See Also

Low Countries

The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta River delta

A delta is a triangular shaped landform where the mouth of a river [i] ... 

 of the Rhine Rhine

The Rhine River is one of the longest and most important river [i]s in Europe [i] at 1,320 kilometres [i] ... 

, Scheldt Scheldt

The Scheldt is a 350 km [i] long river [i] that finds its origin around Gouy-Le-Catelet [i] i ... 

, and Meuse Meuse River

The Meuse is a major European [i] river [i], rising in France [i] and flowing through Belgium [i] and ... 

  rivers. The term is not particularly current in modern contexts because the region does not very exactly correspond with the sovereign states of The Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

, Belgium Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe [i] bordered by the Netherlands [i] ... 

 and Luxembourg Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked [i] country in western Europe [i], bordered by Belgium [i] ... 

, for which an alternate term, the Benelux Benelux

[i] comprising three neighbouring [[monarchy|monarchies]... 

 was applied after World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

. Before early modern nation building, the Low Countries referred to a wide area of northern Europe roughly stretching from Dunkirk Dunkirk

Dunkirk is a harbor city and a commune [i] in the northernmost part of France [i], in ... 

 at its southwestern point to the area of Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein

Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost [i] of the 16 Bundeslnder [i] ... 

 at its northeastern point, from the estuary Estuary

An estuary is a mouth of a river [i] with a triangle form, semi-enclosed coastal [i] body of water [i] w ... 

 of the Scheldt Scheldt

The Scheldt is a 350 km [i] long river [i] that finds its origin around Gouy-Le-Catelet [i] i ... 

 in the south to Frisia Frisia

Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea [i]. ... 

 in the north.

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Timeline

1940   World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

: Battle of France Battle of France

In World War II [i], the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German [i] ... 

 begin - German Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 forces invaded France France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

 and Low Countries.



Encyclopedia


The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta River delta

A delta is a triangular shaped landform where the mouth of a river [i]
... 

 of the Rhine Rhine

The Rhine River is one of the longest and most important river [i]s in Europe [i] at 1,320 kilometres [i] ... 

, Scheldt Scheldt

The Scheldt is a 350 km [i] long river [i] that finds its origin around Gouy-Le-Catelet [i] i ... 

, and Meuse Meuse River

The Meuse is a major European [i] river [i], rising in France [i] and flowing through Belgium [i] and ... 

  rivers. The term is not particularly current in modern contexts because the region does not very exactly correspond with the sovereign states of The Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

, Belgium Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe [i] bordered by the Netherlands [i] ... 

 and Luxembourg Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked [i] country in western Europe [i], bordered by Belgium [i] ... 

, for which an alternate term, the Benelux Benelux

[i] comprising three neighbouring [[monarchy|monarchies]... 

 was applied after World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

.

Before early modern nation building, the Low Countries referred to a wide area of northern Europe roughly stretching from Dunkirk Dunkirk

Dunkirk is a harbor city and a commune [i] in the northernmost part of France [i], in ... 

 at its southwestern point to the area of Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein

Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost [i] of the 16 Bundeslnder [i] ... 

 at its northeastern point, from the estuary Estuary

An estuary is a mouth of a river [i] with a triangle form, semi-enclosed coastal [i] body of water [i] w... 

 of the Scheldt Scheldt

The Scheldt is a 350 km [i] long river [i] that finds its origin around Gouy-Le-Catelet [i] i ... 

 in the south to Frisia Frisia

Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea [i]. ... 

 in the north. The Low Countries were the scene of the early northern towns, built from scratch rather than developed from ancient centres, that mark the reawakening of Europe Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continent [i]s of the Earth [i]. ... 

 in the 12th century 12th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 12th century was that century [i] which lasted from ... 

.

A collection of several regions rather than one homogeneous region, all of the low countries still shared a great number of similarities.

  • Most were coastal regions bounded by the North Sea North Sea

    he North Sea is a sea [i] of the Atlantic Ocean [i], located between Norway [i] and Denmark [i] in the ... 

     or the English Channel English Channel

    The English Channel is the part of the Atlantic Ocean [i] that separates the island [i] of Great Britain [i] ... 

    . The countries not having access to the sea politically and economically linked to the ones that had so as to form one union of port and hinterland. A poetic description also calls the region "the Low Countries by the Sea"
  • Most spoke Middle Dutch Middle Dutch

    Linguistically speaking, Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic [i] ... 

     out of which later would evolve Dutch. However some regions, such as the Bishopric of Liège Bishopric of Liège

    ... 

     or the Walloon Flanders around Cambrai Cambrai

    Cambrai also written Cambray is a French [i] town and commune [i], in the ... 

    , Lille Lille

    Lille is the main city of France's fourth largest metropolitan area [i] . ... 

    , Mons Mons

    Mons is a Belgian [i] municipality [i] located in the Walloon [i] province of Hainaut [i] ... 

     and Namur Namur

    Namur may refer to:
  • Namur in a Belgian context:

... 

, where French was the dominant language are often considered as part of the Low Countries as well.
  • Most of them depended on a lord or count in name only, the cities effectively being ruled by guilds and councils and although in theory part of a kingdom, their interaction with their rulers was regulated by a strict set of liberties describing what the latter could and could not expect from them.
  • All of them depended on trade and manufacturing and encouraging the free flow of goods and craftsmen.


Of particular importance for the cities was the manufacture and trade of woollen cloth, Europe's first industry. Cities that grew around this trade included Liège, Leuven Leuven

Leuven is the capital of the Belgian [i] province of Flemish Brabant [i]. ... 

, Mechelen Mechelen

Mechelen is a city and municipality [i] located in Antwerp Province [i], Flanders [i], Belgium [i] ... 

, Antwerp Antwerp

The city [i] and municipality [i] of Antwerp is a centre of commerce in Flanders [i] and Belgium [i] an ... 

, Brussels Brussels

Brussels is the capital [i] of Belgium [i], the French Community of Belgium [i], the Flemish Community [i]... 

, Ypres Ypres

Ypres or Ieper is a municipality [i] located in Flanders [i], one of the three regions of Belgium [i] ... 

, Ghent Ghent

Ghent is a city [i] and a municipality [i] located in Flanders [i], Belgium [i]. ... 

, Leiden Leiden

[i] is a city and municipality in South Holland [i], The Netherlands [i] ... 

 and Utrecht.

In 1477 the Burgundian holdings Burgundy

Burgundy is a historic region of France [i], inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European [i] people, Celts [i]... 

 in the area, the Burgundian Netherlands passed through an heiress Mary of Burgundy Mary of Burgundy

Mary, duchess of Burgundy [i], was the only child of Charles the Bold [i], Duke of Burgundy, and his wif ... 

 to the Habsburgs Habsburg

Habsburg was an important ruling house [i] of Europe [i] and is best known as the ruling Ho ... 

. In the following century the "Low Countries" corresponded roughly to the Seventeen Provinces Seventeen Provinces

The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union [i] of states in the Low Countries [i] in the 16th century [i]... 

 covered by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 of Holy Roman Emperor Holy Roman Emperor

The Holy Roman Emperor was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire [i], a predecessor of numerous countries mainl ... 

 Charles V Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Burgundian territories [i], King of Castile [i], King of Aragon [i] ... 

, which freed the provinces from their archaic feudal obligations. After the Seventeen Provinces declared their independence from Habsburg Spain Habsburg Spain

During the reign of Emperor Charles V [i], who ascended the thrones of the kingdoms of Spai ... 

, the provinces of the Southern Netherlands Southern Netherlands

The Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries [i] controlled by Spain [i] , Austria [i] and ... 

 were recaptured and are sometimes called the Spanish Netherlands Southern Netherlands

The Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries [i] controlled by Spain [i] , Austria [i] and ... 

.

In 1713, under the Treaty of Utrecht following the War of the Spanish Succession War of the Spanish Succession

The War of the Spanish Succession was a major Europe [i]an conflict that arose in 1701 [i] after the de ... 

, what was left of the Spanish Netherlands was ceded to Austria Austria

Austria is a landlocked [i] country in central Europe [i]. ... 

 and thus became known as the Austrian Netherlands Southern Netherlands

The Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries [i] controlled by Spain [i] , Austria [i] and ... 

. The United Kingdom of the Netherlands United Kingdom of the Netherlands

United Kingdom of the Netherlands was the unofficial name used to refer to a new unified Europe [i]a ... 

  temporarily united the Low Countries again.

In English, the plural form Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

 is used for the present-day country, but in Dutch that plural has been dropped, with the pleasant side-effect that one can thus distinguish between the older, larger Netherlands and the current country. So Nederland is used for the modern nation and de Nederlanden for the domains of Charles V. However, the plural term "Koninkrijk der Nederlanden" still is the official Dutch name of the realm.

See also

  • The Netherlands


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