Netherlands
The 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. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved
and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
- became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative
structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined
the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom
of the Netherlands.
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