United Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Netherlands (Dutch: De Nederlanden, often shortened to Nederland), officially the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Bahamas (Often shortened to United Kingdom of the Netherlands) (Dutch: Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (en de Bahamas)) or informally Holland, is a constituent country made up of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Het koninkrijk der Nederlanden) and the Kingdom of the Bahamas (Dutch: Het koninkrijk der Bahamas). The Netherlands lies east of the English Sea and south-west of the German Bay. The Kingdom of the Bahamas lies in the Caribbean. The United Kingdom of the Netherlands borders Germany in the east and France and Lidje in the south. The country also has maritime boundaries with Frisia, the United Kingdom and through the Bahamas they also have maritime boundaries with the United States of America, Cuba and Haiti. The country has three overseas territories, the Dutch Indian Ocean Territory, the Verzuid Islands off the west coast of South Abantia and the Dutch Caribbean Islands.

Today, The Netherlands is a unitary unicameral parliamentary constitutional monarchy led by a prime minister. In 2016, it recorded 80.4 million inhabitants in its 25 European provinces, 12 Carribean provinces, 3 overseas territories and capital region, Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the country's executive capital, financial centre and largest city, it also houses the Royal Palace. The second largest city, Alkmaar, holds the Supreme Court. The nation holds the largest sea port in Europa: The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag).

Netherlands literally means "lower countries" in reference to its low elevation and flat topography. The country is well known for its efforts to combat the sea through building dikes and reclaiming land by making polders.

The UK of the Netherlands is also leader of the Nations of the Dutch Crown, a political association of mostly Dutch countries (of which most are ex-colonies) around the world.

Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is the most populous and main part of the country. The reason that the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Bahamas is most commonly referred to as just the Netherlands is because about 96.4% of the population and 97.9% of the GDP of the country is located within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In the European part of the UK of the Netherlands, the largest cities are to be found. Firstly, the country's capital, Amsterdam, is to be found here. The second largest city of Alkmaar, which hosts the Supreme Court, and the largest sea port of Europa, The Hague, are both located in the country's most populous province, Holland. This area is most notable for the megalopolis of the Randstad.



Kingdom of the Bahamas
The Kingdom of the Bahamas is the Kingdom located in the Carribean part of the UK of the Netherlands. It has 12 provinces. In the year 1972 it acquired the official status of 'Kingdom' within the UK of the Netherlands. This was following the fall of the nationalist government and the political reform of the country. The population of the Kingdom of the Bahamas is 2,440,569 and it's GDP is $78,630,252,000. This gives it a GDP per capita of $32,218.

Dutch Caribbean Islands
The Dutch Caribbean Islands (Dutch: Nederlandse Caribische Eilanden) are an overseas territory of The Netherlands. The territory is made up of five islands: Sint Eustatius, Rokeren, Averen, Saba and Willemsrots. The islands have a combined population of 366,417 and a GDP of $1,237,092,000 as of 2016. The islands have a GDP per capita of $36,167. The island chain is sometimes referred to as the WARSS Islands, WARSS stands for the first letters of the territory's islands' names.

Verzuid Islands
The Verzuid Islands (Dutch: Verzuid Eilanden) are a collection of four islands under Walvis Island, South Abantia, which make up a Dutch overseas territory. The capital of the overseas territory is Thomassen, located on Meerats. From east to west the four islands are called: Wameringen, Meerats, Oldebarneveldsrots, and Schuileringen. The islands population is 34,205, while it's GDP is $1,236,092,000. The islands GDP per capita is $36,167

History
The islands were found by a Dutchman called Diederik Thomassen around the year 1520 (exact date lost), a small port was set up on the island of Meerats, and the islands were claimed by the Dutch. By the year 1812, the islands started organised settlement.

In the main group of settlers, a few Russian men came with and lived on the island, they eventually went back to Russia to invite their families to live with them, to which they agreed. Nowadays, there are about 350 Russians on the island, some of which escaped from the Soviet Union.

Beatrixfort
Beatrixfort is a small island nation at the east end of the Straits of Azania and west of Beta Israel. It is predominantly Jewish, due to its history with Beta Israel. 11,082 people live on the island, which is pretty wealthy with a GDP of $673,126,000. This brings their GDP per capita to $60,740, making it the highest GDP per capita within the U.K. of the Netherlands.

First human contact
The islands have been visited by humans often, but the result of early settlements on the island has been very hard. The first recorded sighting of the island is around the year 85CE, when Abyssinians tried to land on the island, but the wild animals on the island forced them to leave multiple times. Abyssinians records show the island to be called 'Misfortune island' and it was deemed impossible to settle.

Other landings
Archeologists have evidence that the Swahili tried landing too, as a shipwreck was found with logs in the Swahili language, dating to 800-1000CE. The Beta Israeli also have records of attempted landings, but the distance of the main islands to this island were too much a problem in Beta Israel's turbulent history for a settlement to be established.

Dutch landing and settlement
In the year 1479 the island was first spotted by the Dutch, and a small port was established. This port was the base for trade between Beta Israel and the Netherlands. The island was first called Floris' Eiland (English: Floris' Island), after the man who found the island: Floris van Akelberg. Due to the good relationship and later protectorateship over Beta Israel, a lot of Dutch Jews used to island to visit Beta Israel to go see this supposed  'Promised Land'. After finding out that the religion is very traditional and differs from their own, the Dutch Jews decided to settle on this island instead.

Modern day
Due to the amount of Dutch Jews going to the island, about 60-70% of the island is Jewish, but wished to remain with the U.K. of the Netherlands due to the religious differences with Beta Israel and other Dutch colonies in the vicinity.

The name was changed in 1982 after the Dutch-Jewish population wanted to change the name to Beatrixfort, to commemorate the visit of the then-ruling queen of the U.K. of the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix, and the relative lack of information about Floris van Akelberg.

Dutch Indian Ocean Territory
The Dutch Indian Ocean Territory (Dutch: Nederlands Territorium in de Indische Oceaan) is a small island south of the island of Austeroa and an overseas territory of The Netherlands. It has a population of 1,287 as of 2016. It also adds $19,481,000 to the GDP of the country. The island has a GDP per capita of $15,137.

History
On 17 June 1633, Dutch mariner Anthonie van Diemen sighted the most northern island, and named it after his favorite city, Parijs (Paris). The first recorded landing on the island occurred in December 1696, led by the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh, who then claimed the island and the two islands he sighted to the south for the netherlands.

A small port was established around 1890, and was designated a royal colony of the Netherlands. The island was used alot as a middlepoint between New Limburg and Harleland.

Politics
The Netherlands have been a constitutional monarchy since [insert end date of Napoleonic wars] and a parliamentary democracy with the monarch as figurehead since 1844. The reform was made by the Dutch king out of fear of democratic uprising. Since then the Netherlands has had a variety of political parties. Verzuiling (English: Pillarisation) has been a problem since the start of the democracy due to the 3 main 'pillars': the socialists, the liberals and the protestants/christians. Pillarisation would slowly weaken as Nationalism would slowly become an underlying feeling under all pillars. The end of pillarisation would be in the Great War, around 1912. The election of 1912 saw the rise of the Dutch nationalist party Nederlands Ideaal (English: Dutch Ideal). This party would be in power until 1964 when public opinion swayed massivly towards the Social Democrats due to an election scandal. This would cause the great Dutch political reform (Dutch: Herformatie van de Nederlandse Politiek) which advocated for more freedom of speech and a better governernment.