Netherlands

The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden), which is formed
by the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. The Netherlands
is a constitutional monarchy, located in northwestern Europe. It is bordered
by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany
to the east. The current borders were formed in 1839.

The Netherlands is often referred to by the name Holland. This is, however, misguided, since the provinces of North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country's twelve provinces.
The Netherlands is a densely populated and geographically low-lying country (its name literally means "low countries" or "low lands") and is popularly known for its windmills, clogs (wooden shoes), dikes, tulips, bicycles, and social tolerance. Its policies are liberal towards drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia. The country is host to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court at The Hague.