Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg

Author: Zhou Min
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-05-01
Features:
Country: The Kingdom of the Netherlands
Flag: Rectangular in shape 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 country's maritime environment 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.
Coat of Arms: The coat of arms of the House of Orange-Nassau. It is in the form of a mantle, with a crown at the top. Inside the mantle is a shield bearing a lion on a blue field, wearing a three-lobed crown, with one claw 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, "Perseverance."
National Flower: Tulip
National Bird: Flamingo
National Stone: Diamond
National Leaders: Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard), ascended to the throne on April 30, 1980. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende (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 its area 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 as many as 9,000 windmills across the country. With the advancement of technology, windmills gradually "retired," 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, with a coastline of 1,107.5 kilometers. The country is crisscrossed by rivers, with the Rhine and Meuse being the most prominent. The IJsselmeer lies in the northwest. The western coast is a lowland, the eastern part is a rolling plain, and the central and southeastern parts are highlands. "Netherlands" in German is called "Niederlande," meaning "low countries," as more than half of its territory lies below or at sea level. The climate of the Netherlands is maritime temperate deciduous forest climate. Due to the low-lying and marshy terrain, the Dutch adopted wooden shoes, which were invented by the Gauls of France, and over the centuries have given them a distinct Dutch character. To survive and develop, the Dutch have strived to protect their relatively small territory from being submerged by rising sea levels. They have long fought against the sea, reclaiming land from the ocean. As early as the 13th century, they built dikes to hold back the sea and then used wind-powered watermills to pump out the water inside the dikes. Over the centuries, the Netherlands has built 1,800 kilometers of sea dikes, adding more than 600,000 hectares of land. Today, 20% of the Netherlands' territory is artificially reclaimed land. The phrase "Perseverance" inscribed on the Dutch coat of arms aptly 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 (Amsterdam), with a population of 735,000 (2003).
Government Seat: The Hague (The Hague), with a population of 458,000 (2003).
Administrative Divisions: The country is divided into 12 provinces, with 489 municipalities (2003). The names of the provinces are as follows: Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Gelderland, Utrecht, North Holland, South Holland, Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg, and Flevoland.
On September 10, 2003, the new ambassador of China to the Netherlands, 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 chamberlain to lead a horseback escort in a golden and 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 troops 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 the following year established the Kingdom of the Netherlands (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 also declared neutrality. However, on May 5, 1940, it was occupied by German forces. The royal family and government fled to the United Kingdom, establishing a government-in-exile. After the war, the Netherlands abandoned its neutrality policy and joined NATO, the European Economic Community (EEC), and later the European Union.
Politics: The 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 herself, with other members appointed by the queen. The parliament consists of two chambers. The second chamber has legislative power, while the first chamber has the power 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, with an annual extraction of about 74.3 billion cubic meters in 2001, sufficient to meet domestic demand and even export surplus. The Netherlands has a developed industrial sector, with major industries including food processing, petrochemicals, metallurgy, machinery manufacturing, electronics, steel, shipbuilding, printing, and diamond processing. In the past two decades, it has focused on developing high-tech industries such as space, microelectronics, and biotechnology. Traditional industries mainly include shipbuilding and metallurgy. Rotterdam is Europe's largest oil refining center. The Netherlands is one of the world's major shipbuilding countries. Dutch agriculture is also highly developed, making it the third-largest agricultural product exporter in the world. The Dutch have developed animal husbandry on land unsuitable for cultivation, now reaching one cow and one pig per capita, placing them among the world's most advanced countries in livestock farming. 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." The Netherlands sends beauty to every corner of the world, with flower exports accounting for 40%–50% of the international flower market. The Netherlands has a developed financial services and insurance industry, as well as a thriving tourism sector.
Transportation: The Netherlands has highly developed land, sea, and air transportation systems. The country is crisscrossed by rivers, with waterways connecting all parts of the country. The capital, 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 airports 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 transportation accounting for 30% of the total transportation market in the EU.
Press and Publication: Newspaper circulation began in 1618. There are now nearly 90 daily newspapers (including 8 national dailies) and about 4,000 and specialized journals. Major newspapers include De Telegraaf, Het Parool, De Volkskrant, De Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant, De Standaard, De Waarheid, De Financi?le Pers, Elsevier Weekblad, and Vrij Nederland. 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, which are allocated broadcasting time by the Dutch Broadcasting Association based on the number of members in each organization. The eight largest broadcasting organizations have the majority of the broadcasting time 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 United States' presence in Europe for the security and stability of the continent. It advocates strengthening NATO while urging Western European countries to formulate a common foreign and security policy to enhance NATO's European security pillar.