The history of the Netherlands begins with the arrival of the Roman Empire. Areas south of the Rhine were first included in the Roman province of Gallia Belgica and then later in Germania Inferior. At the time, the Netherlands area was populated by a variety of Germanic tribes while the southern areas were inhabited by the Gauls who absorbed Germanic tribes during the migration perod. The Merovingian Dynasty would be established in Gaul by the Salian Franks that migrated from the Netherlands.
During the medieval period, the Low Countries, which encompassed roughly modern day Belgium, the Netherlands and small parts of neighbouring Germany and France, was splintered in to varous counties, duchies and dioceses, all of which fell under either the Duchy of Burgundy and the Holy Roman Empire. Under Habsburg rule in the 16th Century, these would be united in to one state. Ultimatley open revolt would break out against Philip II of Spain in protest to the attempt to bring the Netherlands under tighter control and the religious persecution of the Calvinists. Indepence was declared on the 16 July 1581, plunging the Netherlands in to the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648). During these years the great Dutch Golden Age would begin, a period of commercial success and culturald prosperity that would span the 17th Century. The Netherlands finally became considered a single united and independant country around 1600, though Spain would not recognise this until 1648.
Following the Napoleon's French occupation at the start of the 19th Century, the Netherlands emerged as a monarchy under the governance of the House of Orange. Over time, moves by liberals resulted in the Netherlands moving to become a parliamentary democracy with the House of Orange serving as constitutional monarch in 1848. This system remains in place to today, only being interupted by the occupation of the Netherlands during the Second World War by Nazi Germany.
The Netherlands has emerged after the war as a modern and vibrant industrialised nation that is a major player in the export of agricultural products. Trade with overseas countries remains a corner stone of the Dutch economy, something which has featured throughout its history and struggles with the great powers to protect.
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Goed gezelschap maakt korte mijlen.
Good company on the road is the shortest cut.