Editing Netherlands (section)

== Backgroud information ==

=== Geography ===

'''Polders'''

The country is famous for being below the water level. About half of the country has a state-controlled water level. In the west a lot of parts are reclaimed land; socalled 'polders'. The deepest are a little north of Rotterdam, some parts are more than 6 meters below sea level. Two polders appear on the world heritage list, kinderdijk (east of Rotterdam) and de Beemster (north of Amsterdam).

'''Delta Works'''

'''Randstad'''

'''Multi-cultural society'''

'''Bible Belt'''

=== History ===

'''Romans'''

The Netherlands formed the northern border of the Roman empire for some ages. The north was conquered once, but got independent again short time later. Not much is left of the Romans. The places where they built fortesses are often marked, but most of that is artificial. Some cities evolved from the Romans. [[Nijmegen]] is the only city founded by the Romans, [[Maastricht]] and [[Utrecht]] evolved from Roman fortifications.

'''Medieval'''

In the early medival times the west of the Netherlands was mainly a swamp. People only lived on the high parts around the rivers and on hills (terpen) in the North. After the year 1000 people started to make the swamplands into polders with grassfields. Cities appeared around the rivers ([['s Hertogenbosch]], [[Utrecht]], etc) and in [[Friesland]]. Most wealth was in the western provinces of Belgium which also belonged to the low countries (= Netherlands)

'''Dutch Republic'''

In the 16th century the all the provinces of the Netherlands (the present Netherlands, [[Belgium]] and [[Luxemburg]]), by intermarrying, came under the rule of [[Spain]]. The cities of Flanders were wealthy tradings cities by that time. At the same time all over [[Europe]], people started to protest again the decadence of the Catholic Church. Protestantism was quite popular in the southwest of the Netherlands. After the icony clash in 1566 the Catholic Spanish intensified repression against protestants. Lower dutch nobility started to protest against this repression, but were not taken serious by the Spanish. The provinces in the North make a coalition in [[Utrecht]] in 1567. William of Orange became the unofficial leader of the protestant rebellion. After a failed attempt, the rebellion really started with the takeover of the small coastal city of Brielle. Slowly more and more cities joined the insurge. 

After 80 years of war the north became the protestant republic of Dutch provinces, the south remained catholic under rule of the Spanish. The north conquered two catholic provinces, [[Brabant]] and [[Limburg]], but also in the north there were lots of catholics left. The catholics were allowed to remain catholic, as long as the leading protestants didn't have to see anything that reminded them to catholicism. The centre of the region moved from [[Antwerpen]] (previously a protestant city, but conquered by the Spanish) to [[Amsterdam]]. Amsterdam became more wealthy then [[Antwerpen]] ever was and became the centre of a strong naval, colonial power. The VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) started trading posts in [[Afrika]], [[India]], [[China]] and [[Japan]] en conquered big parts of [[Indonesia]] while the WIC (West Indische Compagnie) started selltements in present day [[New York]], [[Recife]] ([[Brasil]]) and the carribean islands and got rich by Piratery and slavery.

'''French Revolution'''

In the 18th century the Dutch republic was a big example for the formation of the United States but was allready for a long time in decline. After losing wars with [[England]] the Dutch lost their role as world power. The Dutch were completely overrun by the enthousiasm of the revolution in [[France]] and became a French province aroun 1800. The French totally reformed state organisation drasticly. 

'''Dutch Kingdom'''

When the French left the other monarchies in Europe upgraded the family of Orange to a royal family. the Netherlands became a kingdom joined with [[Belgium]]. Belgium left this union in 1830, but the kingdom remained. 

'''World Wars'''

The Dutch tried to be neutral in both world wars, but only succeeded in that in the first. In the second the country was invaded by [[Germany]]. The war only lasted a few days and stopped after the Germans totally destroyed [[Rotterdam]]. It took 5 years untill the country was liberated. The south was allready liberated in 1944, the whole winter lasted with a frontline on the rivers, causing famine in the urban regions in the North. By mistake the allied forces destroyed the city of [[Nijmegen]] (they ment to detroy a German city).

'''Modern History'''

After the sober fifties, the Dutch became very wealthy in the sixties after finding gas supplies in the North. The cultural revolution of the sixties had a big impact on the Netherlands, making the country known for it's liberal, progressive laws and making [[Amsterdam]] one of the hippie capitals of the world. Because of shortage of low education workers, a lot of workers from mediterranian countries were reqruited. Together with the independence of most colonies (and the migration of lots of their inhabitants), this made the Netherland a multicultural society. After being mostly known for the country with liberal laws on drugs, gay-rights and etnical medical matters after the millennium the country was more and more polarised. Right wing politicans criticise the lack of authority and two political murders gave the Netherlands a reputation of a country looking for it's identity and unsure of what the future will bring.


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