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The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999.
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Country
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Surface Area: 41,526 square km
Population: 16,318,199 (July 2004 est.)
Located in: Western Europe
Capital City: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Head of State: Queen BEATRIX
Prime Minister: Jan Peter BALKENENDE
Independent since: 1579 (from Spain)
Currency: €uro
Flag (image): 
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