The Netherlands (Nederland) is a small country in Western Europe, on the North Sea (de Noordzee). Belgium (België) lies to the south and Germany (Duitsland) to the east. Compared with Turkey or Morocco, the Netherlands is much smaller.

A low country and water

The word Nederland means "low land" (laag land). About a quarter of the country lies below sea level. That is why the Dutch have learned to live with water for centuries:

de dijk (dike): a long wall of earth that holds back the sea and the rivers. There is often a road on top.
de duinen (dunes): natural sand hills along the coast.
de polder: low land that used to be water and was drained. Pumps keep pushing the water out.

Without dikes, a large part of the country would be under water.

Cities

Amsterdam is the capital (de hoofdstad). This is written in the constitution.
Den Haag (The Hague): the government (de regering), the parliament and the king's working palace are here. The capital and the seat of government are different cities; do not mix them up in the exam.
Rotterdam: the largest seaport (de zeehaven) in Europe.
Schiphol: the national airport (de luchthaven), right next to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht together form the area called de Randstad. Many people live there. The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe: many people (veel mensen) live in a small space.

Weather

The climate is mild and wet (nat). It can rain in every season; winters are not very cold and summers are not very hot.