Netherlands

The Netherlands ( i/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdərˌlɑnt] ( )) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of twelve provinces in western Europe and three islands in the Caribbean. History[edit] Habsburg Netherlands (1519–1581)[edit] Under Charles V, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire and King of Spain, the current Netherlands region was part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Low Countries, which also included most of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and some land in France and Germany. In 1568, the Eighty Years' War between the Provinces and Spain began. Queen Elizabeth I of England sympathised with the Dutch struggle against the Spanish, and in 1585 she concluded a treaty with the Dutch whereby she promised to send an English army to the Netherlands to aid the Dutch in their war with the Spanish.[22] In December 1585, 7,600 soldiers were sent to the Netherlands from England under the command of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester.

History of the Netherlands The history of the Netherlands is the history of a seafaring people thriving on a lowland river delta on the North Sea in northwestern Europe. Records begin with the four centuries during which the region formed a militarized border zone of the Roman empire. This came under increasing pressure from Germanic peoples moving westwards. As Roman power collapsed and the Middle Ages began, three dominant Germanic peoples coalesced in the area, Frisians in the north, Low Saxons in the northeast, and the Franks. During the Middle Ages, the descendants of the Salian Franks, the Carolingian dynasty, came to dominate the area and then extended their rule to a large part of Western Europe. By 1433, the Duke of Burgundy had assumed control over most of the lowlands territories in Lower Lotharingia; he created the Burgundian Netherlands which included modern Belgium, Luxembourg, and a part of France. Prehistory (before 800 BC)[edit] Historical changes to the landscape[edit] Iron age[edit]

Index of Economic Freedom 2008 - Netherlands The economy of the Netherlands is 76.8 percent free, according to our 2008 assessment, which makes it the world's 13th freest economy. Its overall score is 1.9 percentage points higher than last year, reflecting improved scores in five of the 10 economic freedoms. The Netherlands is ranked 6th out of 41 countries in the European region, and its overall score is much higher than the regional average. The Netherlands enjoys very high levels of investment freedom, trade freedom, financial freedom, property rights, business freedom, freedom from corruption, and monetary freedom. The average tariff rate is low; non-tariff barriers include European Union subsidies. Business regulation is efficient. The Netherlands could do better in government size and fiscal freedom. Background: The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a wealthy country and home to a number of prominent multinational companies. Business Freedom - 88% Trade Freedom - 86% Fiscal Freedom - 51.6% Freedom from Government - 38.2%