Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg map (Chinese-English)

Author: Zhou Min, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-05-01
Features:
National Flag: The flag of the Netherlands is rectangular with a length-to-width ratio of 3:2. It consists of three horizontal bands of red, white, and blue, each of equal width. The blue represents the sea-facing aspect of the country and symbolizes the happiness of its people. The white symbolizes freedom, equality, and democracy, as well as the pure character of the people. The red represents revolutionary victory.
National Coat of Arms: The coat of arms is the House of Orange-Nassau royal crest, presented in a mantle. At the top of the mantle is a crown, and inside is a shield bearing a lion on a blue field. The lion wears a three-leaf crown, with one paw gripping a silver Roman sword and the other clutching a bundle of arrows, symbolizing that unity is strength. Above the shield is a crown, with lions on both sides. A blue ribbon at the bottom bears the motto of William the Great, "I will persevere."
National Flower: Tulip
National Bird: Flamingo
National Stone: Diamond
National Leaders: Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard (Beatrix) ascended to the throne on April 30, 1980. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende took office on May 22, 2003.
Windmills near Rotterdam: More than half of the Netherlands lies below sea level, with one-third of the country only 1 meter above sea level. To reclaim land from the sea and expand living space, the Dutch invented windmills as early as 1229. At their peak, there were 9,000 windmills across the country. With the advancement of technology, many windmills have been phased out, but most have been preserved in their original condition to attract tourists.
Natural Geography: 41,528 square kilometers, located in western Europe, bordering Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. It is bounded by the North Sea to the west and north, situated at the delta of the Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt rivers. The coastline is 1,107.5 kilometers long. The country is crisscrossed by rivers, with the Rhine and Meuse being the most prominent. Lake IJssel lies in the northwest. The western coast is low-lying, while the eastern part is a rolling plain. The central and southeastern regions are highlands. The name "Netherlands" in German is "Niederlande," meaning "low countries," as more than half of its territory is below sea level or nearly level with it. The climate is maritime temperate deciduous forest. Due to the low-lying and marshy terrain, the Dutch adopted wooden shoes, which were originally invented by the Gauls in France, and over the centuries, they gave them a distinct Dutch character. To protect their small homeland from being submerged by rising sea levels, the Dutch have long fought against the sea, reclaiming land through dikes and windmills. As early as the 13th century, they built dikes to hold back the sea and then used wind-powered water pumps to drain the water behind the dikes. Over the centuries, the Netherlands has constructed 1,800 kilometers of sea dikes, adding more than 600,000 hectares of land. Today, 20% of the Netherlands is artificially reclaimed land. The phrase "I will persevere" inscribed on the Dutch coat of arms perfectly reflects the national character of the Dutch people.
Population: 16.197 million, over 90% of whom are Dutch. There are also Frisians. The official language is Dutch, while Friesland province speaks Frisian. 31% of the population is Catholic, and 21% is Protestant.
Capital: Amsterdam (population: 735,000 in 2003)
Government Seat: The Hague (population: 458,000 in 2003)
Administrative Divisions: The country is divided into 12 provinces, with 489 municipalities (as of 2003). The names of the provinces are: Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Gelderland, Utrecht, North Holland, South Holland, Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg, and Flevoland.
On September 10, 2003, the new Dutch ambassador to China, Ms. Xue Hanqin, presented her credentials to Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and returned to the embassy in a golden carriage provided by the royal family. According to local customs, whenever an ambassador presents credentials, the Dutch queen assigns a courtier to lead a horse-drawn escort of one golden and one black carriage to the embassy to welcome the ambassador and counselor. After presenting the credentials, the same ceremony is repeated to return to the embassy.
Brief History: Before the 16th century, the Netherlands was long under feudal division. In the early 16th century, it was ruled by Spain. In 1568, a 80-year war of resistance against Spanish rule broke out. In 1581, the seven northern provinces established the Dutch Republic (officially the United Provinces of the Netherlands). Spain formally recognized Dutch independence after 48 years. In the 17th century, the Netherlands was a major maritime colonial power. After the 18th century, the Dutch colonial system gradually disintegrated. In 1795, French forces invaded. In 1806, Napoleon's brother became king, and the Netherlands was declared a kingdom. In 1810, it was annexed by France. In 1814, it separated from France and became the Kingdom of the Netherlands the following year (Belgium gained independence from the Netherlands in 1830). In 1848, it became a constitutional monarchy. During World War I, it maintained neutrality. In the early stages of World War II, it declared neutrality but was occupied by German forces in May 1940. The royal family and government fled to the UK, establishing a government-in-exile. After the war, the Netherlands abandoned neutrality and joined NATO, the European Economic Community (EEC), and later the European Union.
Politics: The Dutch Constitution was promulgated on March 29, 1814, and amended in 1848, establishing the Netherlands as a hereditary constitutional monarchy. Legislative power belongs to the king and parliament, while executive power belongs to the king and the cabinet. The Council of State is the highest advisory body, chaired by the queen, with other members appointed by the queen. The parliament consists of two chambers. The second chamber holds legislative power, while the first chamber has the authority to approve or reject bills but cannot propose or amend them.
Economy: The Netherlands is a developed capitalist country and one of the top ten economies in the West. It has relatively scarce natural resources but abundant natural gas reserves. In 2001, it extracted approximately 74.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas, meeting domestic demand and allowing for exports. The Dutch industrial sector is highly developed, with major industries including food processing, petrochemicals, metallurgy, machinery manufacturing, electronics, steel, shipbuilding, printing, and diamond processing. In recent decades, the Netherlands has focused on developing high-tech industries such as space, microelectronics, and biotechnology, while traditional industries like shipbuilding and metallurgy remain significant. Rotterdam is Europe's largest oil refining center. The Netherlands is one of the world's leading shipbuilding nations. Dutch agriculture is also advanced, making it the third-largest agricultural export country in the world. The Dutch have developed livestock farming on land unsuitable for crops, now reaching a level of one cow and one pig per capita, placing them among the world's most advanced livestock countries. They grow potatoes on sandy soil and develop potato processing, exporting more than half of the world's seed potato trade. Flowers are a pillar industry in the Netherlands. The country has 110 million square meters of greenhouses for growing flowers and vegetables, earning it the nickname "Garden of Europe." Dutch flowers are delivered to every corner of the world, accounting for 40%-50% of the international flower market. The Netherlands has a well-developed financial services and insurance industry, as well as a thriving tourism sector.
Transportation: The Netherlands has highly developed land, sea, and air transportation networks. The country is crisscrossed by rivers, with waterways connecting all parts of the country. Amsterdam, known as the "Venice of the North," has more than 160 canals and over 1,000 bridges. The port of Rotterdam, located at the mouth of the Rhine and Meuse rivers, is one of the world's largest ports. Amsterdam Airport is one of the major aviation hubs in the Netherlands and Europe, having won multiple awards for being the world's best airport. The Dutch have fully utilized their unique geographical advantages to develop transportation, with land, sea, and air transport accounting for 30% of the total transportation market in the EU.
Press and Publishing: Newspaper circulation began in 1618. Today, there are nearly 90 daily newspapers (including 8 national dailies) and about 4,000 and specialized journals. Major newspapers include De Telegraaf, Trouw, Volkskrant, NRC Handelsblad, De Standaard, De Waarheid, Financieele Dagblad, Elsevier Weekblad, and Trouw. The Dutch News Agency is a semi-official news organization. The Netherlands has five national radio stations, 10 regional radio stations, and 150 local radio stations. Television broadcasting covers 100% of the population, with 76% of households able to receive cable TV. There are 35 broadcasting organizations in the country, with broadcasting time allocated by the Dutch Broadcasting Association based on the number of members in each organization. The eight largest broadcasting organizations account for most of the airtime in three semi-official national television programs. In recent years, commercial television in the Netherlands has developed rapidly.
Foreign Policy: The Netherlands is a member of the EU and NATO. Its foreign policy focuses on Europe while emphasizing the importance of the U.S. presence in Europe for regional security and stability. It advocates strengthening NATO while urging Western European countries to formulate a common foreign and security policy to reinforce NATO's European security pillar.