a kingdom in NW Europe, on the North Sea: declared independence from Spain in 1581 as the United Provinces; became a major maritime and commercial power in the 17th century, gaining many overseas possessions; formed the Benelux customs union with Belgium and Luxembourg in 1948 and was a founder member of the Common Market, now the European Union. It is mostly flat and low-lying, with about 40 per cent of the land being below sea level, much of it on polders protected by dykes. Official language: Dutch. Religion: believers are mainly Christian. Currency: euro. Capital: Amsterdam, with the seat of government at The Hague. Pop: 17 035 938 (2017 est). Area: 41 526 sq km (16 033 sq miles)

the kingdom of the Netherlands together with the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium,esp as ruled by Spain and Austria before 1581; the Low Countries