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Background:
The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579;
during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power,
with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French
occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium
seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World
War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A
modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of
agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC
(now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.
This information comes from the
CIA
World Factbook January 2008.
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