The Netherlands is one of the four autonomous countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Located mostly in northern Western Europe, the country is bounded there by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south and Germany to the east. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, and the seat of government is The Hague. The official color of the country is orange (Oranje).

After belonging to the Middle Kingdom, East Francia and the Holy Roman Empire, the year 1581 with the Plakkaat van Verlatinghe is considered the birth of the United Netherlands, which was finally recognized in 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia. The Netherlands became a great trading, colonial and maritime power. The 17th century is described as the Golden Age. The constitution of the Netherlands dates back to the time of the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15.

Together with Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands form the Benelux Union. The Netherlands is a founding member of the Montan Union of 1951, which evolved into several successors and the European Union (EU) in 1992.

Source: Wikipedia