History

The southern part of the Netherlands was once part of the Roman Empire until it was acquired by the Burgundians. At the end of the Middle Ages, the country (together with what is now Belgium) fell under Spanish reign.

In 1572 the Netherlands became a de facto independent republic due to the Dutch Revolt, led by William of Orange (Willem van Oranje). Together with Flanders (northern part of Belgium) the
Netherlands a major economic and seafaring world power during the 17^th century. This periode is known as the Dutch Golden Age (Gouden Eeuw). During this period, The Netherlands founded and conquered several colonies in the East and West Indies.

In 1805 Emperor Napoleon appointed his brother 'King of Holland' . In 1815 the country became the 'United Kingdom of the Netherlands together with Belgium and Luxembourg under King William I. Belgium seceded in 1830 and formed a separate kingdom. Luxembourg became independent in 1890.

The Netherlands quietly became a constitutional monarchy and remained neutral in World War I but suffered a brutal invasion and occupation in World War II by the Nazis.

A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. In 1944, the Low Countries formed the union of the Benelux in which they economically (and sometimes politically) work together. The country was a founding member of NATO in 1949 and the European Community (EC) in 1957, and participated in the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999.