The Netherlands (officially: Kingdom of The Netherlands) is a constitutional monarchy, located in northwestern Europe.

The Kingdom of The Netherlands consists of an American part (Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles), and a European part (The Netherlands).

It is a founding member of the BeNeLux, the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations (UN), and the Western European Union (WEU).

The country is often referred to by the name Holland. This is not terminologically precise, as the provinces of North and South Holland are only two of the country's twelve provinces.

The Netherlands is a densely populated and geographically low-lying country, and is popularly known for its social tolerance.

The country is host to Europol (the European Union's criminal intelligence agency), the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

At this moment, The Netherlands is the twentieth largest economy of the world.