Destinations : Netherlands

About Netherlands

The Netherlands is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean. The Netherlands is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy, located in Western Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 27% of its area and 60% of its population located below sea level. Significant areas have been gained through land reclamation and preserved through an elaborate systems of polders and dikes.

The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are only two of its twelve provinces. The word Dutch is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything indigenous to the Netherlands.

Climate

The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is south-west, which causes a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters.

The Netherlands has a fairly temperate climate, very similar to England; temperatures are variable and rain occurs throughout the year. Despite the hordes of tourists the best time to visit is over the summer, or in spring when the flowers are in bloom - the tulips come out in May.