The Netherlands is a country located in northwestern Europe, also commonly referred to as Holland. The term “Netherlands” translates to a low-lying country, while “Holland” (originating from “Houtland,” meaning “Wooded Land”) was initially applied to one of the medieval cores that later evolved into the modern state. It is still used to denote two of its 12 provinces, namely Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. Operating under a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch, the kingdom includes former colonies in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The capital is Amsterdam, and the seat of government is The Hague.
The Netherlands is renowned for its low-lying and notably flat terrain, featuring extensive lakes, rivers, and canals. Approximately 2,500 square miles (6,500 square km) of the country consist of reclaimed land, a result of meticulous water management practices dating back to medieval times. Coastal areas saw land reclamation from the sea, while lakes and marshes in the interior were drained, often alongside numerous rivers.
This reclaimed land was transformed into polders, typically enclosed by dikes. Initially, human and animal power was employed for land drainage, later replaced by iconic windmills, exemplified by the mill network at Kinderdijk-Elshout, now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The most significant water-control initiatives took place in the latter half of the 19th century and the 20th century, with the introduction of steam pumps and, subsequently, electric or diesel pumps.
