- Our Destinations -  Amsterdam Rotterdam Den Hague Dordrecht Gouda Zwolle Friesland Keukenhoff Kinderdijk  C  o u n t r y    F a c t s Area   41,526 sq km Capital Amsterdam Population 16,645,313 (July 2008 est.) Ethnic groups Dutch 80.4%, other 19.6% (of which 10.8% are non-Western origin mainly Turks, Surinamese, Moroccans, Antilleans, and Indonesians) (2008 est.) Religions Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2004 survey) Languages Dutch (official), Frisian (official) Currency Euro (EUR) Climate temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters.

T he 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 remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.