The country of The Netherlands is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. It is situated in North-western Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Germany and Belgium. The capital of The Netherlands is the city of Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague ('s-Gravenhage).
The Netherlands is often called Holland, after its most important province in the 17th century, Holland. The name Holland for the country of The Netherlands is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are merely two of its twelve provinces.
