The Netherlands
The Netherlands, in Dutch: Nederland, is a kingdom. Its full name is the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It consists of the Netherlands itself and six islands in the Caribbean Sea: Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. Although Amsterdam is the capital, the government resides in The Hague.
The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. It has a coalition government, headed by the prime minister. Queen Beatrix is the head of state, her role however is mainly ceremonial.
The Netherlands are often called 'Holland'. Actually, the word is part of the names of the two western coastal provinces, North Holland and South Holland, which have played a dominant role in the country's history and are the most heavily populated provinces. The name Holland is therefore also used to refer to the Netherlands as a whole, even though people in the other provinces are sometimes a little unhappy about it.