Netherlands

Netherlands - Is officially known as The Netherlands and is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Netherlands is a European Country and shares borders with Belgium, Germany and the North Sea. 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 was a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Economic Community (now the European Union), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. The Netherlands continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting foreign direct investment and is one of the five largest investors in the US. The economy experienced a slowdown in 2005 but in 2006 recovered to the fastest pace in six years on the back of increased exports and strong investment.

The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are merely two of its twelve provinces.

Under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and king of Spain, the region was part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, which also included most of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and some land of France and Germany.