1963 [25] from coal to gas, coupling oil and gas prices. With just over half of the reserves used

up and an expected continued rise in oil prices, the revenues over the next few decades are expected to be at least that much. [26] The Netherlands has the 16th largest economy in the world, and ranks 10th in GDP (nominal) per capita. Between 1998 and 2000 annual economic growth (GDP) averaged nearly 4%, well above the European average. Growth slowed considerably in 2001-05 due to the global economic slowdown, but accelerated to 4.1% in the third quarter of 2007. Inflation is 1.3% and is expected to stay low at around 1.5% in the coming years. Unemployment is at 4.0% of the labour force. By Eurostat standards however, unemployment in the Netherlands is at only 2.9% - the lowest rate of all European Union member states.[27] The Netherlands also has a relatively low GINI coefficient of 0.326. Despite ranking only 10th in GDP per capita, UNICEF ranked the Netherlands 1st in child well-being.[28] Agriculture and horticulture

Frisian Holstein cows in the Netherlands: Intensive dairy farming is an important part of agriculture. A highly mechanised agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labour force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Dutch rank third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the United States and France, with exports earning $55 billion annually. A significant portion of Dutch agricultural exports are derived from fresh-cut plants, flowers, and bulbs, with the Netherlands exporting two-thirds of the world's total. The Netherlands also exports a quarter of all world tomatoes, and one-third of the world's exports of peppers and cucumbers.[29] The Netherlands' location gives it prime access to markets in the UK and Germany, with the port of Rotterdam being the largest port in Europe. Other important parts of the economy are international trade (Dutch colonialism started with cooperative private enterprises such as the VOC), banking and transport. The Netherlands successfully addressed the issue of public finances and stagnating job growth long before its European partners. Currency As a founding member of the euro, the Netherlands replaced (for accounting purposes) its former currency, the "Gulden" (guilder), on 1 January 1999, along with the other adopters of the single European currency. Actual euro coins and banknotes followed on 1 January 2002. One euro is equivalent to 2.20371 Dutch guilders
sektor industri (Phillips, Ahold, dan Unilever merupakan blue chip industri di Belanda) Kincir angin, sepatu kayu, dam, bunga tulip, dan keju memang merupakan icon terkenal sebagai simbol dari Belanda Rotterdam adalah kota pelabuhan teramai di dunia dan termasuk kota yang berkatrakter karena Rotterdam berbeda dengan kota lainnya di Belanda. Disaat

kota lain cantik dengan bangunan dan atmosfer kota tuanya, Rotterdam gagah dengan atmosfer modern dan kota barunya.