Netherlands

From the northern Fisian Isalnds to Zeeland in the South, Netherlands imbues with contrast. The cosmopolitan surprises of The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam blend lively with the marveling windmills and tulips. Divine and heavenly, dark and sinful Netherlands is a place of extreme action, with fine sandy beaches, colorful bulb blue fields, picturesque villages and vibrant towns with multilingual, outward-looking people

The mighty river Rhine bisects the country, bringing trade and prosperity from far and wide.
The intense historic cities such as Haarlem, Delft and Leiden and the lively city of Rotterdam spell wonder to the sophisticated Amsterdam and The Hague. Amidst salutary surprises, Netherlands allow you to experience all that she has to offer. One of the greatest museums of human history at Den Haag you can enjoy the masterpieces of Rembrandt and his renaissance contemporaries. Near Arnhem, the then Arnoldi Villa the real awe unfolds as you discover world's finest collections of Van Gogh.

Dutch people are welcoming and friendly. Amidst caring social matters, environment with excellent public transport facility visitors find it easy to get around.

In the 1st century BC, Romans rule the province and peace and prosperity prevailed for more than two hundred and fifty years. Later, Charlemagne, one of the greatest Frankish kings also ruled the territory. The Scandinavian Vikings ruled the state during 9th and 10th centuries.

The state became an important center for shipping and trade in 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries and wealthy merchants backed by their newly acquired power dared to challenge the nobles who ruled across the countryside. In the early 16th century the Netherlands and its nearby area, known as the Low Countries, went from rules of the dukes of Bourgogne to the hands of the Habsburg emperor Charles V.

Since the beginning of Middle Ages, the rulers of the Low Countries had not only established themselves as one of the most affluent powers of Europe but also, ironically, as one of the rulers who were most politically unstable.
By the early Sixteenth Century, the imperial influence had gained lot of importance; the Low Countries had turned out to be immobilized, to a degree through dynastic ties, annexed to the far-flung empire of the Hapsburgs. It was up against Hapsburg rule that the Low Countries (largely protestant from the Northern provinces) rebelled in 1568 under the leadership of William of Orange and Nassau.

The struggle and fight for independence, which continued until 1648, experienced a remarkable growth in Dutch sea power. The golden age of 17th century witnessed the emergence of new art and culture in the Dutch horizon.

In 1810, as Napoleon taken over the Dutch empire, The Netherlands saw a decline in its strength and was on the wane. Afterward though in between 1814-30 the whole area of the Low Countries was briefly reunited.

In 1848, an amendment in the constitution left the then monarchs only with limited powers. In the World War I though Netherlands did not take active part but badly bore the pain of Nazi invasion in 1940. The plan of a united European Union was mooted by the Dutch diplomats.

The dream efforts came true in 1957, when a European Community was born and The Netherlands became one of the six founder members of the European Community. The second half of 1991 saw the organization of the crucial summit at Maastricht, which was held to determine the future of European Union integration in economic, monetary policy as well as other areas.

Geography of Netherlands

Area:

Total: 41,526 km
Land: 33,883 km
Water: 7,643 km

Climate

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

Religion

18% of the population is Catholics and 15% Protestant. About 63% of the Dutch don't go to Church. 5-6% of the population is Muslim and 1.3% is Hindu. Post Holocaust 30,000 Dutch Jews remain in The Netherlands.

Culture

The Netherlands has a history of many great painters like Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen, Vincent van Gogh, Piet Mondriaan and likes. The famous astronomer and mathematician Christiaan Huygens discovered Saturn's moon Titan and invented an accurate clock.
The history of the art began in the Flander region. During the 20th century Dutch art was influenced by fauvism, cubism, and expressionism.

Currency*

1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
NLG is obsolete now; the currency of Netherlands is Euro.
Euro is available in five denominations; they are €5, €10, €20, €50, €100 and €500
1 EUR = 1.19575 USD
1 USD = 0.836295 EUR

Note:- International rates may change without notice. Tourists are requested to check the newest rates before taking any financial decisions.