Historically, the Netherlands is located in the west of Europe, bordering the North Sea in the west and north, the Federal Republic of Germany in the east and Belgium in the south. The area is 4 1473 km2 (1983). Population14.45 million (1985), of which more than 90% are Dutch and the rest are Frisians. The official language is Dutch. 37.5% residents believe in Catholicism and 3 1.6% believe in Christianity. Amsterdam, the capital. The seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands is low-lying, with 24% of its land below sea level. Therefore, it was once called "Holland" (meaning lowland). In ancient and medieval times, some Germanic and Celtic tribes settled here around 1 1 century BC. Later, it became a frontier province of the Roman Empire. In 67 AD, Claudius led the people's uprising in Taful against Roman rule, but failed. In the 4th century, with the introduction of Christianity, the economy developed initially and some towns were built. From the 5th century to the 9th century, as part of the Frankish Kingdom, some Anglo-Saxons and Franks settled in the north and south of the Netherlands respectively. /kloc-at the end of 0/0, the Dutch began to build a large number of seawalls and riverbanks, and set up special institutions for this purpose. From 1 1 to14th century, the Netherlands was divided into many independent feudal territories, among which the Dutch earl's territory was dominant. Dutch, originally a dialect of German, began to become a written language in the Netherlands in the 0/3rd century. In 65438+5th century, Holland was occupied by the Grand Duke of Burgundy. 1477, the Netherlands was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty.16th century, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V further conquered the northeast of the Netherlands. 1556 After the death of Charles V, the Netherlands was under the rule of King Philip II of Spain. As early as the13rd century, handicrafts and commerce in the Netherlands began to develop rapidly, Flanders gradually became the economic center of Western Europe, and the inland canal in the Netherlands became one of the food transportation lines in Europe. Since the15th century, the Dutch have widely used windmills to drain water from lakes surrounded by dams, which has created conditions for the development of agricultural production and population growth. Dutch aristocrats became rich quickly, and the Dutch economy began to have the nature of capitalism. At the same time, culture has made great progress, and printing used by the Dutch has promoted this development. In the Netherlands, there are famous painters J van Ecker and rehal, and European Renaissance humanist philosopher D Erasmus. /kloc-in the middle of the 0/6th century, the Reformation swept across Europe. The Dutch believe that M. Luther, the leader of the movement, failed to fulfill his promise, and instead accepted Calvinism founded by J. Calvin, a Frenchman, and continued to confront the Roman Catholic Church. Philip II's policy of economic, political and religious slavery to the Netherlands hindered the further development of Dutch capitalist relations. 65438+At the end of 1960s, under the leadership of Prince William I of Orange, the Dutch started the struggle to overthrow Spanish rule (see Dutch bourgeois revolution). After about 80 years of heroic struggle, Spain was forced to sign the Peace Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, and finally recognized the independent status of the Netherlands. This is not only an independent war, but also a bourgeois revolution. The "joint provincial republic" established by the Dutch was called "/kloc-a typical capitalist country in the 7th century" by K. Marx. /kloc-at the end of 0/6, the Dutch navy defeated the Spanish navy, and the Dutch merchant fleet gradually replaced the Spanish merchant fleet to dominate the world's oceans. Dutch navigators and explorers soon discovered and controlled shipping routes to all parts of the world and established colonies in Asia, Africa and America. 1602 Dutch businessmen established the East India Company, and 162 1 year established the West India Company. The two companies set up castles and purchasing stations in various places, enslaved and slaughtered colonial people by deceiving or bribing local leaders, ensured the monopoly position of European international trade and made huge profits. On this basis, the Netherlands entered the17th century-the "golden century". With the great development of navigation and overseas trade, Amsterdam has also rapidly grown into a banking center in Europe and a "warehouse of the world". The achievements of land reclamation around the lake in the western Netherlands have promoted the great development of agriculture and animal husbandry. In industry and handicrafts, Dutch pottery, silverware, paper, cloth, books and other printed matter sell well in Europe. But generally speaking, the Dutch commercial bourgeoisie did not pay enough attention to the development of industry with accumulated capital, so that the Netherlands failed to realize the industrial revolution like Britain, which was the fatal weakness of Dutch early capitalism. In this era, the Dutch scientific and cultural undertakings have made brilliant achievements. The new Netherlands established universities in a short time, breaking through many forbidden areas of the church, allowing lectures in Dutch instead of Latin, allowing autopsies and so on. The earliest successes were astronomy, geography and geometry, which were closely related to Dutch navigation. The Netherlands established the first observatory in Europe. Since then, Dutch physicists have invented telescopes and microscopes and discovered the refractive index of light, while A.van Levenhook was the first to discover microorganisms with a microscope, and physicist Huygens discovered Jupiter's rings and moons. In social science, the philosopher Spinoza put forward the concept of materialism, although he still retained the form of religion. The jurist H. Grotius wrote "On Freedom at Sea", which not only provided a legal basis for the expansion of the Dutch bourgeoisie, but also laid the foundation for bourgeois international law. In art, there are many realistic artists, such as the painter H van R Rembrandt and the poet J van den Vondel. /kloc-Although the Netherlands only recognized Calvinism in the 0/7th century, it also allowed freedom of religion, politics and the press, thus attracting a large number of foreign politicians and scholars who were politically oppressed or excommunicated, such as R Descartes and J Locke, to live and work in the Netherlands. /kloc-in the first half of the 0/7th century, Britain and the Netherlands fought against Spain. After the defeat of Spain, Britain and the Netherlands began to fight for hegemony. There were three wars between Britain and Holland: 1652 ~ 1654, 1665 ~ 1667, 1672 ~ 1674. As a result, Britain broke the Dutch monopoly on maritime trade, seized some Dutch colonies, and reduced the Netherlands to a second-class power. This failure also exposed the contradictions and crises within the Dutch ruling class. In almost the whole18th century, the weak bourgeoisie was unable to develop industry and resume international trade, and instead engaged in speculative activities, securities trading, usury, insurance business and capital investment abroad, which caused the Dutch economy to continue to decline. Only by carrying out balanced diplomacy between Britain and France can the Netherlands not be destroyed. /kloc-In the middle of the 8th century, under the influence of the French Enlightenment, a radical "patriotic movement" appeared in the Netherlands. They demanded to expand people's rights and reduce the power of the Dutch governor, but they were frustrated in 1787. 1793 ~ 18 13 years, the Netherlands became the place where Britain struggled with France. The Netherlands was the first to unite with Britain against the French Revolution. 1795 Due to the French invasion, the Dutch Republic perished and Governor William V fled to England. The Dutch "Patriot Movement" rebelled again. 1795 ~ 1806 France established the Republic of Batavia in the Netherlands. 1806 ~ 18 10, Napoleon I established the kingdom of the Netherlands and made his brother king. It was incorporated into France on1810 ~1813. 18 13 After the collapse of the First Empire of France, the Orange Dynasty took over the political power. 18 15 The Vienna Conference decided to establish the Kingdom of the Netherlands and return its possessions in East India (now Indonesia) and Latin America. William I, the son of William V (reigned at 18 15 ~ 1840), became the king of the Netherlands, including Belgium, Liè ge and Luxemburg. He carried out the economic recovery plan, set up a bank in 1822 and a Dutch trade association in 1824. But his autocratic rule led to the Belgian Revolution of 1830. The following year, Belgium became independent. From 65438 to 0848, under the influence of the European revolutionary wave, the "Patriot Movement" revived, and the people in The Hague, Amsterdam and other cities revolted. The government was forced to amend the constitution, which greatly restricted the power of the monarch, and the regime fell into the hands of the big bourgeoisie, basically establishing the current political system in the Netherlands. The Netherlands gradually became stronger, established administrative institutions in the East Indian colonies, and strengthened plunder and exploitation. The Netherlands began the industrial revolution and agricultural reform, and established an insurance system throughout the country. A scientist of world significance like physicist H.A. Lawrence emerged in the Netherlands. At the same time, the influence of religion has faded, and the voice of getting rid of tradition is very strong. The people's struggle against the oppression and exploitation of the big bourgeoisie has also entered a new stage. 1870, trade unions began to appear, 188 1 year, the social democratic alliance (today's Labour Party and the Netherlands * * *) was established, and the workers' movement has flourished since then. 1860, E.D. Dyckel published Mags Havrar, which sharply exposed and condemned the Dutch colonial oppression and plunder of Indonesia and caused a sensation among the Dutch public. In art, a modernist painter like V.W. Van Gogh appeared who resisted bourgeois traditions and forms. 1890, Queen Wilhelmina ascended the throne. During World War I, the Netherlands remained neutral. After the war, reforms such as universal suffrage were implemented. 19 18 zuider zee reclamation project started. During World War II, the Germans occupied the Netherlands, and the Dutch government in exile led the anti-German struggle in London. The Netherlands, which went underground, fought bravely at home. 1945 In May, the Netherlands was liberated from fascist Germany. 1948, Queen Wilhelmina gave way to Julianne. After the war, Indonesia declared its independence and the Netherlands lost an important economic pillar. 1944 Join the Benelux League. 1949 Joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 1954 the Netherlands established diplomatic relations with China. 1957 Joining the European Community. In the same year, the Dutch government approved the implementation of the Delta Project. At the same time, the Netherlands vigorously developed chemical industry, electronic industry, international trade and transportation, and comprehensively developed the huge natural gas resources discovered in the north, thus making the economy develop rapidly in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, since the mid-1970s, under the influence of the world capitalist economic crisis, the Netherlands has also encountered various difficulties, and its economic development has greatly slowed down. 198 1 year, Queen Beya Trix ascended the throne. From 65438 to 0983, the economy began to recover. In recent years, the gross national product has increased again.