Also called Holland, the word Dutch is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything pertaining to the Netherlands. Known for its windmills, tulips, wooden shoes, cheese and Delftware pottery are among the items associated with the Netherlands, and most important, its social tolerance.

The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, located in northwestern Europe. The Dutch are true innovators and this is evident in its fight with the sea, almost half the Netherlands is below sea level and the Dutch have tackled some huge land reclamation schemes resulting in an extra 637 square miles (1,650 square kilometers) being added to the country.

The southern part of the country was part of the Holy Roman Empire. At the end of the Middle Ages, it became a Spanish possession. Following the Dutch Revolt, led by national hero William of Orange, the Netherlands became an independent republic in 1572. It grew to become one of the major economic and seafaring powers in the world during the 17th century, which is known as the Dutch Golden Age, many colonies were founded or conquered, including the Netherlands East Indies (currently Indonesia) and settlement of New Amsterdam (New York City) in 1614, on the southern tip of Manhattan, which was later traded with the British for Suriname. Many economic historians regard the Netherlands as the first thoroughly capitalist country in the world. In early modern Europe it featured the wealthiest trading city, Amsterdam, and the first full-time stock exchange. The Netherlands has had many well-known painters such as Rembrandt van Rijn, and Vincent van Gogh.

In 1805, the country became a kingdom when Emperor Napoleon appointed his brother 'King of Holland'. The Netherlands remained part of the French Empire until the autumn of 1813, when Napoleon was defeated and forced to withdraw his troops from the country. In 1815, it became the 'United Kingdom of the Netherlands together with Belgium and Luxembourg under King William I (Willem I). Belgium seceded in 1830 and formed a separate kingdom. Luxembourg received independence from the Netherlands in 1890, as the Salic Law prohibited a female ruler, when King William III of the Netherlands died with no surviving male heirs.

During its colonial period the Netherlands was heavily involved in the slave trade. The Dutch planters relied heavily on African slaves to cultivate the coffee, cocoa, sugar cane and cotton plantations along the rivers. Slavery was abolished by the Netherlands in Suriname in 1863.

The Netherlands intended to remain neutral during the Second World War. Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 as part of their campaign against the Allied forces, overrun in five days, the government was forced in exile in London. During the occupation, over 100,000 Dutch Jews were rounded up to be transported to Nazi German concentration camps in Germany, German-occupied Poland and German-occupied Czechoslovakia. The famous Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl was published after she died in the Holocaust and translated from Dutch to all major languages.

On 8 December 1941, the Netherlands declared war on Japan.The government-in-exile lost control of its major colonial stronghold, the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia), to Japanese forces in March 1942. The Japanese furthered the cause of independence for the colony, many young Dutchmen found themselves fighting a colonial war against the new republic of Indonesia.

Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and heir to the throne, sought refuge in Ottawa, Canada, with her two daughters, during the war. In 1944-45, the First Canadian Army was responsible for liberating much of the Netherlands from German occupation. The "Canadian summer" that ensued after the liberation forged deep and long-lasting bonds of friendship between the Netherlands and Canada.

Regarded as a liberal country with a long tradition of social tolerance, considering its drugs policy and its legalisation of euthanasia and same-sex marriages, are among the most liberal policies in the world. Host to five international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal, the International Criminal Court are situated in The Hague, which has led to the city being dubbed "the world's legal capital".

Travelers visit the Netherlands to enjoy its famously tolerant attitude: prostitution is decriminalized, but only for prostitutes registered at a permitted brothel. Safe sex and use of condoms is common practice, and the prostitute will usually have these available. It is illegal for sex workers to solicit for customers on the street and prostitutes are most common in the capital Amsterdam, where red-light districts are popular. Sex shops, sex shows, sex museums and drugs museums are also popular.

The sale, possession, and consumption of small quantities of cannabis while technically still illegal, is officially tolerated. You are allowed to buy and smoke small doses (under 5 grams) of cannabis or hash at a coffeeshop, which are are abundant but not allowed to sell alcohol. Harder drugs (eg. ecstasy or cocaine) remain illegal both in theory and practice. Hallucinogenic ("magic") mushrooms, once legal, are banned as of December 1st, 2008, but new alternative options are becoming available.