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Introducing The Netherlands
There aren't many countries with so much land below sea level. There aren't many - if any - countries this flat. There aren't many countries with so much reclaimed land. There aren't many countries this densely populated, and yet so liberal. There aren't many countries with so much water and wind, or so many boats, sails, bikes, birds, dykes, polders, windmills, flowers, fish, bridges, cafés, cheese - and tall people. And there certainly aren't many countries who can claim such a vibrant colour (vivid orange in this case) as their own. Simply put, there is no place like the Netherlands.
Start with the Dutch cities. Who hasn't heard of Amsterdam, the capital of culture, coffeeshops and canals? Its mesmerising beauty is hard to overestimate, and yet a surfeit of stunning metropoles are only hours, or even minutes, away by train. Haarlem, Groningen City, Rotterdam, Utrecht City, Den Haag, Leiden, Delft, Maastricht - the list seems endless, a mind-boggling concept considering the size of this small nation.
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Latest headlines for The Netherlands
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Dutch hand back looted Iraqi art
9 July 2009 9:54PM
The Netherlands returns dozens of ancient artefacts to Iraq, after police discover they were stolen after the 2003 invasion.
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Google helps net Dutch 'muggers'
19 June 2009 9:37PM
Police in the Netherlands arrest twin brothers after a boy they are alleged to have mugged said he saw a picture of them on an internet map service.
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Faith Diary: Dutch Controversy
17 June 2009 10:31AM
In his latest Faith Diary, the BBC's Religious Affairs correspondent Robert Pigott reveals why the Netherlands might not be as tolerant of gay teachers as other parts of Europe. Plus - the ancient tribe using the internet to stave off disaster, and US Army Sikhs press for the right to wear a turban.
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