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Country
Identification |
Kingdom of Netherlands |
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Language(s)
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Netherlands |
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Religion(s)
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34 % catholics, 25 % protestants, 3 % muslims, 36 % without confession |
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Political System
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Constitutional monarchy
Chief of state: Queen Beatrix of Nassau-Oranienburg |
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Currency |
Euro |
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Geographical Information |
Capitol: Den Haag
Western Europe, Tiefebene ??, 1/3 beyond sealevel,
Boarders to Belgium and Germany
Colonies: Aruba and netherlands antills |
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Typical Food and drinks |
Food:Cheese, fish (raw young herring) shrimps, pancakes,
Drinks: Beer, Genever, Tea |
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Holidays and Festivals |
- New Year,
Easter Friday-Monday,
30.4. Queen’s Day,
4.5. Death’s rememberingday,
5.5. National Holiday,
Whitsun Sunday and Monday,
24.-26.12. Christmas |
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History
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- Emperor Charles V hands control of the Netherlands to his son,
Philip II
- Spanish army led by the Duke de Alba is sent to quell unrest
against the political, economic and religious pressures of the rule
of Philip II
- liam of Orange heads a major revolt against Alba's excessive
despotism
- The seven northern provinces join in the Union of Utrecht to form
the Republic of the United Netherlands. The southern provinces are
again subjugated by Spain. In 1794 they are incorporated into
France.
- The Habsburgs formally recognize the independence of the Republic
of the United Netherlands in the Peace of Westphalia
- Napoleon establishes the "Kingdom of Holland" which is
incorporated into the French Empire in 1810
- Independence from the French Empire
1814 Constitution
1815 William I becomes king of the United Netherlands (including
Belgium)
- Belgium officially becomes an independent state
10 May 1940 Germany invades and the five-year occupation means
the end of the traditional policy of neutrality
1952 Founding member of the European Coal and Steel
Community
1958 Founding member of the European
Economic Community
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Art and culture |
Big painters: Rembrandt, P. Brueghel, van Dyck, P. Rubens, Vermeer, van
Gogh,
Composer: Orlando di Lasso,
Ceramics: Delfter Kacheln,
Gardening: enveloping famous tulips,
Windmills
Diamond-cutting |
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Dos and don´ts for visiting the country |
Very liberal, but still very reserved against the Germans |
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Population and
% of foreign population /minorities |
16,2 Mio inhabitants, 475 inhabitants / km², most inhabitated country
in Europe
18,8 % foreigners ( ½ western people and ½ other parts of the world) |
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Main Integration Problems
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Even if the Netherlands have got immigrants from former colonies and
also from Africa and Asia , the country doesn´t look like having
important integration problems: This could be explained by the high
tolerance of Netherlands population.
But it is a fact that racism also exists in the country . Drugs have
certainly got an influence of the changing of Netherlands´ extremits ´
behaviour towards forreigners. |
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