Country Summery
Motto	"I will maintain"
Capital City	Amsterdam
Largest City	Amsterdam
Government Type	constitutional monarchy
Population	16,570,613 (61th highest country)
Population Density	393/km² (15th highest country)
Sex Distribution	Age 00-19: 11.9% female, 12.4% male  Age 20-39: 15.6% female, 16.1% male  Age 40-59: 12.9% female, 13.3% male  Age 60-79:   8.1% female,    6.6% male Age 80+:      2.2% female,    0.9% male ------------------------------------------------ total:         51.5% female, 48.5% male
Fertility Rate	1.66 children born per woman
Age of Consent	Male:16 Female: 16
Life Expectancy	Total Population: 78.81 years Male: 76.25 years Female: 81.51 years
Average Yearly Income per Person	$35,078 (10th highest country)
Holidays	Queen's Day: Apirl 3Oth
Coat of Arms

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a monarchy in the Northwest of Europe, between the North Sea, Belgium and Germany, known for much more than cheese, windmills, and tulips.  The Netherlands is host to the International Court of Justice, which is the judicial center of the United Nations.  The Netherlands (Holland) holds different meanings for different people.  But it can be said with certainty that this country has always brought people of differing cultures together from all over the world. Its recorded history starts with the Roman invasion in the first century A.D., but it was most influential in the 17th century when it established colonies in the Seven Seas along with the English and the Spanish empires.  In that period, New York, parts of India, a series of forts along the African Coast, and the Colonies in Indonesia expanded the vast Dutch Empire. Though most historic town centers in the Netherlands date back to the Dark Ages, most building was done in the era of oversea expansion, and in the nineteenth century when the industrial revolution started. In Amsterdam, Leiden, or Utrecht you can see the big 17th century mansions once owned by the commanders of the Dutch fleet and those of the rich merchants who financed the wars with their overseas gains.  During this time the Dutch elite stashed away small items of great value in their mansions and baroque palaces.  Though the Dutch never were really extravagant and did not have a court like Germany, France, and Spain, they enjoyed a new abundance of artistic culture.  Most of the world's famous painters are Dutch, such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. Apart from the glory days of the 17th century there is much in the Netherlands to attract the present-day visitor.  Travelers will discover a very open, relaxed international atmosphere here.  The Netherland is well known for some great museums with both modern and historical art.  Due to the bombardment during WWII and the renovations that followed, Rotterdam is the only real modern town of the Netherland (as well as the largest seaport in the world), not counting suburbs like Lelystad or Almere.  Especially compared to mega cities like New York, London, and Paris, the Dutch cities are very hip and relaxed.  Places like Den Bosch, Arnhem, and Zwolle are also worth a visit, being close to the national park of Hoge Veluwe. Maastricht is the most important city of the South.  Its atmosphere is quite different from the North. The town basks in beauty and is a good base for exploring the countryside, as well as making daytrips to Aachen and Liege.  Because of its size and flatness, Holland is a great country to explore by bicycle.  Public transport is another good option, because parking is problematic in most town centers.  Cars are not fashionable here.  Trains and buses provide excellent transport throughout the entire country. Last but not least, many people are especially attracted to the Netherlands for its legal freedoms.  The Netherlands is famous for legally tolerated paid-sex and soft drugs.  Marijuana, in small quantities, for personal use, is for sale legally in coffee shops throughout the country.  Paid-sex is government regulated and taxed in Amsterdam.  This, however, does not mean hard drugs are tolerated, nor is illegal sexual conduct.  Both forms of tolerance were instituted to better control illegal activity.  The result is less crime, lower rates of STDs, better working conditions for sexworkers, and extinction of the problems related to the prior illegal drug trade -- a recipe slowly being picked up by the rest of the world.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the most attractive cities in Europe -- beautiful, hip, laid back, lots to do, lots to see, with many pubs, food from all over the world, friendly people, and just very relaxing in general.  A visit to this enchanting city is like taking a walk in the 17th century. The center of Amsterdam was built with a great deal of charming architecture dating from this period.  It’s an excellent city to tour on foot or bicycle.  Although, Amsterdam still enjoys its old 17th century architecture, that's about all that's old fashioned about it. In summer, one of the best places to go for a peaceful afternoon is the Vondelpark. It is a great park, right in the center of things and very lively.  With a bit of luck you can catch a free outdoor concert. There are also a few trendy places in the park where you can sit and have a beer with the locals.  There are relaxing boat rides that you can catch with large groups for low prices, which will take you floating through all the dreamy canels.  There are more museums and art galleries than you can see in an entire week, with the Von Gogh Museum being an easy place to start.  Coffee shops too are well worth a visit, if you are looking for a complete Amsterdam experience. And it just wouldn’t be Amsterdam without the world famous red light district.  “De Wallen”, also known as “Rossebuurt”, is the most visited red light district on Earth, and the proud sex capital of Europe. The name, Wallen, refers to the red light district's two canals (Oudezijds Achterburgwal and the Oudezijds Voorburgwal).  Amsterdam's red light district has existed since the 14th century, mainly catering to sailors.  It is a network of alleys containing several hundred one-room apartments rented by female sexworkers who offer their services from behind windows. The neon red lights over their front doors are what gave the red district its name.  It also has a number of sex shops, sex theatres, peep shows, a sex museum, restaurants and bars, a cannabis museum, and a number of excellent coffee shops to help put you in the mood.  De Wallen is located in the heart of the oldest part of Amsterdam, two blocks east of Damrak Street as you leave Centraal Station, extending several blocks south of the Oude Kerk.

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Weather Record of Amesterdam

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Safety briefing cited from U.S. Department of State & CIA public records.