Almost everyone in the world has heard of the Netherlands. Although not everyone can pinpoint Holland accurately on an atlas or map, most foreigners are at least familiar with Dutch cheese, Dutch tulips and of course, the highly successful Dutch football team.

Despite being such a small nation, the Netherlands has managed to place itself quite firmly on the map. Even as far back as the seventeenth century, the old Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen were enjoying worldwide recognition. The ingenious Dutch put themselves on the map in a more literal sense too, with their famous and ongoing struggle to reclaim precious land from the invading waters. And, without its iconic dykes and windmills, contemporary Holland would have looked quite different.

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The Netherlands is often referred to as Holland, which is not strictly correct. Holland specifically relates to only two of twelve provinces in the Netherlands, each with its own regional dialect and customs. In Friesland, a province in the north of the country, the official language of Frisian is taught in addition to Dutch in schools, whilst in Limburg to the south, the local dialect has a distinctly German and French influence.

The Netherlands is both a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. This means that, like the UK, the Netherlands has a democratically elected government and a royal Head of State. King Willem-Alexander is currently the formal Head of State, who along with ministers and members of parliament, form the Dutch government. In reality, though, the royal family exerts very limited political influence and the King is regarded as purely a ceremonial figure by most.

The majority of the Dutch population do, however, hold the royal family in extremely high regard, a fact that is very much in evidence during the Queen’s annual birthday celebrations. On ‘King's Day’ the Dutch pour out into the streets in extraordinarily large numbers, dressed in the vivid orange of the royal household to show their affection for the King and his family, and to simply enjoy the biggest party of the year!
 

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The Dutch landscape is extremely varied, combining vibrant cities and breathtaking natural scenery with a rich cultural heritage. Due to the compact nature of the country, these are all within easy geographical reach for the fortunate tourist. For endless shopping you should visit the bustling town centres of Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen. These historic cities also attract a growing number of art and culture enthusiasts from both home and abroad, drawn to the fantastic selection of museums and art galleries that include the Rijks Museum, The Van Gogh Museum and the Groninger Museum. The stunning Hoge Veluwe National Park, is renowned not only for the wild deer and boar that roam freely among the unspoilt heath lands and dense forests, but also for the Kröller-Müller Museum which houses a world famous collection of modern art.

With over 16 million inhabitants, the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. In addition to natural population growth, many foreigners settled in the Netherlands, creating a rich and culturally diverse community. Although the Dutch are rapidly turning away from religion, there are many who still actively practice a faith. Although the majority are Christian, there is a colourful minority of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews too.

The Netherlands also boasts a disproportionately large number of international celebrities and not just the world-famous artists such as Rembrandt and Vincent van Gogh. Almost everyone has heard of the big name Dutch sports stars, including footballers Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Wesley Sneijder.