Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country located in Western Europe with territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four countries that make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In Europe, the Netherlands is made up of twelve provinces bordering Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and the North Sea to the northwest, with maritime borders in the North Sea with these countries and the United Kingdom. In the Caribbean, it is made up of three distinct municipalities: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. The country's official language is Dutch, West Frisian is the second official language in the province of Friesland, and English and Papiamento are minor official languages ​​in the Caribbean Netherlands. Lower Saxon Dutch and Limburgish are recognized regional languages ​​(the east and southeast are spoken respectively), while Dutch Sign Language, Sinter Romani and Yiddish are recognized as non-territorial languages.

The four largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. Amsterdam is the country's most populous city and nominal capital, while The Hague is home to the States General, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Supreme Court. The Port of Rotterdam is the busiest seaport in Europe and the busiest in any country outside East and Southeast Asia, second only to China and Singapore. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the busiest airport in the Netherlands and the third busiest airport in Europe. The country is one of the founders of the European Union, Eurozone, G10, NATO, OECD and WTO, and is also a member of the Schengen area and the tripartite Benelux Union. It hosts several intergovernmental organizations and international courts, many of which are based in The Hague, which is therefore called the “world capital”.

The Netherlands literally means “lower countries” due to their low elevation and flat topography, with only about 50% of the country's territory exceeding 1 m (3.3 ft) above sea level and almost 26% below sea level. Most of the areas below sea level, known as polders, are the result of land reclamation that began in the 14th century. Colloquially or informally, the Netherlands is sometimes referred to in pars pro toto Holland. With a population of 17.5 million, all of whom live on a total area of ​​approximately 41,800 km2 (16,100 sq mi), of which the land area is 33,500 km2 (12,900 sq mi), the Netherlands is the 16th country in the world with the highest population density. and the second most populous country in the European Union with 523 people per square kilometer (1,350 people per square kilometer). However, thanks to its fertile soils, mild climate, intensive agriculture and ingenuity, it is the second largest exporter of food and agricultural products in the world.

The Netherlands has been a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a unitary structure since 1848. The country has a tradition of colonization and a long history of social tolerance, legalizing abortion, prostitution and human euthanasia, and adhering to a liberal drug policy. The Netherlands abolished the death penalty in civil law in 1870, although it was not completely abolished until the adoption of a new constitution in 1983. The Netherlands allowed women to vote in 1919 before becoming the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Its developed mixed market economy is ranked eleventh in the world in terms of per capita income. The Netherlands ranks high on international indices for press freedom, economic freedom, human development and quality of life, and happiness. In 2020, it was ranked eighth on the Human Development Index and fifth on the 2021 World Happiness Index.