Portal:Netherlands

Welcome to the Netherlands Portal
Welkom bij het Nederlandportaal!

The Netherlands, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces; it borders Germany to the east and Belgium to the south, with a North Sea coastline to the north and west. It shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium. The official language is Dutch, with West Frisian as a secondary official language in the province of Friesland. Dutch, English, and Papiamento are official in the Caribbean territories.

The Netherlands has been a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a unitary structure since 1848. The country has a tradition of pillarisation (separation of citizens into groups by religion and political beliefs) and a long record of social tolerance, having legalised prostitution and euthanasia, along with maintaining a liberal drug policy. The Netherlands allowed women's suffrage in 1919 and was the first country to legalise same-sex marriage in 2001. Its mixed-market advanced economy has the eleventh-highest per capita income globally. The Hague holds the seat of the States General, Cabinet, and Supreme Court. The Port of Rotterdam is the busiest in Europe. Schiphol is the busiest airport in the Netherlands, and the fourth busiest in Europe. Being a developed country, the Netherlands is a founding member of the European Union, Eurozone, G10, NATO, OECD, and WTO, as well as a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union. It hosts intergovernmental organisations and international courts, many of which are in The Hague. (Full article...)

Featured articles -

Featured articles are displayed here, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

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  Boenga Roos dari Tjikembang ([buˈŋa ˈrus daˈri tʃiˈkəmbaŋ]; translated to English as The Rose of Cikembang) is a 1927 vernacular Malay-language novel written by Kwee Tek Hoay. The seventeen-chapter book follows a plantation manager, Aij Tjeng, who must leave his beloved njai (concubine) Marsiti so that he can be married. Eighteen years later, after Aij Tjeng's daughter Lily dies, her fiancé Bian Koen discovers that Marsiti had a daughter with Aij Tjeng, Roosminah, who greatly resembles Lily. In the end Bian Koen and Roosminah are married.
  
  Inspired by the lyrics to the song "If Those Lips Could Only Speak" and William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Boenga Roos dari Tjikembang was initially written as an outline for the stage drama troupe Union Dalia. Kwee intermixed several languages other than Malay, particularly Dutch, Sundanese, and English; he included two quotes from English poems and another from an English song. The novel has been interpreted variously as a promotion of theosophy, a treatise on the Buddhist concept of reincarnation, a call for education, an ode to njais, and a condemnation of how such women are treated. (Full article...)
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  The Huguenot-Walloon half dollar or Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary half dollar is a commemorative coin issued by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1924. It marks the 300th anniversary of the voyage of the Nieuw Nederlandt which landed in the New York area in 1624. Many of the passengers were Huguenots from France or Walloons from what is now Belgium; they became early settlers of New York State and the surrounding area.
  
  A commission run by the Federal Council of Churches in America sought issuance of a half dollar to mark the anniversary, and the bill passed through Congress without opposition in 1923 and was signed by President Warren G. Harding. Sketches were prepared by commission chairman Reverend John Baer Stoudt and converted to plaster models by the Mint's aging chief engraver, George T. Morgan. The models were initially rejected by the Commission of Fine Arts, which required revisions under the supervision of Buffalo nickel designer James Earle Fraser. (Full article...)
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  Portrait by Godfrey Kneller, c. 1690

  
  William III (William Henry; Dutch: Willem Hendrik; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from the 1670s, and King of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 until his death in 1702. He ruled Great Britain and Ireland with his wife, Queen Mary II, and their joint reign is known as that of William and Mary.
  
  William was the only child of William II, Prince of Orange, and Mary, Princess Royal, the daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His father died a week before his birth, making William III the prince of Orange from birth. In 1677, he married his first cousin Mary, the elder daughter of his maternal uncle James, Duke of York, the younger brother and later successor of King Charles II. (Full article...)
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  Poster

  
  Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman (Malay for Pah Wongso the Righteous Warrior) is a 1941 detective film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). The first production by Star Film, it was produced by Jo Eng Sek and features camerawork by Cho' Chin Hsin. Starring Pah Wongso, Elly Joenara and Mohamad Arief, it follows the social worker Pah Wongso as he investigates a murder to clear his protégé's name.
  
  The first film of its genre to be produced in the Indies, Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman was made to capitalize on the popularity of Wijnhamer and Hollywood characters such as Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto. Released in April 1941 to popular acclaim, it had a mixed critical reception; the reviewer Saeroen suggested that its success was entire because of its star's renown. A sequel to this film, Pah Wongso Tersangka, was released later in 1941 but is possibly lost. (Full article...)
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  Si Tjonat (Perfected Spelling: Si Conat) is a likely lost 1929 bandit film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) directed by Nelson Wong and produced by Wong and Jo Eng Sek. Based on the novel by F.D.J. Pangemanann, the silent film followed an indigenous man who, having killed his fellow villager, flees to Batavia (today Jakarta) and becomes a bandit. After kidnapping an ethnic Chinese woman, he is defeated and brought to justice.
  
  A commercially oriented work aimed at ethnic Chinese audiences, Si Tjonat received mixed reviews; box office proceeds are unclear. Although intended as a serial, no sequel was ever made; the production house, Batavia Motion Picture, closed soon afterwards. Several works in the same genre were released soon afterwards, including Si Pitoeng, which used the same director and star. (Full article...)
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  One sheet

  
  Tjioeng Wanara ([tʃiˈuŋ waˈnara]; Perfected Spelling: Ciung Wanara) is a 1941 film from the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) directed and produced by Jo Eng Sek. Starring R Sukran, Elly Joenara and AB Djoenaedi, it featured more than 500 people in supporting roles. The film follows a young prince named Tjioeng Wanara who must reclaim his throne from the cruel King of Galuh; it is adapted from the Sundanese legend of the same name.
  
  The second production by Star Film, Tjioeng Wanara was released 18 August 1941. It was advertised heavily, emphasising the fact that the scholar Poerbatjaraka had served as the historical adviser and that the film was based on Balai Pustaka's version of the legend. It premiered to commercial success, but received mixed reviews. This black-and-white production, which was screened until at least 1948, is now thought lost. (Full article...)
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  A newspaper advertisement for Kedok Ketawa from Surabaya

  
  Kedok Ketawa ([kəˈdɔʔ kəˈtawa]; Indonesian for The Laughing Mask, also known by the Dutch title Het Lachende Masker) is a 1940 action film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Union Films' first production, it was directed by Jo An Djan. Starring Basoeki Resobowo, Fatimah, and Oedjang, the film follows a young couple who fight off criminals with the help of a masked man.
  
  Advertised as an "Indonesian cocktail of violent actions ... and sweet romance", Kedok Ketawa received positive reviews, particularly for its cinematography. Following the success of the film, Union produced another six works before being shut down in early 1942 during the Japanese occupation. The film, screened until at least August 1944, may be lost. (Full article...)
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  Oriental logo, from an advertisement for Panggilan Darah

  
  Oriental Film was a film production company in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia). Established by ethnic Chinese businessman Tjo Seng Han in 1940, it completed four black-and-white films before it was closed in 1941. All the company's films were screened into the 1950s but may now be lost. They were directed by two men, Njoo Cheong Seng and Sutan Usman Karim, and launched the careers of actors such as Dhalia and Soerip.
  
  Established during the revival of the Indies film industry, Oriental released its first film, Kris Mataram, in July 1940. It starred Njoo's wife Fifi Young, and relied on her fame as a stage actress to draw audiences. This was followed by a further three films, which were targeted at low-income audiences and extensively used kroncong music. Their final production was Panggilan Darah in 1941, which was completed after Njoo and Young had migrated to Majestic Film. Oriental was unable to recoup its expenses of renting a Dutch-owned studio, and the company was shut down. (Full article...)
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  Amir Hamzah, c. 1928–1937

  
  Tengku Amir Hamzah (February 1911 – 20 March 1946) was an Indonesian poet and National Hero of Indonesia. Born into a Malay aristocratic family in the Sultanate of Langkat in North Sumatra, he was educated in both Sumatra and Java. While attending senior high school in Surakarta around 1930, Amir became involved with the nationalist movement and fell in love with a Javanese schoolmate, Ilik Sundari. Even after Amir continued his studies in legal school in Batavia (now Jakarta) the two remained close, only separating in 1937 when Amir was recalled to Sumatra to marry the sultan's daughter and take on responsibilities of the court. Though unhappy with his marriage, he fulfilled his courtly duties. After Indonesia proclaimed its independence in 1945, he served as the government's representative in Langkat. The following year he was killed in a social revolution led by the PESINDO (Pemuda Sosialis Indonesia), and buried in a mass grave.
  
  Amir began writing poetry while still a teenager: though his works are undated, the earliest are thought to have been written when he first travelled to Java. Drawing influences from his own Malay culture and Islam, as well as from Christianity and Eastern literature, Amir wrote 50 poems, 18 pieces of lyrical prose, and numerous other works, including several translations. In 1932 he co-founded the literary magazine Poedjangga Baroe. After his return to Sumatra, he stopped writing. Most of his poems were published in two collections, Nyanyi Sunyi (1937) and Buah Rindu (1941), first in Poedjangga Baroe then as stand-alone books. (Full article...)
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  Newspaper advertisement

  
  Sorga Ka Toedjoe ([ˈsɔrɡa kə ˈtudʒu]; vernacular Malay for Seventh Heaven; also advertised under the Dutch title In Den Zevenden Hemel) is a 1940 film from the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) directed by Joshua and Othniel Wong for Tan's Film. It follows an older couple (Kartolo and Annie Landouw) who are reunited by another, younger couple (Roekiah and Djoemala) after years of separation. The black-and-white film, the first production by Tan's Film after the departure of Rd Mochtar, featured kroncong music and was targeted at lower-class native audiences. It was a commercial and critical success. Roekiah and Djoemala took leading roles in three more films before Tan's closed in 1942. Sorga Ka Toedjoe is now thought lost. (Full article...)

Featured lists

Featured lists have been determined by the Wikipedia community to be the best lists on English Wikipedia.

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  The Amsterdam Tournament (Dutch: Amsterdam Toernooi) was a pre-season association football competition, held in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The competition was hosted by Eredivisie club Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena. It was inaugurated in 1975 as the Amsterdam 700 Tournament to celebrate 700 years of history in the city. It was held annually each summer until 1992, when the last edition of the original tournament was played. It returned in 1999 with the backing of the International Event Partnership (IEP). Four teams participate in the competition, played in a league format since 1986.
  
  Since its return, the tournament has used an unusual point scoring system. As with most league competitions, three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. An additional point, however, is awarded for each goal scored. The system is designed to reward teams that adopt a more attacking style of play. Each entrant plays two matches, with the winner being the club that finishes at the top of the table. The original competition was held at Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium, where Ajax played its international games until 1996. The Amsterdam Arena, now named the Johan Cruyff Arena, has played host to the event since the return until 2009. (Full article...)
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  Film poster for Loetoeng Kasaroeng, the first locally produced film released in the Dutch East Indies

  
  A total of 112 fictional films are known to have been produced in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) between 1926 and the colony's dissolution in 1949. The earliest motion pictures, imported from abroad, were shown in late 1900, and by the early 1920s imported serials and fictional films were being shown, often with localised names. Dutch companies were also producing documentary films about the Indies to be shown in the Netherlands. The first reports of fictional film production in the Indies date from 1923, although the work in question was not completed. The first locally produced film, Loetoeng Kasaroeng, was directed by L. Heuveldorp and released on 31 December 1926.
  
  Between 1926 and 1933 numerous other local productions were released. Although Dutchmen like Heuveldorp and George Krugers continued to be active in the industry, the majority of filmmakers and producers were ethnic Chinese. The Tan brothers (Khoen Yauw and Khoen Hian) and The Teng Chun were major producers during this period, while the Wong brothers (Nelson, Othniel, and Joshua) were among the more prominent directors. During the mid-1930s, production dropped as a result of the Great Depression. The release of Albert Balink's commercially and critically successful Terang Boelan (Full Moon) in 1937 led to renewed interest in filmmaking, and 1941 saw thirty locally produced films. This rate of production declined after the Japanese occupation beginning in early 1942, closing all but one film studio; this resulted in several films which had begun production in 1941 being released several years later. The majority of films produced during the occupation were short propaganda pieces. Following the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945 and during the ensuing revolution several films were made, by both pro-Dutch and pro-Indonesian backers; the Dutch formally recognised Indonesia's sovereignty on 27 December 1949, leaving the Dutch East Indies defunct. (Full article...)
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  The Wong brothers (one pictured) were the first ethnic Chinese directors in the Indies.

  
  Twenty-nine people are recorded as having directed fictional films in the Dutch East Indies between 1926, when L. Heuveldorp released Loetoeng Kasaroeng, the colony's first domestically produced film, and 1949, when the Dutch formally recognised Indonesia's sovereignty after a four-year revolution, leaving the Dutch East Indies defunct. Thirteen directors active in the Indies continued to direct films after 1950, including Usmar Ismail: his 1950 film Darah dan Doa (The Long March) is generally considered the first truly Indonesian film.
  
  The colony's first directors, L. Heuveldorp and George Krugers, were of European or mixed descent. They were followed by ethnic Chinese soon after, when Nelson Wong made his debut in 1928 with Lily van Java; other Chinese directors included Lie Tek Swie (1929), Wong's brothers Joshua and Othniel (1930), and The Teng Chun (1931). Ethnic Chinese directors dominated the colony's cinema for the remainder of its existence. The first native director, Bachtiar Effendi, made his debut in 1932 with the talkie Njai Dasima; another native director would not appear until Andjar Asmara and Rd Ariffien made their debuts in 1940. (Full article...)
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  Twenty-two people are recorded as having produced fictional films in the Dutch East Indies between 1926, when L. Heuveldorp released Loetoeng Kasaroeng, the colony's first domestically produced film, and 1949, when the Dutch formally recognised Indonesia's sovereignty after a four-year revolution, leaving the Dutch East Indies defunct. Altogether, they are credited for 93 of all known films produced in the Indies, and four of them remained active after independence. All were men; the first female film producer in Indonesia, Ratna Asmara, produced her first film in 1953.
  
  The colony's first producer, Heuveldorp, was of European descent. He was followed in 1928 by the ethnic Chinese businessmen Tjan Tjoen Lian and Liem Goan Lian, who began work on Lily van Java but soon pulled out, to be replaced by David Wong. By 1930 Chinese producers had dominated the industry. The most active of these, The Teng Chun, made his debut in 1931 with Boenga Roos dari Tjikembang; he would go on to produce another 27 films before independence. No native Indonesian film producers are recorded from this period, although several productions were credited only to companies. (Full article...)
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  Since 1 January 2023, there have been 342 regular municipalities (Dutch: gemeenten) and three special municipalities (Dutch: bijzondere gemeenten) in the Netherlands. The latter is the status of three of the six island territories that make up the Dutch Caribbean. Municipalities are the second-level administrative division, or public bodies (Dutch: openbare lichamen), in the Netherlands and are subdivisions of their respective provinces. Their duties are delegated to them by the central government and they are ruled by a municipal council that is elected every four years. Municipal mergers have reduced the total number of municipalities by two-thirds since the first official boundaries were created in the mid 19th century. Municipalities themselves are informally subdivided into districts and neighbourhoods for administrative and statistical purposes.
  
  These municipalities come in a wide range of sizes, Westervoort is the smallest with a land area of 7.01 km² (2.71 sq mi) and Súdwest-Fryslân the largest with a land area of 522.7 km² (201.8 sq mi). Schiermonnikoog is both the least populated, with 972 people, and the least densely populated municipality at 23/km² (60/sq mi). Amsterdam has the highest population with 931,298 residents as of January 2024, whereas The Hague is the most densely populated with a density of 6,868/km² (17,790/sq mi). (Full article...)
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  This page is a list of films that received the Golden Film since its introduction in 2001 by the Netherlands Film Festival and the Netherlands Film Fund. In 2001 and 2002, films from the Netherlands received the award once they had sold 75,000 tickets. From 2003 to date, the Golden Film is awarded to films from the Netherlands once they have sold 100,000 tickets. This page shows, for both audience criteria, which films received the Golden Film and how soon they received it after their releases.
  
  In the following tables, the 'year' column contains the years in which the films received the Golden Film, the '#' column contains the number of the Golden Film, the 'film title' column contains the titles of the receiving films, the 'film release' column contains the dates on which the films were first released in the cinemas, and the 'Golden Film' column contains the days when the Netherlands Film Festival and the Netherlands Film Fund announced that the receiving films reached the audience criterion of the Golden Film. (Full article...)
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  The Battle of Camperdown, painted by Philip de Loutherbourg in 1799.

  
  
  The Battle of Camperdown was an important naval action of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought off Camperduin on the North Holland coast on 11 October 1797 between a British fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Dutch fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter. The French Republic had overrun the Dutch Republic two years earlier, reforming it into the Batavian Republic. In early 1797, the Batavian Navy was ordered to sail to Brest and unite with the French Atlantic Fleet in preparation for an invasion of Ireland. Shortly afterwards, the British fleets were paralysed by the Spithead and Nore mutinies, in which the sailors refused to take their ships to sea until they were awarded better pay and conditions. For two months, the English Channel was undefended, but the Dutch failed to take the opportunity to sail from their harbour in the Texel: their preparations were not complete, and a small squadron of loyal British ships under Duncan convinced de Winter that the British fleet was at sea by sending nonsensical signals to fictitious ships over the horizon.
  
  By October 1797, the plan to attack Ireland had been abandoned and the British North Sea Fleet was again at full strength. During a brief period replenishing supplies at Yarmouth, news reached Duncan on 10 October that the Dutch had sailed on a raiding cruise and he returned to the Dutch coast, intercepting de Winter's fleet on its way back to the Texel. The Dutch formed a line of battle in shallow coastal waters to meet Duncan's attack, which was conducted in a confused mass, the British fleet separating into two groups that struck the vanguard and rear of the Dutch fleet, overwhelming each in turn and capturing eleven ships, including de Winter's flagship Vrijheid. On the return journey, three of the captured ships were lost, and none of the surviving Dutch prizes was ever suitable for active service again. Both sides suffered heavy casualties during the battle as each fleet had been trained to aim at the hulls of their opponents, maximising the damage to personnel. (Full article...)

Selected biography

Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende, Jr. (Dutch pronunciation: [jɑm ˈpeːtər ˈbɑlkənˌɛndə] ; born 7 May 1956) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010. Balkenende, a jurist by occupation, worked for the Academic Council and the Christian Democratic Appeal Think tank from 1982 until 1998. Balkenende became a professor of Christian theology at the VU University Amsterdam in 1993. He was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the Dutch general election of 1998, serving from 19 May 1998 until 22 July 2002. After the then Leader of the CDA and Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives Jaap de Hoop Scheffer stepped down, Balkenende was selected to succeed him in both positions, and became the top candidate for the Dutch general election of 2002. The CDA became the surprising winner of the election, gaining 14 seats becoming the largest party in the House of Representatives.

Featured pictures -

Featured pictures are displayed here, which represent the finest images on English Wikipedia.

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  Vanitas

  Painting: Antonio de Pereda

  Allegory of Vanity, a vanitas completed by Antonio de Pereda between 1632 and 1636. Works in this category of symbolic art, especially associated with still life paintings of 16th- and 17th-century Flanders and the Netherlands, refer to the traditional Christian view of earthly life and the worthless nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. The Latin noun vanĭtās means "emptiness" and derives its prominence from Ecclesiastes. Common symbols in vanitas include skulls, rotten fruit; bubbles; smoke, watches, hourglasses, and musical instruments.
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  Pied avocet juvenile

  Photograph: Andreas Trepte

  A juvenile pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) near Oosterend, Texel Island, the Netherlands. While adults are black and white, juveniles of this species have more greyish and sepia tones.
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  Antonie Frederik Jan Floris Jacob van Omphal

  Painting: Herman Antonie de Bloeme

  Antonie Frederik Jan Floris Jacob van Omphal (1788–1863) was a Dutch lieutenant general and extraordinary aide-de-camp to William III of the Netherlands. He fought in Napoleon's Imperial Guard in the Battle of Leipzig and the invasion of Russia, then under the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Battle of Waterloo. He was awarded a knighthood in the Military Order of William, among other honors.
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  The Milkmaid

  Painting: Johannes Vermeer

  The Milkmaid is an oil painting on canvas by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. Thought to have been completed c. 1657–58, it depicts a domestic kitchen maid pouring milk into a squat earthenware container. It is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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  Schutterij

  De Magere Compagnie (completed 1637), which depicts a company of schutterij, a voluntary city guard or citizen militia in the medieval and early modern Netherlands. Frans Hals was commissioned to create this, but he was unable to complete it after three years, and the company hired Pieter Codde to finish it. Group portraits such as this of schutterij were known as schuttersstuk, and were popular among the guards themselves.
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  Aletta Jacobs

  Photograph credit: Max Büttinghausen; restored by Adam Cuerden

  Aletta Jacobs (1854–1929) was a Dutch physician and women's suffrage activist. Jacobs strove throughout her life to change laws that limited women's access to equality, starting in 1883 with an unsuccessful court challenge and eventually achieving success 100 years ago today, on 18 September 1919, with the signing of a suffrage bill into law. She is also noted for founding the world's first birth control clinic, in 1882. As a child Jacobs yearned to become a doctor like her father and, despite existing barriers, she fought to gain entry to higher education and became the first woman officially to attend a Dutch university, and one of the first female physicians in the Netherlands. Providing medical services to women and children, she grew concerned over the health of working women, and although she continued to practice medicine until 1903, she increasingly turned her attention to activism with a view to improving women's lives. In addition to her suffrage work she led campaigns aimed at deregulating prostitution, improving women's working conditions, and promoting peace.
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  Woman Reading a Letter

  Painting: Johannes Vermeer

  Woman Reading a Letter is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, produced in around 1663. The central element of the painting is a woman in blue standing in front of an unseen window, reading a letter. The woman appears to be pregnant, although as pregnancy was rarely depicted in art during this period, some scholars have argued that the woman's rounded figure is simply a result of the fashions of the day. While the contents of the letter are not depicted, the composition of the painting is revealing. The map of the Netherlands on the wall behind the woman has been interpreted as suggesting that the letter she reads was written by a traveling husband. Alternatively, the box of pearls barely visible on the table before the woman might suggest a lover, as pearls are sometimes a symbol of vanity. The painting is unique among Vermeer's interiors in that no fragment of corner, floor or ceiling can be seen. Part of the collection of the city of Amsterdam as part of the Van der Hoop bequest, it has been in the Rijksmuseum since its inception.
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  Munttoren

  Photo: Massimo Catarinella

  The Munttoren, a tower in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, as seen from the river Amstel at dusk. The tower was originally part of the Regulierspoort, one of the main gates in Amsterdam's medieval city wall, dating to 1487. After a fire destroyed the gate in 1618, the tower was rebuilt in the Amsterdam Renaissance style, with an eight-sided top half and open spire designed by Hendrick de Keyser, featuring a clock with four faces and a carillon of bells. The name ("Mint Tower") refers to the time when it was temporarily used to mint coins in the Rampjaar ("disastrous year") of 1672 when both England and France declared war on the Dutch Republic, and silver and gold could not be safely transported to Dordrecht and Enkhuizen, where coins were normally minted.
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  De Zoeker, Zaandam

  Photo: Murdockcrc

  De Zoeker ("The Seeker") is a windmill located in the Zaanse Schans, Zaanstad, Netherlands used to extract oil from seeds. Built in 1672, it is the only such mill still in operation, and is one of five remaining oil mills in the area.
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  Japanese government-issued currency in the Dutch East Indies

  Banknotes: Empire of Japan. Reproduction: National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution

  The Japanese-issued Netherlands Indies gulden was the currency issued by the Japanese Empire when it occupied the Dutch East Indies during World War II. Following the Dutch capitulation in March 1942, the Japanese closed all banks, seized assets and currency, and assumed control of the economy in the territory. They began issuing military banknotes, as had previously been done in other occupied territories. These were printed in Japan, but retained the name of the pre-war currency and replaced the Dutch gulden at par. From 1943 the military banknotes were replaced by identical bank-issued notes printed within the territory, and the currency was renamed the roepiah from 1944. The currency was replaced by the Indonesian rupiah in 1946, one year after the Japanese surrender and the country's independence.
  
  This note, denominated ten gulden, is part of the 1942 series.
  
  See other denominations: One cent · Five cents · Ten cents · Half gulden · One gulden, Five gulden, Ten gulden
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  Richèl Hogenkamp

  Photograph credit: Carlos Delgado

  Richèl Hogenkamp (born 16 April 1992) is a professional tennis player from the Netherlands. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 94, which she reached on 24 July 2017. On the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, she has won 16 singles and 14 doubles titles. This photograph depicts Hogenkamp competing at the 2015 Madrid Open.
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  Louis-Marie Autissier

  A self-portrait of Louis-Marie Autissier (1772–1830), a French-born Belgian portrait miniature painter. He is considered the founder of the Belgian school of miniature painting in the nineteenth century. Born at Vannes, in Brittany, he joined the French Revolutionary Army at Rennes in 1791. On leaving the army in 1795, Autissier went to Paris and trained his art by studying paintings at the Louvre. In 1796 he settled in Brussels, but continued to divide his time between Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Although he enjoyed great success in his career, serving as court painter to Louis Napoleon, French King of the Netherlands, and later to Willem I, Autissier died penniless.
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  Laura Dekker

  Photograph credit: Savyasachi, retouched by ukexpat

  Laura Dekker (born 1995) is a New Zealand–born Dutch sailor who completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe in a 12.4-metre (41-foot) two-masted ketch from 2010 to 2012. Dekker was fourteen years old when she set off from Gibraltar rather than the Netherlands, because the Dutch shipping regulations did not permit anyone under the age of sixteen to skipper a boat of that size in Dutch waters. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, she started her record-breaking attempt from Sint Maarten in the Caribbean, passing through the Panama Canal and traversing the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans before completing her circumnavigation back at Sint Maarten. This picture shows Dekker attending the 2011 Hiswa Boat Show in Amsterdam.
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  Christmas flood of 1717

  Engraving: Unknown

  The Christmas Flood of 1717 was the most recent large flood in the northern Netherlands, caused by a northwesterly storm that hit the coast of the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia on Christmas night of 1717. Approximately 14,000 people drowned. Floodwaters reached the towns and cities of Groningen, Zwolle, Dokkum, Amsterdam, and Haarlem. Many villages were devastated in the west of Vlieland, behind the sea dykes in Groningen province, and elsewhere.
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  Amsterdam Centraal railway station

  Image: Detroit Publishing Co.; Restoration: Lise Broer

  A ca. 1890–1900 photochrom print of Amsterdam Centraal railway station, one of the main railway hubs of the Netherlands, soon after its opening in 1889. The station is situated on three artificial islands at the head of the city, along the IJ. Its location was highly controversial, as it effectively cut the city off from its own waterfront, making it, for all purposes, an inland city.

Did you know (auto-generated)

• ... that conservation in Indonesia had little local support after independence because it was associated with the Dutch colonial period?
• ... that Semuel Jusof Warouw advocated Minahasan independence to gain leverage in Dutch–Indonesian negotiations?
• ... that according to scholarship published in 2023, Maria de Knuijt, rather than her husband, was actually the main patron of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer?
• ... that the 1961 Indonesian census was the country's first since 1930 and the first since gaining independence from the Netherlands?
• ... that Tobie Goedewaagen, a minister under the Nazi occupation government, fled the Netherlands with his belongings in a bedspread?
• ... that Leonie ter Braak made her film debut in The Marriage Escape, the film of Dutch origin with the most cinema ticket sales in 2020?

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This page gives an overview of all featured content () on Wikipedia related to the Netherlands. Featured articles See also: Category:FA-Class Netherlands articles Mary II of England (20 September 2004) William III of England (5 October 2004) Anne Frank (10 February 2005) Battle of Ramillies (11 September 2007) The Garden of Earthly Delights (28 May 2008) Tulip mania (18 August 2008) Design 1047 battlecruiser (14 April 2009) Battle of Morotai (12 December 2009) Dutch 1913 battleship proposal (27 March 2010) Pig-faced women (4 September 2010) The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (5 October 2011) Murder of Joanna Yeates (1 April 2012) 1740 Batavia massacre (6 May 2012) Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych (8 November 2012) Terang Boelan (4 December 2012) Sair Tjerita Siti Akbari (6 April 2013) Gagak Item (26 May 2013) Lie Kim Hok (1 July 2013) Sorga Ka Toedjoe (23 July 2013) Djaoeh Dimata (3 August 2013) Boenga Roos dari Tjikembang (novel) (15 August 2013) Amir Hamzah (5 October 2013) Si Tjonat (27 October 2013) Fakih Usman (20 November 2013) Roekiah (12 January 2014) Early Netherlandish painting (20 January 2014) Asmara Moerni (9 February 2014) Drama dari Krakatau (27 February 2014) Tjioeng Wanara (1 April 2014) D. Djajakusuma (14 May 2014) Union Films (6 June 2014) Soeara Berbisa (25 June 2014) Harta Berdarah (9 July 2014) Si Ronda (15 July 2014) Battle of Öland (8 August 2014) Kedok Ketawa (15 August 2014) Oriental Film (21 September 2014) Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman (27 November 2014) Air Mata Iboe (18 April 2015) Jacobus Anthonie Meessen (13 May 2015) Joehana (3 September 2015) Panggilan Darah (16 January 2016) Jacob van Ruisdael (5 February 2016) Huguenot-Walloon half dollar (14 April 2016) Vincent van Gogh (15 September 2016) Featured lists See also: Category:FL-Class Netherlands articles List of films that received the Golden Film (18 November 2007) Order of battle at the Battle of Camperdown (24 April 2010) Amsterdam Tournament (23 September 2010) List of films of the Dutch East Indies (21 October 2012) List of film directors of the Dutch East Indies (17 November 2012) List of film producers of the Dutch East Indies (15 February 2013) List of municipalities of the Netherlands (24 June 2013) Featured pictures Pictures with a Netherlands-related subject or made by an author from the Netherlands. Artwork 12 April 2006 3 August 2008 5 December 2008 2 February 2009 2 February 2009 6 February 2009 28 April 2009 21 May 2010 8 January 2012‎ 6 February 2012‎ 16 March 2012‎ 19 April 2012‎ 10 January 2013 19 January 2013 27 January 2013 9 September 2013 20 September 2013 7 December 2013 8 December 2013 4 February 2014 17 February 2014 27 April 2014 3 May 2014 5 May 2014 3 June 2014 8 July 2014 19 July 2014 19 July 2014 23 July 2014 18 September 2014 18 September 2014 18 September 2014 18 September 2014 3 November 2014 5 November 2014 9 November 2014 15 November 2014 29 November 2014 5 December 2014 22 December 2014‎ 11 January 2015 14 January 2015 14 January 2015 15 January 2015 16 January 2015 19 January 2015 23 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 24 January 2015 25 January 2015 30 January 2015 8 February 2015 17 February 2015 19 February 2015 20 February 2015 20 February 2015 21 February 2015 21 February 2015 22 February 2015 24 February 2015 25 February 2015 26 February 2015 27 February 2015 28 February 2015 1 March 2015 2 March 2015 3 March 2015 8 March 2015 10 March 2015 12 March 2015 17 March 2015 21 March 2015 27 March 2015 1 April 2015 7 April 2015 13 April 2015 15 April 2015 16 April 2015 1 May 2015 26 May 2015 20 September 2015 21 September 2015 24 September 2015 9 October 2015 15 October 2015 21 December 2015 1 January 2016 11 March 2016‎ Culture, entertainment, and lifestyle 8 November 2012‎ 21 September 2014 30 October 2014 8 December 2014 8 December 2014 8 December 2014 8 December 2014 8 December 2014 8 December 2014 8 December 2014 5 July 2015 Diagrams, drawings, and maps 7 March 2007 9 July 2009 22 July 2009 29 January 2011 28 April 2011 Engineering and technology 6 March 2014 Food and drink 21 January 2008 History 19 October 2008 9 May 2009 1 April 2014 8 October 2014 28 October 2014 17 April 2015 People 16 January 2008 20 January 2009 28 June 2010 13 September 2010 20 February 2012‎ 13 January 2013 20 July 2013 22 January 2014 19 September 2014 12 October 2014 5 November 2014 21 December 2014‎ 24 December 2014‎ 14 January 2015 26 January 2015 3 February 2015 13 February 2015 9 March 2015 20 April 2015 23 May 2015 7 July 2015 6 November 2015 4 December 2015 1 April 2016 Places 24 October 2006 13 March 2008 3 September 2008 10 January 2009 21 January 2009 6 February 2009 19 February 2009 4 August 2009 1 October 2009 22 October 2009 13 January 2010 18 September 2010 9 April 2011 20 May 2014 29 June 2014 16 April 2015 Vehicles 4 October 2010

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