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The present constitution--which dates from 1848 and has been amended several times, most recently in 1983--protects individual and political freedoms, including freedom of religion. Although church and state are separate, a few historical ties remain; the royal family belongs to the Dutch Reformed Church (Protestant). Freedom of speech also is protected....
After a strong performance in the 1990s, which brought unemployment to below 3%, the Dutch economy has struggled in recent years, plagued by relatively high costs and weak domestic demand. Real GDP, which contracted by 0.9% in 2003, recovered moderately to an estimated 1.3% in 2004, largely due to a turnaround in both domestic demand and net exports....
The cultural life in The Netherlands is varied and lively. Dutch painting and crafts are world-renowned, and Dutch painters are among the greatest the world has ever known. The Dutch themselves take great pride in their cultural heritage, and the government is heavily involved in subsidizing the arts, while not involving itself directly in artistic...
Julius Caesar found the Netherlands inhabited by Germanic tribes, one of which, the Batavi, did not submit to Rome until BC 13, and then only as an ally. A part of Charlemagne's empire in the 8th century AD, the area later passed into the hands of the House of Burgundy and the Austrian Hapsburgs. Falling under harsh Spanish rule in the 16th century,...
Cities: Capital- Amsterdam (pop. 1,100,000). Others-The Hague, seat of government, (pop. 695,000); Rotterdam, the world's busiest port (1,074,000) Utrecht (pop. 545,000). Terrain: Coastal lowland. Climate: Northern maritime. Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany Map references: Europe Area: total area: 37,330...
The Dutch are primarily of Germanic stock with some Gallo-Celtic mixture. Their small homeland frequently has been threatened with destruction by the North Sea and has often been invaded by the great European powers. Julius Caesar found the region which is now the Netherlands inhabited by Germanic tribes in the first century B.C. The western portion...
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