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  Adapazarı
  Adapazarı (pronounced [adapaˈzaɾɯ]) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of Sakarya Province. The province itself was originally named Adapazarı as well. Adapazarı is a part of the densely populated region of the country, known as the Marmara Region. As of 2010, the city has a population of 560,876 (metropolitan center)
  History of Adapazarı dates back to 378 BC. Ancient settlers included Phrygians, Bithynians, Cimmerians, Lydians and Persians, but Adapazarı got its identity from the Romans and Byzantine rulers. One of the most important remains of historical significance is the Justinianus Bridge (Turkish: Beş Köprü) built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 533 CE. Historically, it was situated on the old military road from Constantinople (now Istanbul) to the east, connected in Late Antiquity by the important Sangarius Bridge and, since the end of the 19th century, by a branch line with the Anatolian railway.
  In 1868, the Adapazarı Municipality was officially founded on the town called Der Seadet. A sugar factory and agricultural sugar factory attracted many migrants and accelerated the industrialization of the city. A law passed on 17 June 1954 in the Grand National Assembly saw the city separated from Kocaeli Province and made the center of its own province. The 1999 Marmara Earthquake affected Adapazarı and inflicted losses in lives and damage. In the 2000 official census,the population was recorded as 158 474. By official decree, the province was renamed Sakarya after the Sakarya River which runs through it.
  
  wn.com/Adapazarı
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  Alblasserdam
  Alblasserdam (population 19,003 in 2009) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 9.96 square kilometres (3.85 sq mi), of which 1.18 square kilometres (0.46 sq mi) is water. Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden. A portion of the small village of Kinderdijk, which boasts the largest and most famous concentration of windmills in the Netherlands, is part of Alblasserdam.
  The name Alblasserdam is derived from its location near the creek Alblas where a dam was built. Inhabitants of Alblasserdam are called Alblasserdammers (singular: Alblasserdammer).
  The history of Alblasserdam goes back some 700 years. The name is first mentioned in the chronicles of Melis Stoke in 1299, but the municipality wasn't formed until 1447. Before that, it was part of Oud-Alblas.
  Because of its location on the Noord River, one of the busiest waterways in Western Europe, water has played a major role in Alblasserdam's history. The river was important for its development and makes it an advantageous location for industry. Alblasserdam's strategic location also brought it negative consequences: between 1350 and 1821, the Alblasserwaard polder has been flooded 32 times. It also suffered during the German raid on Rotterdam on May 11, 1940, when its town center was seriously hit. However, the historic Kerkstraat (Church Street) and the characteristic dike construction along the river were spared. The North Sea flood of 1953 also affected a portion of Alblasserdam.
  
  wn.com/Alblasserdam
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  Albrandswaard
  Albrandswaard ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 19,607 in 2004, and covers an area of 23.75 km² (9.17 mile²) of which 1.57 km² (0.61 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Albrandswaard consists of the village of Poortugaal in the west and Rhoon in the east. Each has a metro station on Rotterdam Metro line D (Poortugaal station and Rhoon station), which connects in eastern direction to Rotterdam and to the main railway network at Rotterdam Centraal railway station, and in western direction to Hoogvliet and Spijkenisse.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Albrandswaard
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  Alphen aan den Rijn
  Alphen aan den Rijn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑɫ.fə(n) aːn dɛn ˈrɛi̯n] ( listen)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, between Leiden and Utrecht. The town is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), where the river Gouwe branches off. The municipality had a population of 72,674 in 2010, and covers an area of 57.68 km² (22.27 sq mi) of which 2.61 km² (1.01 sq mi) is water. It also contains the remnants of a Roman castellum.
  The municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn also includes the communities of Aarlanderveen and Zwammerdam. The town is located in what is called the 'Green Heart' of the Netherlands, which is a somewhat less densely populated centre area of the Randstad.
  The name "Alphen" is probably derived from the name of the Roman castellum Albanianae, meaning "settlement at the white water".
  The area around Alphen aan den Rijn has been inhabited for 2000 years. In the Roman era, the Oude Rijn was the main branch of the Rhine River and formed the north border of the Roman Empire. Since the rule of Emperor Claudius (41–54 CE), divisions of the Roman army were stationed here. Consequently, several Roman fortifications were located along the Oude Rijn, including castellum Albanianae in the centre of Alphen. The Romans had also built the first bridge over the Oude Rijn. Alphen was therefore an important commercial site in the area until Germanic raids ended that in 240 CE.
  
  wn.com/Alphen_aan_den_Rijn
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  Barendrecht
  Barendrecht ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 43,104 in 2007, and covers an area of 21.72 km² (8.39 mile²) of which 1.45 km² (0.56 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Barendrecht also includes the following communities: Barendrecht-Carnisselande, Smitshoek.
  There is a railway station in Barendrecht - Barendrecht railway station. Journey time to Rotterdam Centraal is 14 – 23 minutes.
  The current municipality of Barendrecht is located in the area of three former fiefdoms: East-Barendrecht, West-Barendrecht, and Carnisse. The oldest reference to East-Barendrecht is from 1264. These fiefdoms were in Riederwaard, an area reclaimed from water since the 12th century but had to deal with frequent dike breaches throughout the 13th and 14th centuries.
  During the French Period, the three fiefdoms were merged into one municipality Barendrecht. After the French Period, it was split into East and West-Barendrecht, but in 1836 it was again united as one municipality.
  
  wn.com/Barendrecht
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  Bergambacht
  Bergambacht ([bɛr.ˈχɑm.bɑχt] ( listen), population: 9,280 in 2004) is a village in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 38.05 km² (14.69 mile²) of which 2.96 km² (1.14 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Bergambacht also includes the communities Ammerstol and Berkenwoude, which were former municipalities amalgamated with Bergambacht in 1985.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Bergambacht
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  Bernisse
  Bernisse ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 12,684 in 2004, and covers an area of 68.59 km² (26.48 mile²) of which 11.25 km² (4.34 mile²) is water.
  The municipality is named after the Bernisse River, which flows right through it from the Spui (river) to the Brielse meer and separates the estuary islands of Voorne and Putten.
  The municipality of Bernisse consists of the following communities: Abbenbroek, Biert, Geervliet, Heenvliet, Oudenhoorn, Simonshaven, Zuidland.
  The municipality of Bernisse was formed on January 1, 1980, through the amalgamation of the municipalities Abbenbroek, Oudenhoorn, Zuidland, and parts of the municipalities Geervliet (including Simonshaven) and Heenvliet.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Bernisse
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  Binnenmaas
  Binnenmaas ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 19,245 in 2004, and covers an area of 54.91 km² (21.20 mile²) of which 4.57 km² (1.76 mile²) is water. It is named after the lake of the same name.
  The municipality was formed on January 1, 1984, by the merger of the municipalities Puttershoek, Maasdam, Mijnsheerenland, Westmaas, and Heinenoord. On January 1, 2007, the municipality 's-Gravendeel was added to Binnenmaas.
  The municipality of Binnenmaas consists the following communities: Blaaksedijk, De Wacht, Goidschalxoord, 's-Gravendeel, Greup, Heinenoord, Kuipersveer, Maasdam, Maasdijk, Mijnsheerenland, Puttershoek, Reedijk, Schenkeldijk, Sint Anthoniepolder, Westdijk, Westmaas and Zwanegat.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Binnenmaas
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  Boskoop
  Boskoop ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 15,217 in 2008, and covers an area of 16.96 km² (6.55 mile²) of which 2.17 km² (0.84 mile²) is water. It's the world's biggest joined floriculture area.
  Boskoop is famous for its nurseries, particularly woody plant and perennial nurseries, of which some 774 are situated on long stretches of land, divided by narrow canals. Before World War II almost all transport was conducted using narrow boats. A few exceptionally high footbridges crossing some of the broader (main) canals remain from these days. Between the World Wars the transition was made from fruit culture to decorative garden plants and trees. As a source of technical knowledge about the art of growing decorative plants, Boskoop remains world renowned and unique.
  The name "Boskoop" has been given to an apple cultivar (Belle de Boskoop) which is widely distributed in the Low Countries, and to a grape variety (Boskoop Glory).
  
  wn.com/Boskoop
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  Breda (Netherlands)
  Breda (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbreɪ̯.ˌdaː] ( listen)) is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa ('wide Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance. Although a direct Fiefdom of the Holy Roman Emperor, the city obtained a municipal charter; the acquisition of Breda, through marriage, by the house of Nassau ensured that Breda would be at the center of political and social life in the Low Countries.
  Breda's urban area is home to an estimated 316,000 people (2008).
  In the 11th century, Breda was a direct fief of the Holy Roman Emperor, its earliest known lord being Henry of Brunesheim (1080–1125). The city of Breda obtained a municipal charter in 1252. After that Breda had the rights to build fortifications. The city constructed brick walls and Roman-style gates.
  In 1327 Adelheid of Gaveren Breda sold Breda to John III, Duke of Brabant. In 1350, the fief was resold to John II of Wassenaar (d. 1377). In 1403 the heiress of his line, Johanna of Polanen (1392–1445), married Engelbert I of Nassau (1370–1442). Through her, the city came into the possession of the house of Nassau, where it remained until 1795, passing to William I of Orange (1533–1584), stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht and leader of the Dutch revolt. Thus the baron of Breda was also count of Nassau, Germany, Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the Dutch Republic (from 1572–1650, 1672–1702, 1747–1795). Breda remained part of the barony Breda until it was taken by French revolutionary forces in 1795.
  
  wn.com/Breda_(Netherlands)
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  Brielle
  Brielle ( pronunciation (help·info)), also called Den Briel (Brill in English) is a town, municipality and historic seaport in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, on the north side of the island of Voorne-Putten, at the mouth of the New Maas. The municipality covers an area of 31.12 km² (12.02 mile²) of which 3.63 km² (1.40 mile²) is water. In 2004 its population was 15,948.
  The municipality of Brielle also includes the communities Vierpolders, and Zwartewaal.
  Brielle is twinned with:
  Brielle is a very old, fortified town. Its name is derived from the Celtic word brogilo (meaning "closed area" or "hunting grounds"). The oldest writings about Brielle indicate that the current location is the "new" Brielle. Den ouden Briel (Old Brill) must have been situated somewhere else on the Voorne-Putten Island. It received city rights in 1306. The city was for a long time the seat of the Count of Voorne, until this fiefdom was added to Holland in 1371. It had its own harbour and traded with the countries around the Baltic Sea. Brielle even had its own trading colony in Sweden.
  
  wn.com/Brielle
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  China
  China (ⁱ/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
  The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
  
  wn.com/China
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  City Hall (Delft)
  The City Hall in Delft is a Renaissance style building on the Markt across from the Nieuwe Kerk. It is the former seat of the city's government, and still today the place where residents hold their civic wedding ceremonies. Originally designed by the Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser, it was heavily changed over the centuries and was restored in the 20th century to its Renaissance appearance.
  In the town hall from 1618 are some group portraits, and portraits of the counts of Orange and Nassau, including several by Michiel van Mierevelt (1567–1641), one of the earliest Dutch portrait painters, and with his son Pieter (1595–1623), a native of Delft. The oldest part of the complex is the tower covered in "Gobertanger" limestone from Wallonia, a building material used often in important renaissance buildings in the Netherlands up to 1600. The tower, called "De Steen" or "The Stone", was originally built around 1300 and has decorative clockfaces from 1536 and the bells were made by Hendrick van Trier and Francois Hemony. The facade has a "Justitia" statue. Under the tower is an old city prison where the assassin of Willem the Silent, Balthasar Gérard, was kept before sentencing.
  
  wn.com/City_Hall_(Delft)
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  Cromstrijen
  Cromstrijen (Cromstrien in local dialect) is a municipality on the Hoeksche Waard Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 70.31 km² (27.15 mile²) of which 15.94 km² (6.15 mile²) is water. It was formed on January 1, 1984, when the municipalities on the Hoeksche Waard were realigned.
  The municipality of Cromstrijen consists of the communities Klaaswaal and Numansdorp (townhall).
  Its population was 13,027 in 2004.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Cromstrijen
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  Delft
  Delft ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland (Zuid-Holland), the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague. Delft is primarily known for its typically Dutch town centre (with canals); also for the painter Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery (Delftware), the Delft University of Technology, and its association with the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
  From a rural village in the early Middle Ages Delft developed to a city, that in the 13th century (1246) received its charter.
  (For some more information about the early development, see the article "Gracht", section "Delft as an example").
  The town's association with the House of Orange started when William of Orange (Willem van Oranje), nicknamed William the Silent (Willem de Zwijger), took up residence in 1572 At the time he was the leader of growing national Dutch resistance against Spanish occupation of the country, which struggle is known as the Eighty Years' War. By then Delft was one of the leading cities of Holland and it was equipped with the necessary city walls to serve as a headquarters.
  
  wn.com/Delft
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  Dirksland
  Dirksland ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality on Goeree-Overflakkee Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 8,269 in 2004, and covers an area of 74.15 km² (28.63 mile²) of which 18.59 km² (7.18 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Dirksland also includes the communities Herkingen and Melissant.
  The North Sea flood of 1953 did not have as much of a destructive effect on Dirksland as the rest of the island, because Dirksland is somewhat higher. Dirksland is the largest of the three communities within the municipality and also has the only hospital on Goeree-Overflakkee island. The Van Weel-Bethesda Hospital is one the smallest in the country, but has an excellent reputation. Dirksland can be recognized from a distance by the tallest water tower in the country. The towns are agriculturally focused and have several campgrounds for people who prefer a bit of rest over the busy Ouddorp area but still want to be close to shore. Dirksland has an inland harbor with a newly restored gate complex.
  
  wn.com/Dirksland
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  Dordrecht
  Dordrecht (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdɔr.trɛχt] ( listen)), colloquially Dordt [dɔrt], historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009. The municipality covers the entire Dordrecht Island, also often called Het Eiland van Dordt (the Island of Dordt), bordered by the rivers Oude Maas, Beneden Merwede, Nieuwe Merwede, Hollands Diep, and Dordtsche Kil. Dordrecht is the largest and most important city in the Drechtsteden and is also part of the Randstad, the main conurbation in the Netherlands. Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland and has a rich history and culture.
  The name Dordrecht comes from Thyre, the name of a river, and Middle Dutch drecht "ford", thus meaning "Thure river crossing". Some documentation speaks of the river actually being called Thuredrith. Inhabitants of Dordrecht are Dordtenaren (singular: Dordtenaar). Dordrecht is informally called Dordt by its inhabitants. In earlier centuries, Dordrecht was a major trade port, well-known to British merchants, and was called Dort in English.
  
  wn.com/Dordrecht
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  Eastern Gate (Delft)
  The Eastern Gate (Oostpoort) in Delft, an example of Brick Gothic northern European architecture, was built around 1400. Around 1510 the towers were enhanced with an additional octagonal floor and high spires. This is the only city gate remaining in Delft; the others were demolished in the 19th century. It currently serves as an art gallery and private residence.
  Coordinates: 52°00′40″N 4°22′05″E / 52.01111°N 4.36806°E / 52.01111; 4.36806
  
  
  
  wn.com/Eastern_Gate_(Delft)
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  Estelí
  Estelí, officially Villa de San Antonio de Pavia de Estelí is a city and municipality within the Estelí department. It is the third largest city in Nicaragua, an active commercial center in the north and is known as "the Diamond of the Segovias."
  Located on the Pan-American Highway, 150 km north of Managua, Estelí is a fast growing and progressive city of about 119,000 people. It enjoys a pleasant climate throughout most of the year due to its location in the north central highlands at a mean elevation of 844 m above sea level. The city is also surrounded by forested mountains of pines, oaks, and walnuts, and plateaus that go up to 1600 m above sea level, some which are protected as natural reserves.
  Estelí was the scene of heavy fighting in the civil war against the Somoza government from 1978 to 1979. The city was heavily air-bombed by the regime's National Guard to the point that most of the city looked like a giant cemetery of building shells. The human casualties were around 15,000; many of them youngsters massacred on suspicion of being part of the insurrection. The city was totally rebuilt but some structures still show bulletholes as a sad remainder of the destruction.
  
  wn.com/Estelí
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  Germany
  Germany (ⁱ/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km² and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
  A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
  
  wn.com/Germany
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  Giessenlanden
  Giessenlanden (population: 14,359 in 2004) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 65.12 km² (25.14 mile²) of which 1.55 km² (0.60 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Giessenlanden consists the communities Arkel, Giessen-Oudekerk, Giessenburg, Hoogblokland, Hoornaar, Noordeloos, and Schelluinen.
  The Arkel railway station, on the Elst–Dordrecht railway, is situated in the municipality Giessenlanden.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Giessenlanden
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  Goedereede
  Goedereede [ˌɣu.də.ˈreɪ̯.də] ( listen) is a municipality and a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 11408 in 2010, and covers an area of 153.85 km² (59.40 mile²) of which 82.53 km² (31.87 mile²) is water. It consists of the west part of the island of Goeree-Overflakkee.
  The municipality of Goeree also includes the communities, from west to east, Ouddorp, Goedereede (with Havenhoofd), (Oostdijk) and Stellendam.
  The Brouwersdam is a dam, part of the Delta Works, from the island Goeree-Overflakkee to Schouwen-Duiveland, in Zeeland. The Haringvlietsluizen are floodgates, also part of the Delta Works, from Goedereede to the border of Westvoorne and Hellevoetsluis on the island of Voorne-Putten.
  Goedereede received city rights in 1312. From Sir Gereart van Voorne.
  Income consists mainly of tourism and fishery. Because of the extended beach close by, Ouddorp has a large number of camping grounds. Ouddorp, Goedereede and Stellendam have all an extended fishing fleet.
  
  wn.com/Goedereede
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  Gorinchem
  Gorinchem ( pronunciation (help·info)), also called Gorkum (pronun. (info)), is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 21.99 km² (8.49 mile²) of which 3.03 km² (1.17 mile²) is water. It had a population of 34,623 in 2004.
  The municipality of Gorinchem also includes the population centre of Dalem.
  It is assumed that Gorinchem was founded circa the year 1000 by fishermen and farmers on the raised land near the mouth of the river Linge at the Merwede. "Goriks Heem" is first mentioned in a document from 1224 in which Floris IV granted people from Gorinchem exemption of toll payments throughout Holland.
  Somewhere between 1247 and 1267, Gorinchem became property of the Lords of Arkel. At the end of the 13th century earthen mounts reinforced with palisades were built around the settlement to protect it from domination by the neighboring counties of Holland and Gelre. Half a century later real city walls were built complete with 7 gates and 23 watchtowers. Otto van Arkel granted it city rights on 11 November 1322.
  
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  Gouda
  Gouda (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣʌu̯daˑ] ( listen); population 70,828 in 2009) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes, and 15th-century city hall.
  In the Middle Ages, a settlement was founded at the location of the current city by the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took its name. The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbour. Gouda's array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day trip destination.
  Around the year 1100, the area where Gouda now is located was swampy and covered with a peat forest, crossed by small creeks such as the Gouwe. Along the shores of this stream near the current market and city hall, peat harvesting began in the 11th and 12th centuries. In 1139, the name Gouda is first mentioned in a statement from the Bishop of Utrecht.
  
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  Graafstroom
  Graafstroom ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,697 in 2004, and covers an area of 69.32 km² (26.76 mile²) of which 2.21 km² (0.85 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Graafstroom consists of the following population centres: Bleskensgraaf en Hofwegen, Brandwijk, Goudriaan, Molenaarsgraaf, Ottoland, Oud-Alblas, Wijngaarden.
  
  
  
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  Hellevoetsluis
  Hellevoetsluis ([ˌɦɛləvutˈslœy̆s] ( listen)) (population: 39,559 in November 2011, source CBS (Dutch)) is a small city and municipality on Voorne-Putten Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 46.14 km² (17.81 mile²) of which 14.57 km² (5.63 mile²) is water and it includes the population centres Nieuw-Helvoet, and Nieuwenhoorn, both former municipalities.
  Hellevoetsluis is located on the Haringvliet with the sea, beach and dunes close by, on the extreme southern edge of the Rijnmond and Europoort areas, close to the broad Zeeland landscape. The name translates as "lock at the foot of the Helle". The Helle was a small local river which disappeared over time.
  The history of Hellevoetsluis has always been connected with water. During the time of the United Provinces Hellevoetsluis was the naval port of the Admiralty of de Maze (Rotterdam) and could accommodate an entire fleet within a special land-enclosed fortress with harbour and dockyard facilities, accessible through a canal. Thanks to its strategic situation the town grew from the beginning of the 17th century to be the homeport for the Dutch war fleet. In later years the port was fortified more and more and Hellevoetsluis therefore became a unique combination of fortified town and naval port. The Admirals Maarten Tromp, Michiel de Ruyter and Piet Heyn had their home base here and in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution William III of Orange's invasion fleet departed from the port.
  
  wn.com/Hellevoetsluis
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  Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
  Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht ( pronunciation (help·info)) (population: 25.120) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands. It is located in the Dutch province of South Holland, on the island of IJsselmonde, and borders with Zwijndrecht, Ridderkerk, and the Noord River. The jurisdiction of the municipality covers an area of 11.99 km² (4.63 mile²) of which 1.26 km² (0.49 mile²) is water. It comprises no other population centres.
  Until 1855, the town was known as Hendrik-Ido-Schildmanskinderen-Ambacht en de Oostendam. Then it merged with Sandelingen-Ambacht and its full name for a period of time was Hendrik-Ido-Oostendam-Schildmanskinderen-Groot-en-Klein-Sandelingen-Ambacht.
  The area has been populated from circa the year 1000 CE. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the only means of existence for many centuries. All lands were owned by or in control of the nobility of Dordrecht. Not until the Eighty Years' War some industrial activities began to appear along the river dike. Furthermore, horticulture and flax growing also developed.
  
  wn.com/Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
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  Hillegom
  Hillegom ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 13.48 km² (8.38 mile²) of which 0.61 km² (0.38 mile²) is water.
  The name Hillegom is derived from the abbey named Hijlighem (Old Frankish for "Holy Home"). This abbey no longer exists.
  It is bordered by the municipalities of Bloemendaal, Bennebroek (to the north), Haarlemmermeer (to the east), Lisse (to the south), and Noordwijkerhout (to the west).
  Hillegom is part of an area called the Duin- en Bollenstreek ("Dune and Bulb Region"). As such, a large portion of the local economy was traditionally geared to the cultivation of bulb flowers.
  Hillegom was formed on the eastern edge of the coastal dunes where the old Leiden to Haarlem route crossed the Hillegommerbeek (Hillegom's Creek), not far from the shores of the Haarlemmermeer (Haarlem's Lake). Places with the suffix "-heim" (or variant spellings) usually developed before the year 1000 and therefore it is assumed that this may apply to Hillegom as well. In 1150 the abbot of Egmond had the rights to naming priests in Hillegom, indicating that a church or chapel existed there. In 1248 the count Willem II gave the Chapel of Hijllinghem and all its buildings to the Abbot of Egmond.
  
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  Holland
  Holland
  
  Holland is a region in the western part of the Netherlands. The term Holland is also frequently used as a pars pro toto to refer to the whole of the Netherlands. This usage is generally accepted but disliked by Dutch people in the other parts of the Netherlands.
  From the 10th century to the 16th century, Holland proper was a unified political region, a county ruled by the Counts of Holland. By the 17th century, Holland had risen to become a maritime and economic power, dominating the other provinces of the Dutch Republic.
  Today, the former County of Holland consists of the two Dutch provinces of North Holland and South Holland, which together include the Netherlands' three largest cities: country capital Amsterdam; seat of government The Hague; and Rotterdam, home of Europe's largest port.
  Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) referred to this region as the land between the Helinium and Flevo ("inter Helinium ac Flevum"), the names of the mouths into which the Rhine divided itself, the first discharging its waters in the Mosa in the neighbourhood of Brielle and the second into "the lakes of the north" (present IJsselmeer). The name Holland first appeared in sources in 866 for the region around Haarlem, and by 1064 was being used as the name of the entire county. By this time, the inhabitants of Holland were referring to themselves as "Hollanders".Holland is derived from the Middle Dutch term holtland ("wooded land").^{[citation needed]} This spelling variation remained in use until around the 14th century, at which time the name stabilised as Holland (alternative spellings at the time were Hollant and Hollandt). Popular, but incorrect etymology holds that Holland is derived from hol land ("hollow land") and was inspired by the low-lying geography of Holland.^{[citation needed]}
  
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  Israel
  Coordinates: 31°N 35°E / 31°N 35°E / 31; 35
  Israel, officially the State of Israel ( /ˈɪzriːəl/ or  /ˈɪzreɪəl/; Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎, Medīnat Yisrā'el, IPA: [me̞diˈnät jisʁäˈʔe̞l] ( listen); Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل‎, Dawlat Isrāʼīl, IPA: [dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl]), is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south, and it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is defined as a Jewish and Democratic State in its Basic Laws and is the world's only Jewish-majority state.
  Following the adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 29 November 1947 recommending the adoption and implementation of the United Nations plan to partition Palestine, on 14 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel, a state independent from the British Mandate for Palestine. Neighboring Arab states invaded the next day in support of the Palestinian Arabs. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Portions of these territories, including east Jerusalem, have been annexed by Israel, but the border with the neighboring West Bank has not yet been permanently defined.^{[neutrality is disputed]} Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have so far not resulted in peace.
  
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  Katwijk
  Katwijk ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. It has a population of 61,292.^{[citation needed]}
  Katwijk is located on the North Sea, northwest of Leiden and 16 km north of The Hague. The municipality is essentially the area between Leiden and the North Sea. Katwijk lies along the Oude Rijn, which ends at the North Sea in Katwijk aan Zee. It shares its borders with the municipalities of Noordwijk, Teylingen, Oegstgeest, Leiden, and Wassenaar. Katwijk is by far the largest town in the Duin- en Bollenstreek ("Dune and Bulb Region"). The municipality covers an area of 31.06 km² (11.99 mile²), of which 6.41 km² (2.47 mile²) is water.
  The town consists of a number of districts, including namesakes Katwijk aan den Rijn and Katwijk aan Zee. On 1 January 2005 the various districts had the following populations:
  Lying on the coast, Katwijk aan Zee is (and has always been) the larger town. Katwijk aan den Rijn lies just slightly inland. Rijnsburg is east of Katwijk aan den Rijn and to the south is Valkenburg. Hoornes-Rijnsoever is north of Katwijk aan Zee.
  
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  Kfar Saba
  Kfar Saba (Hebrew: כְּפַר סָבָא‎‎, lit. "Grandfather's Village"), officially Kfar Sava, is a city in the Sharon region, of the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2009, Kfar Saba had a population of 83,600.
  Kfar Saba (ancient Capharsaba) was an important settlement during the Second Temple period, and is mentioned for the first time in the writings of Josephus, in his account of the attempt of Alexander Jannaeus to halt an invasion from the North led by Antiochus (Antiquities, book 13, chapter 15). Kfar Saba also appears in the Talmud in connection to corn tithing and the Capharsaba sycamore fig tree. The settlement was probably named after a person called Sava, though this person's importance is not known.
  Excavations on the site have revealed the remains of a large Roman bathhouse. In the Byzantine periods the ruins of the bathhouse were first converted into fish pools, and later into some form of industrial installation.
  In 1596, the Arab village of Kafr Saba was inhabited by 42 Muslim families. In the 1870s it was described as "a mud village of moderate size with mud-ponds around it and good water in the wells of Neby Yemin, to the east." The Jewish town of Kfar Saba was established in 1898 on 7,500 dunams of land purchased from the Arab village. Despite attractive advertisements in Jerusalem and London, attempts to sell plots to private individuals were unsuccessful, as the land was located in a desolate, neglected area far from any other Jewish settlement. The Ottoman pasha of Nablus, to whose governorate the land belonged, refused to give building permits, therefore the first settlers lived in huts made of clay and straw. They earned their living by growing almonds, grapes and olives. Most of the manual laborers on the land were peasants from Qalqilya. Only in 1912 were permits given and the settlers moved to permanent housing.
  
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  Kingston upon Thames
  Coordinates: 51°24′37″N 0°17′58″W / 51.4103°N 0.2995°W / 51.4103; -0.2995
  Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated 10 miles (16.1 km) south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan.
  In 838, it was styled Kyningestun famosa illa locus. In Old English, tun, ton or don meant farmstead – so the name Kingston may have meant farmstead of the kings. Seven Saxon kings are traditionally said to have been crowned at Kingston, while seated on a large stone – The Coronation Stone – that stands outside the Guildhall. There is a local tradition that these Saxon coronations gave Kingston its name, but the records of the 838 council disprove this. Kingston upon Thames appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Chingestone and Chingetun(e).
  For much of the 20th century, Kingston was a major military aircraft manufacturing centre specialising in fighter aircraft – first with Sopwith Aviation, H G Hawker Engineering, later Hawker Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley and eventually British Aerospace. The legendary Sopwith Camel, Hawker Fury, Hurricane, Hunter and Harrier were all designed and built in the town and examples of all of these aircraft can be seen today at the nearby Brooklands Museum in Weybridge. Well known aviation personalities Sydney Camm, Harry Hawker and Tommy Sopwith were responsible for much of Kingston's achievements in aviation. British Aerospace finally closed its Lower Ham Road factory in 1992 part of the site was subsequently redeveloped for housing, the river side part of the site remains as a community centre and sports complex. The growth and development of Kingston Polytechnic and its transformation into Kingston University has made Kingston a university town.
  
  wn.com/Kingston_upon_Thames
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  Korendijk
  Korendijk (population: 11,019 in 2004) is a municipality on the Hoeksche Waard Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 100.48 km² (38.80 mile²) of which 22.57 km² (8.71 mile²) is water.
  With the municipal reorganization of the Hoeksche Waard on 1 January 1984, the municipality of Korendijk was formed out of the former municipalities of Goudswaard, Nieuw-Beijerland, Piershil (location of town hall), Zuid-Beijerland, and the island Tiengemeten. In addition to these villages, it also has the population centres Nieuwendijk and Zuidzijde.
  It is bordered on the southside by the Haringvliet estuary, on the westside by the Spui River, and by the municipalities Oud-Beijerland and Cromstrijen to the north and east.
  
  
  
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  Lansingerland
  Lansingerland is the name for the new municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It was formed on January 1, 2007, by the merger of the municipalities of Berkel en Rodenrijs, Bleiswijk and Bergschenhoek, collectively known as the "B-Triangle".
  The name was chosen from a competition and derived from the name Lansingh, the height-of-land between the Delfland and Schieland Water Boards, which runs between the "B-Triangle" villages. The choice of name is symbolic: the name of the border that formerly divided the area, will now unite it. The "h" in Lansingh was dropped to ease spelling.
  Lansingerland consists of the following communities:
  On 18 September 2007 Ewald van Vliet was installed as the first mayor of Lansingerland. Lansingerland council consists of 31 seats. They were last contested in March 2010 and the results were as follows:-
  
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  Leerdam
  Leerdam ([lɪːr.ˈdɑm] ( listen); population: 21,050 in 2004) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.
  The municipality covers an area of 34.32 km² (13.25 mile²) of which 0.53 km² (0.20 mile²) is water. It comprises the town of Leerdam, the rural villages Kedichem, Schoonrewoerd and Oosterwijk. The south border of the town is formed by the river Linge. Leerdam is the most eastern town of the province of South Holland and is situated almost exactly in the middle of the three highways A2, A15 and A27.
  Leerdam received city rights in 1407. The small river Linge, bordered by beautiful water meadows, defines the atmosphere and tone of the landscape. Several centuries ago Leerdam formed a part of the Vijfheerenlanden domain, before it was raised to the level of County in 1498. The rich history of Leerdam can be found in well-kept historic buildings such as the Grote Kerk (Great Church), the Hofje van mevrouw van Aerden (Mrs. Aerden Almshouses, now a museum), the remaining and restored city walls on the Zuidwal and the Oude Raadhuis (Old City Hall).
  
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  Legermuseum
  The Koninklijk Nederlands Legermuseum (Royal Dutch Army Museum) is the national museum of the Dutch Army. It is currently based in the Armamentarium in Delft. In 2013 it is planned to merge it with the Militaire Luchtvaartmuseum (Military Aviation Museum), based on the former airbase at Soesterberg, where the new merged museum will be based and where its new stores were opened on 13 May 2009 by Jeroen Sikkel, Secretary General for Defence.
  It originated in the private collection of Frederic Adolph Hoefer, who bought Doorwerth Castle to display it to the public. It was opened there on 5 August 1913 as the Nederlandsch Artillerie Museum (Dutch Artillery Museum) by Prince Henry. The Minister of War later renamed that museum the Dutch Army Museum Foundation (of which Hoefer remained chairman until his death). Shortly after the outbreak of World War II it was decided to move the museum from Doorwerth Castle to the Pesthuis in Leiden (the latter was then being rented by the Ministry of War from the Ministry of Justice), but the war delayed the restoration work and the museum only opened in its new location in 1956.
  
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  Leiden
  Leiden (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈlɛi̯.də(n)] ( listen); in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland. The municipality of Leiden has a population of about 120,000, but the city forms one densely connected urban area with its suburbs Oegstgeest, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten, Valkenburg, Rijnsburg and Katwijk, which have about 254,000 inhabitants combined. The larger Leiden agglomeration counts 332,000 inhabitants which makes it the sixth major agglomeration in the Netherlands. Leiden is located on the Old Rhine, at a distance of some 20 kilometers from The Hague to its south and some 40 kilometers from Amsterdam to its north. The recreational area of the Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) lies just to the northeast of Leiden.
  A university city since 1575, Leiden houses Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Centre. It is twinned with Oxford, the location of England's oldest university.
  It is true that Leiden is an old city, its connection with Roman Lugdunum Batavorum is true though it is actually near the close-by town of Katwijk, whereas the Roman settlement near modern Leiden was called Matilo. However, there was a Roman fortress in Leiden in the 4th century.^{[citation needed]}
  
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  Leiderdorp
  Leiderdorp ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland near the city of Leiden. It had a population of 26,182 in 2004.
  The municipality covers an area of 12.29 km² (4.75 mile²) of which 0.56 km² (0.22 mile²) is water. Leiderdorp has now become a suburb of the city of Leiden, although the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) river and the Zijl river separate the two. The HSL-Zuid high-speed rail line between Amsterdam and Brussels crosses Leiderdorp in a tunnel.
  It is one of the oldest towns in Zuid Holland province and was a base for the Spanish army in the Eighty Years' War.
  Šamorín, in Slovakia, is the twin town of Leiderdorp.
  Leiderdorp, map of 1867.
  Town centre on the Old Rhine.
  Listed farm in spring
  
  
  
  
  
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  Liesveld
  Liesveld ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,810 in 2006, and covers an area of 44.44 km² (17.16 mile²) of which 3.37 km² (1.30 mile²) is water.
  The municipality of Liesveld was formed on 1 January 1986 from the former municipalities of Groot-Ammers, Langerak, Nieuwpoort, and Streefkerk. It consists of the population centres Groot-Ammers, Langerak, Nieuwpoort, Streefkerk, and Waal.
  Its name is probably derived from a low-lying swampy area filled with reed grasses (Dutch: lies - Glyceria aquatica) near Gelkenes. Castle Liesvelt was built on such a reedy field, giving its name to the Lords of Liesvelt, who owned lands within the municipality.
  
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  Lisse
  Lisse ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 16.11 km² (10.01 mile²) of which 0.41 km² (0.25 mile²) is water. Its population is 21864 (1 November 2006, source: CBS). Located within the municipal boundary is also the community De Engel.
  The history of Lisse is closely related and similar to the neighboring towns of Hillegom and Sassenheim. Based on a document from 1198 which makes official mention of the town's name, Lisse celebrated its 800-year anniversary in 1998, although there is an indication that there was already a settlement there in the 10th century.
  In the Middle Ages, Lisse was a small settlement; there were only 50 houses in 1500. Because of prolonged warfare (particularly the wars of Charles the Bold and the Eighty Years' War), poverty was prevalent. Its population lived from agriculture, animal husbandry, and peat harvesting.
  In the 17th and 18th centuries, Lisse was, like Hillegom, home to many estates of rich merchants and nobility. The forests and gardens of the Keukenhof, Meerenburg, Wildlust, Zandvliet, Overduin en Akervoorde, Wassergeest, Grotenhof, Ter Specke, Dubbelhoven, Rosendaal, Veenenburg en Berkhout, Middelburg, Ter Beek, and Uytermeer estates all added to the town's beauty and glory.
  
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  Maassluis
  Maassluis ([maˑˈslœy̆s] ( listen)) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 32,847 in 2004, and covers an area of 10.11 km² (of which 1.51 km² water).
  It received city rights in 1811. It was also the setting for the Dutch cult classic, Spetters, filmed by noted director Paul Verhoeven there in 1980.
  Maassluis was founded circa 1340, as a settlement next to a lock (in Dutch: sluis) in the sea barrier between the North Sea and Rotterdam. Originally called Maeslandsluys, it was part of Maesland. In 1489 the settlement was sacked. During the Eighty Years' War, Philips of Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, started to build a defense wall but before its completion, it was captured by the Spanish in 1573 and Philips of Marnix was taken prisoner. A year later Maeslandsluys was looted by mutinous Spanish troops.
  On 16 May 1614, Maeslandsluys was separated from Maesland by the counts of Holland and renamed to Maassluis. This separation may have been religiously motivated: Maassluis was predominantly Protestant whereas Maasland catholic. In 1624 the defense wall was demolished to make way for the Great Church, for which construction started in 1629. The construction was stopped for 5 years because privateers from Dunkirk raided many fishing boats from Maassluis and would throw the crew overboard. In 1639 the Great Church was completed. On 4 December 1732, the famous Garrels Organ was inaugurated. Built from 1730 to 1732 by Rudolf Garrels, a pupil of Arp Schnitger, it was a gift by Govert van Wijn, ship-owner from Maassluis.
  
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  Middelharnis
  Middelharnis (population: about 18,000 in 2009) is a municipality and a village in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 86.79 km² (of which 25.63 km² water).
  The municipality consists of the following population centres:
  On 1 January 1966, the municipalities of Nieuwe-Tonge, Sommelsdijk, and Stad aan 't Haringvliet were added to Middelharnis.
  Middelharnis has a shopping area called D'n Diek. This shopping center settled itself on a dike which used to be the last barrier for the towns from the Haringvliet. The village hosts a public and Christian high school. Middelharnis has an inland harbor with connection to the Haringvliet. There is also a small beach which can get very crowded in the summertime. The old main street in both villagses are very pretty. Starting at the church and ending at the harbor, they are very identical. In Middelharnis the old main street has the old municipality building. Both towns have the church in the center and the rest of the towns sort of vane out from this center. In Sommelsdijk a sportcomplex with swimming pool is present called De Staver. Stad aan 't Haringvliet has a small harbor with beach. Like most of the towns on the island the old windmill has been preserved. Nieuwe Tonge's main entry roads are the two dikes that form the edges of the town. And of course a traditional windmill is present.
  
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  Midden-Delfland
  Midden-Delfland ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the Westland region in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It had a population of 17,072 in 2004, and covers an area of 49.38 km² of which 1.93 km² is water. Midden-Delfland is considered to be the main Cittaslow of The Netherlands.
  It was formed on January 1, 2004, through the merger of the former municipalities:
  The municipality comprises the population centres Hodenpijl, Den Hoorn, Gaag, Maasland, Negenhuizen, Schipluiden, 't Woudt, Zouteveen, and De Zweth.
  The green area that comprises the municipality of Midden-Delfland was named Midden-Delfland before 2004, and it referred to the green area surrounded by cities (such as The Hague and Rotterdam) and the horticulture area of Westland. The supporters of a continuous green area were lucky that the municipality of Midden-Delfland became a reality: the cities of Delft, Vlaardingen and Schiedam wanted to build new houses here, and the Westland gardeners also wanted to expand. Now, Midden-Delfland is designated as a recreation area for people from the surrounding cities.
  
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  Nederlek
  Nederlek ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 14,831 in 2004, and covers an area of 31.44 km² (of which 3.60 km² is covered by water). It was formed on January 1, 1985, by the amalgamation of the municipalities Krimpen aan de Lek and Lekkerkerk. Its name means "Lower Lek", a reference to its location on the Lek River.
  There is no town called Nederlek but the municipality consists of the population centres Krimpen aan de Lek and Lekkerkerk. The last town gained notoriety in 1980 when a large amount of toxic waste was found underneath a residential area built in the 1970s. The cost of cleaning up the mess ran up to 188 million guilders (approximately 90 million US dollars).
  
  
  
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  Netherlands
  The Netherlands (ⁱ/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdə(r)lɑnt] or [ˈneɪ̯də(r)lɑnt] ( listen); West Frisian: Nederlân; Papiamento: Hulanda) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces (a case of pars pro toto; see terminology of "the Netherlands").
  
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  Nicaragua
  Nicaragua (ⁱ/ˌnɪkəˈrɑːɡwə/ nik-ə-RAH-gwə), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua [reˈpuβlika ðe nikaˈɾaɣwa] ( listen)), is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. The country's physical geography divides it into three major zones: Pacific lowlands; wet, cooler central highlands; and the Caribbean lowlands. On the Pacific side of the country are the two largest fresh water lakes in Central America—Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. Surrounding these lakes and extending to their northwest along the rift valley of the Gulf of Fonseca are fertile lowland plains, with soil highly enriched by ash from nearby volcanoes of the central highlands. Nicaragua's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contribute to Mesoamerica's designation as a biodiversity hotspot.
  
  wn.com/Nicaragua
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  Nieuw-Lekkerland
  Nieuw-Lekkerland (population: 9,539 in 2004) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is situated on the southern shores of the Lek River, in the north-western part of the Alblasserwaard. The municipality covers an area of 12.77 km² (of which 2.37 km² is covered by water).
  The municipality includes the population centres of Nieuw-Lekkerland (divided into the two neighbourhoods Dorpslaan and Middelweg) and Kinderdijk.
  The town's name evolved slightly over time: in 1280 Leckerlant, in 1331 Niewe Leckerland, and in 1903 Nieuw Lekkerland. It means "land of or near the river Lek" with the addition of "nieuw" ("new") to distinguish it from Old Lekkerland (now Lekkerkerk) across the river.
  The name Nieue-Leckelant appears for the first time around 1325 and distinguishes it from Oudt-Leckelant (now Lekkerkerk). The most notable building used to be Castle Schoonenburg. Because of its elevated location on a mount, it served as a refuge for the people during floods before the reclamation of the Alblasserwaard. After 1456, the castle was abandoned and became a ruin. Its remains were thereafter probably used to rebuild a church tower. only the mount is still visible. The Reformed Church is from 1848.
  
  wn.com/Nieuw-Lekkerland
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  Nieuwkoop
  Nieuwkoop ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality was enlarged on January 1, 2007, through the amalgamation of Liemeer and Ter Aar.
  Before 2007, the municipality covered an area of 38.50 km² (14.86 mile²) of which 8.69 km² (3.36 mile²) is water. Its population was 11,092 in 2004.
  On May 3th, 2008, the Dutch newspaper het Algemeen Dagblad published an arcticle which stated that Nieuwkoop is the safest municipality of the Netherlands.
  
  The municipality of Nieuwkoop includes the following communities:
  The oldest part of Nieuwkoop are the buildings along the Nieuwkoopse Plassen (Nieuwkoop's Ponds), many of which are completely surrounded by water and accessible over individual bridges to the main road. The Nieuwkoopse Plassen are shallow lakes that were dug for peat harvesting in the 16th century and are now designated as a natural monument. New neighborhoods north-west of the main road are built after World War II.
  
  wn.com/Nieuwkoop
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  Noordwijk
  Noordwijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈnoːrtʋɛi̯k] ( listen)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 51.53 km² (of which 16.12 km² is water) and had a population of 24,707 in May 2006.
  The municipality of Noordwijk consists of the communities Noordwijk aan Zee and Noordwijk-Binnen, separated by a narrow green belt.
  Besides its beaches, Noordwijk is also known for its bulb flower fields. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek).
  Noordwijk is also the location of the headquarters for the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), part of the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA's visitors' centre Space Expo is a permanent space exhibition.
  Noordwijk aan Zee was founded around 1200 as a fishing village. Until the beginning of the 19th century, fishing remained its primary business, but then began to be replaced by the growing tourism industry. Nowadays because of its long sandy beaches, it is a popular resort town with 1,000,000 overnight stays per year.
  
  wn.com/Noordwijk
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  Noordwijkerhout
  Noordwijkerhout ([ˌnoːrtʋɛi̯kərˈhʌu̯t] ( listen)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 23.40 km² (of which 0.80 km² water) and had a population of 15,121 in May 2006. The town is in the bulb growing region (the Duin- en Bollenstreek) of the Netherlands, famed for its tulips.
  The municipality of Noordwijkerhout also includes the following towns, villages and townships: De Zilk.
  The coastal dunes where Noordwijkerhout is located have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeological digs in the area just north outside of town have found items and implements from before Christ. During the Roman era, this region was inhabited by a Germanic tribe, called Cananefates by the Roman writer Tacitus.
  Noordwijkerhout is about 5 kilometers from the North Sea and provides access to the beach and nearby hiking opportunities through the dunes. Just north of town is the Oosterduinse meer (Eastern Dune's Lake) which is used for swimming and windsurfing.
  
  wn.com/Noordwijkerhout
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  Oegstgeest
  Oegstgeest (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌuxstˈxeːst], locally [ˌuχstˈχeɪ̯st] ( listen)) is a town and municipality in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. Its population was 22,576 in 2008.
  The municipality of Oegstgeest covers an area of 7.75 km² (of which 0.54 km² is water). Oegstgeest lies just to the north of Leiden, with which it is conjoined in a conurbation. Oegstgeest is a separate municipality, but it is effectively a suburb of Leiden. The municipality of Katwijk is to the west, the municipality of Teylingen to the north, the Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) to the northeast and Leiderdorp to the east.
  Oegstgeest is one of the earliest inhabited places along the coast. Evidence of a Batavian settlement from the second century was found in 1946 in an extension of a coastal dune in the Elgeesterpolder, although it is not certain whether this location remained permanently inhabited in the centuries after that.
  By the 9th century there was already a little church in the same location as the current Little Green Church (Groen Kerkje) which, according to legend, was dedicated by Willibrord. The existence of this church is an indication that there may have been a community there.
  
  wn.com/Oegstgeest
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  Oostflakkee
  Oostflakkee [ˌoʊ̯st.flɑ.ˈkeɪ̯] ( listen), population: 10,126 in 2004) is a municipality on the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 107.44 km² (of which 32.75 km² is covered by water).
  The municipality of Oostflakkee was formed by the amalgamation of the former municipalities of Den Bommel, Ooltgensplaat, and Oude Tonge in 1966. It consists of the communities Achthuizen, De Langstraat, Den Bommel (with Zuidzijde), Ooltgensplaat, Oude-Tonge, Zuidzijde.
  Oude Tonge is the main town of this municipality with a considerable industrial area. It also has a large busstation. Den Bommel is quite similar as Stad aan 't Haringvliet with a harbor and beach on the shores of the Haringvliet. A few kilometers east of Den Bommel there is Zuidzijde, a very small town with a neat looking watertower. Ooltgensplaat is the most eastward town on the island with a harbor on the Volkerak. The town has a very old and beautiful municipal building. This town is the yearly start and finish of De Omloop - a 100+ km walk around the island in a 24 hour period. This event attracts thousands every year either participants or bystanders. It is held yearly in the latter half of August. Achthuizen and Langstraat are other small towns nearby Ooltgensplaat.
  
  wn.com/Oostflakkee
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  Oud-Beijerland
  Oud-Beijerland ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. With a population of 23,797 in 2005, it is the most populated town on the Hoeksche Waard island, located on the Oude Maas and Spui Rivers.
  The municipality of Oud-Beijerland also includes the communities Vuurbaken and Zinkweg.
  After the St. Elizabeth's flood (1421), large parts of the islands Putten and Grote Waard were lost and became clay banks and salt marshes which would be inundated at high tide and be unsuitable for habitation. In subsequent centuries, portions of land would be reclaimed.
  Oud-Beijerland was formed in 1559 as "Beijerland" by Lamoral, Count of Egmont. He was granted the rights to this area in 1557 and had the land reclaimed. This new polder was named Beijerland, Moerkerken, Cromstrijen en de Greup. Circa 1624 the smaller polders Bosschenpolder and Nieuwlandpolder were added to it. Beijerland was named after Sabina of Bavaria (Dutch: Beijeren), wife of the Count of Egmont.
  
  wn.com/Oud-Beijerland
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  Oude Kerk (Delft)
  The Oude Kerk (Old Church), nicknamed Oude Jan ("Old John"), is a Gothic Protestant church in the old city center of Delft, the Netherlands. Its most recognizable feature is a 75-meter-high brick tower that leans about two meters from the vertical.
  The Oude Kerk was founded as St. Bartholomew's Church in the year 1246, on the site of previous churches dating back up to two centuries earlier. The layout followed that of a traditional basilica, with a nave flanked by two smaller aisles.
  During its build the foundations weren't strong enough to support the building, and the church began to lean. As they continued to build the church they tried to compensate its lean on each layer of the tower, but it remains to this day that only the 4 turrets at the top are truly vertical.
  The tower with its central spire and four corner turrets was added between 1325–50, and dominated the townscape for a century and a half until it was surpassed in height by the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). It is possible that the course of the adjacent canal had to be shifted slightly to make room for the tower, leaving an unstable foundation that caused the tower to tilt.
  
  wn.com/Oude_Kerk_(Delft)
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  Ouderkerk
  Ouderkerk (population: 8,100 in 2005) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 28.53 km² (of which 1.42 km² water). It was formed on January 1, 1985, after a municipal reorganization.
  The municipality of Ouderkerk consists of the population centres Gouderak, Lageweg, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, and IJssellaan, all situated along the Hollandse IJssel river.
  
  
  
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  Papendrecht
  Papendrecht ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, at the crossing of the River Beneden Merwede and the Noord River. The municipality had a population of 30,914 in 2004, and covers an area of 10.77 km² (of which 1.30 km² water).
  Although Papendrecht is first mentioned in documents dating back to 1105, it remained a small settlement until the 1950s. In the 1960s its development accelerated and almost its entire area is now urbanized.
  Papendrecht has two Water taxi stops, one at the Beneden Merwede River, and one at the Noord River. The entire trajectory of the Water taxi is:
  Papendrecht also has a relatively high density of bus connections, mostly provided by Arriva.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Papendrecht
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  Pijnacker-Nootdorp
  Pijnacker-Nootdorp ([ˈpɛi̯nˌɑkər ˈnoʊ̯dɔrp] ( listen) population: 47,891 in 2010) is a suburban municipality in the Randstad conurbation in the Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 38.60 km² (of which 0.95 km² water).
  The municipality of Pijnacker-Nootdorp comprises the following towns, villages and townships: Delfgauw, Nootdorp, Oude Leede, Pijnacker and (parts of) newly built Ypenburg. It is the result of merging the municipalities of Pijnacker and Nootdorp in 2002, with parts being annexed by neighbouring The Hague. It is part of the Haaglanden conurbation centred around The Hague, but it is also close to Delft and Rotterdam.
  Nootdorp is connected to The Hague through the Randstadrail public transport system, and also with a tram line.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Pijnacker-Nootdorp
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  Pretoria
  Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive (administrative) and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital. Pretoria is contained within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality as one of several constituent former administrations (among which also Centurion and Soshanguve). Pretoria itself is sometimes referred to as "Tshwane" due to a long-running and controversial proposed change of name, which has yet to decided as of 2012.
  The city's original name was Pretoria Philadelphia ("Pretoria of brotherly love"). It gave its name to the Pax Praetoriana, referring to the country's relative stability.
  Pretoria in South Africa is popularly known as The Jacaranda City due to the thousands of Jacaranda trees planted in its streets, parks and gardens.
  The Southern Transvaal Ndebele occupied the river valley, which was to become the location of the city of Pretoria, by around 1600.
  
  wn.com/Pretoria
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  Prinsenhof
  The Prinsenhof ("The Court of the Prince") in Delft in the Netherlands is an urban palace built in the Middle Ages as a monastery. Later it served as a residence for William the Silent. The building still exists and now houses the municipal museum. William was murdered in the Prinsenhof in 1584; the holes in the wall made by the bullets at the main stairs are still visible.
  Today, the building displays a collection of Dutch Golden Age paintings.
  Coordinates: 52°00′43″N 4°21′14″E / 52.012°N 4.354°E / 52.012; 4.354
  
  wn.com/Prinsenhof
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  Ridderkerk
  Ridderkerk ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 44,886 in 2010, and covers an area of 25.10 km² (of which 1.35 km² is covered by water).
  The municipality of Ridderkerk also includes the following towns, villages and townships: Bolnes, Oostendam, Rijsoord and Slikkerveer.
  
  wn.com/Ridderkerk
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  Rijnwoude
  Rijnwoude (population: 18,986 in 2004) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 57.85 km² (22.34 mile²) of which 1.17 km² (0.45 mile²) is water.
  Rijnwoude was formed in 1991 as Rijneveld through the merger of the former municipalities of Benthuizen, Hazerswoude, and Koudekerk aan den Rijn. In 1993 the municipality was renamed to its current name Rijnwoude.
  The municipality of Rijnwoude consists of the communities Benthorn, Benthuizen, Hazerswoude-Dorp, Groenendijk, Hazerswoude-Rijndijk (location of town hall), Hogeveen, and Koudekerk aan den Rijn.
  
  
  
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  Rijswijk
  Rijswijk [ˈrɛisʋɛik] ( listen) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a suburb of The Hague (population: 47,693 in 2004) and covers an area of 14.48 km² (of which 0.43 km² is covered by water).
  The municipality of Rijswijk also includes the villages 't Haantje and Sion.
  Archeological excavations indicate that this area of the coastal dunes were already inhabited some 5500 years ago. The formation of the village Rijswijk took place in the 13th century, and its history was dominated by presence of mansions and estates of the nobility and affluent. Among the many country estates known to have been in Rijswijk are:
  The Treaty of Ryswick was signed at the Huis ter Nieuwburg in 1697, ending the Nine Years' War. A monument, the Needle of Rijswijk (1792), was erected to commemorate the treaty in the Rijswijk Forest.
  Until 1900 Rijswijk remained a relative small community but it became urbanized during the 20th century when it expanded rapidly. Today, Rijswijk's area has almost been completely built-up. The last major development is the new Ypenburg neighbourhood, built on the lands of the former Ypenburg Airfield but this part of Rijswijk was annexed by The Hague in 2002. Rijswijk is part of the Haaglanden conurbation. During the years its built-up area has grown to the point where it has effectively merged with The Hague, even though it is still a separate municipality.
  
  
  wn.com/Rijswijk
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  Rotterdam
  Rotterdam ( /ˈrɒtərdæm/; Dutch [ˌrɔ.tər.ˈdɑm] ( listen)) is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam constructed in 1270 on the Rotte River, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre. Its strategic location at the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta on the North Sea and at the heart of a massive rail, road, air and inland waterway distribution system extending throughout Europe is the reason that Rotterdam is often called the "Gateway to Europe".
  Located in the Province of South Holland, Rotterdam is found in the west of the Netherlands and at the south end of the Randstad. The population of the city proper was 616,250 on February 1st 2012. The population of the greater Rotterdam area, called "Rotterdam-Rijnmond" or just "Rijnmond", is around 1.3 million people. Rotterdam is one of Europe's most vibrant, multicultural cities. The city is known for its university (Erasmus), its cutting-edge architecture, its lively cultural life, its striking riverside setting, its maritime heritage and the Rotterdam Blitz.
  
  wn.com/Rotterdam
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  Schiedam
  Schiedam ([sχiˈdɑm] ( listen)) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen, and south of Delft. In the south it is connected with the village of Pernis by the Beneluxtunnel.
  The city is known for its historical center with canals, and for having the tallest windmills in the world. Schiedam is also famous for the distilleries and malthouses and production of jenever (gin) - such as the internationally-renowned Ketel One - so much so that in French and English the word schiedam (usually without a capital s-) refers to the town's Holland gin. This was the town's main industry during the early Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th century, a dark period to which it owed its former nickname "Zwart Nazareth" or "Black Nazareth". Furthermore, the city is known for Saint Lidwina, one of the most famous Dutch saints (her relics are located in the Liduina Basilica in Schiedam).
  
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  Schoonhoven
  Schoonhoven (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsxoːnˌɦoːvə(n)], locally [ˈsχoʊ̯nˌɦoʊ̯və(n)] ( listen)) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality has a population of 11,819 as of 2012^[update], and covers an area of 6.96 km² (of which 0.67 km² water). It is now the smallest municipality in the Netherlands in land area, following the merger of Rozenburg into Rotterdam.
  A historic map of Schoonhoven of 1652 shows the north and west town walls, which were common during medieval times in the Netherlands. The only remaining medieval entrance gate of Schoonhoven is the Veerpoort (Ferry Gate) next to the Lek River (see external link 4). This Veerpoort has protected Schoonhoven from the floods of the river Rhine and from the sea during the North Sea flood of 1953 and is still fully functional as a water barrier today.
  A ferry transporting both vehicles and pedestrians across the Lek River (see external link 5) connects Schoonhoven with Gelkenes in Liesveld.
  
  wn.com/Schoonhoven
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  Sliedrecht
  Sliedrecht (population: 23,837 in 2004) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi) (of which 1.22 square kilometres (0.47 sq mi) is covered by water).
  The first IKEA store in the Netherlands opened in Sliedrecht in 1978, but it closed in 2006. Sliedrecht is also the site of the Nationaal Baggermuseum (National Dredging Museum) - featuring dredging and salvage.
  Sliedrecht railway station and Sliedrecht Baanhoek railway station are situated on the Elst–Dordrecht railway.
  Waterbus route 2:
  
  
  
  wn.com/Sliedrecht
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  South Africa
  Coordinates: 30°S 25°E / 30°S 25°E / -30; 25
  South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline. To the north of the country lie the neighbouring territories of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclave surrounded by South African territory.
  South Africa is multi-ethnic and has diverse cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: South African English and Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured South Africans. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. All ethnic and language groups have political representation in the country's constitutional democracy comprising a parliamentary republic; unlike most parliamentary republics, the positions of head of state and head of government are merged in a parliament-dependent President.
  
  wn.com/South_Africa
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  South Holland
  South Holland (Dutch: Zuid-Holland [ˈzœy̆t ˈɦɔlɐnt] ( listen) is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.
  South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world. With a population of 3,502,595 (30 November 2009) and an area of 3,403 km², the province has the highest population density in the Netherlands.
  For more on the history of South Holland in the context of Dutch history, see the article on the "History of the Netherlands". The history of this province can also be found in the articles on its constituent elements (e.g. Rotterdam, The Hague, etc.) The information here pertains just to South Holland itself.
  For most of its history, the modern-day province of South Holland was an integral part of Holland.
  From the 9th century to the 16th century, Holland was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, and was ruled by the counts of Holland. Some of the counts were powerful magnates who also ruled many other territories, culminating in a period of rule by the House of Habsburg which was terminated by the Dutch Revolt.
  
  wn.com/South_Holland
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  Spijkenisse
  Spijkenisse ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 74,482 in 2006, and covers an area of 30.23 km² (of which 4.07 km² water). It is part of the Rotterdam Metropolitan Area.
  The municipality also includes the communities of Hekelingen, Den Hoek and Beerenplaat.
  Spijkenisse is twinned with Thetford, United Kingdom, and Hürth, Germany.
  Archeological research has shown that the area around Spijkenisse has been inhabited for many thousands of years. The people then depended on fishing on the Meuse and hunting in the swamps.
  The oldest reference to the name Spickenisse is from a source from 1231. This name comes from the words spieke (Spit (landform)) and nesse (nose) meaning "pointy nose" in reference to a spit of land protruding along the river.
  Spijkenisse formed as a farmers and fishing village at a creek along the Oude Maas. Initially it belonged to the Lord of Putten (whose coat of arms is now used by the city) but in 1459 the fiefdom Putten, including Spijkenisse, was transferred to Philip III, Duke of Burgundy. In 1581 the area came under the control of the Count of Holland.
  
  wn.com/Spijkenisse
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  Strijen
  Strijen (population: 9,312 in 2004) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality, covering an area of 57.72 km² (of which 6.50 km² is water), is located on the Hoeksche Waard island along the Hollands Diep estuary.
  Strijen hosts a public library, swimming pool, a small shopping centre and a local museum.
  Furthermore, Strijen is home to an important and welcome resting stop for migrating birds, especially geese. During winter, the endangered Eurasian Spoonbill uses this area as a foraging ground.
  The municipality of Strijen also includes the population centres of Cillaarshoek, De Klem, Mookhoek, Oudendijk, and Strijensas.
  
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  Switzerland
  Switzerland (German: die Schweiz[ˈʃvaɪts]; French: Suisse [sɥis(ə)]; Italian: Svizzera [ˈzvit͡sːɛra]; Romansh: Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ] or [ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ]), in its full name the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in western Europe, where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
  Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km² (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zurich and Geneva.
  The Swiss Confederation has a long history of armed neutrality—it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815—and did not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues, however, an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world. Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number of international organizations, including the second largest UN office. On the European level, it is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association and is part of the Schengen Area – although it is notably not a member of the European Union, nor the European Economic Area.
  
  wn.com/Switzerland
• Tanthof
  Tanthof is a quarter in the South of Delft, Netherlands. It was built between 1970 and 1980 and consists mainly of low-rise buildings. The area is divided in two parts, Tanthof-East and Tanthof-West.
  Tanthof-West and Tanthof-East were separated on purpose by the old road to Abtswoude, in the South of Delft. These two areas are directly connected to each other only for pedestrians and bicyclists. When the quarter was designed, the architects followed the old creeks. The houses in these two separate areas have very different architectures.
  More than half of the houses in Tanthof-East were built for single-family dwellings. About one third of the population lives in a traditional family setting. Tanthof-West is an area with a high amount of young people and young infants. There are three elementary schools and three kindergartens.
  On the border between East and West is a children's farm with a water playground. There is a tennis court at the 'Straat van Malakka', a sports hall at the 'Fretstraat' and there is a sports complex in the South of Tanthof-East. In Tanthof-East there is a shopping centre at the 'Dasstraat' and Tanthof-West got his shopping area at the 'Bikolaan'. The distance between Tanthof to the centre of Delft is approximately three kilometres and is easily accessible by bicycle. The Delft University of Technology is only ten minutes away per bicycle. The train station 'Delft-South' lies next to Tanthof-East.
  
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  Teylingen
  Teylingen ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. It was created on January 1, 2006, through the amalgamation of Sassenheim, Voorhout, and Warmond. It is named after Castle Teylingen, located on the northern edge of Sassenheim, in Voorhout.
  The municipality is bordered by Noordwijkerhout and Lisse to the north, Haarlemmermeer and Alkemade to the east, Leiderdorp and Leiden to the south, and Oegstgeest and Katwijk to the west. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek). The Kaag Lakes (Kagerplassen) lie just to the east of Sassenheim.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Teylingen
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  The Hague
  The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag pronounced [dɛnˈɦaˑχ] ( listen), officially 's-Gravenhage pronounced [ˈsχraˑvə(n)ˌɦaˑɣə] ( listen)) is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants (as of 1 September 2011), and more than one million inhabitants including the suburbs, it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Located in the west of the Netherlands, The Hague is in the centre of the Haaglanden conurbation and lies at the southwest corner of the larger Randstad conurbation.
  The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government and parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands which constitutionally is Amsterdam. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands lives at Huis ten Bosch and works at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands and 150 international organisations are located in the city, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, which makes The Hague one of the major cities hosting the United Nations, along with New York, Vienna and Geneva.
  
  wn.com/The_Hague
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  Turkey
  Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.
  Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. The vast majority of the population are Muslims. The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who constitute 18% of the population.
  
  wn.com/Turkey
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  Tuzla
  Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 2011 census, it had an estimated population of 120,000 inhabitants, while the municipality had 200,000. After Sarajevo, and Banja Luka, Tuzla is the third largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the seat of the Tuzla Canton and Tuzla Municipality. The name "Tuzla" is the Turkish word for salt mine, and refers to the extensive salt deposits found underneath the city.
  The city of Tuzla is home to Europe's only salt lake as part of its central park and also has around 100,000 people visiting its shores every year. The history of the town Tuzla goes back to 1510 when Tuzla was a Turkish garrison town.
  The city was first mentioned in 950 by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in his De Administrando Imperio as a fort named Salines (Σαληνέζ). Soli means "salts" in the Bosnian language and the city's present name means "place of salt" in Turkish. However, there is enough archaeologic evidence to suggest that Tuzla was a rich Neolithic settlement, and hence inhabited continuously for more than 6,000 years which makes Tuzla one of the oldest European settlements with sustained living. An open-air museum at Solni Trg, opened in 2004, tells the story of salt production in Tuzla.
  
  wn.com/Tuzla
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  UNESCO-IHE
  The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education is an international institute for water education that was created in 2003 from the previous IHE. This in turn grew out of the International Course in Hydraulic Engineering (set up in 1957), whose name was changed in 1976 to International Institute for Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering (IHE).
  UNESCO-IHE is based in Delft, the Netherlands and is owned by all UNESCO member states. It is established as a UNESCO ‘Category I institute’ jointly by UNESCO and the Government of the Netherlands.
  The Institute operates entirely on extrabudgetary funds and as such represents a new and unique model within UNESCO that implicitly requires an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to ensuring its funding. The Institute is the largest water education facility in the world and the only institution in the UN system authorized to confer accredited MSc degrees.
  UNESCO-IHE is instrumental to the strengthening of efforts by other universities and research centres in increasing knowledge and skills of professionals working in the water sector. The Member States of UNESCO will have access to the knowledge and services of UNESCO-IHE in human and institutional capacity-building, which is vital to their efforts in the achievement of Millennium Development Goals, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (Agenda 21) and other global water objectives.
  
  wn.com/UNESCO-IHE
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  United Kingdom
  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
  The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
  
  wn.com/United_Kingdom
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  Vlaardingen
  Vlaardingen ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is located on the north bank of the Nieuwe Maas/Nieuwe Waterweg river at the confluence with the Oude Maas. The municipality administers an area of 26.71 square kilometres (10.31 sq mi), of which 23.81 square kilometres (9.19 sq mi) is land, with 71,938 residents (in May 2006).
  The town is divided into a northern (locally known as the "Holy") and a southern part by the A20 motorway. On the east the town is (currently in part) separated from Schiedam by the A4 motorway. Other places nearby are Maassluis to the west, Schipluiden and Delft to the north, and Spijkenisse in the south-west, on the other side of the Nieuwe Waterweg. The A20 connects Rotterdam to Hoek van Holland. The Beneluxtunnel (the tunnel that runs under the Nieuwe Waterweg) connects the A20 to the A15.
  The centre of the city is on the west side of the old harbour, which is a widened section of the canal (Vlaardingse Vaart) which runs from Vlaardingen to Schipluiden.
  
  wn.com/Vlaardingen
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  Vlist
  Vlist ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 56.52 km² (of which 2.73 km² is water) and had a population of 9,803 in 2004.
  On January 1, 1985, the municipalities of Haastrecht, Stolwijk, and Vlist were merged and the new municipality was named after the little river Vlist.
  The municipality of Vlist includes the population centres of Haastrecht, Stolwijk, and Vlist.
  The Vlist is a river in South Holland which runs from Schoonhoven to Haastrecht where it empties into the Hollandsche IJssel. It passes Schoonhoven, Bonrepas, Vlist Haastrecht, it crosses the communities Schoonhoven and Vlist. The river stretches from the crow flies about ten kilometers. The Vlist is a bog river and was formerly used as a basin for polders around the river; there were a lot of windmills for pumping water on the banks of the river. Previously, the Vlist used for transportation of goods, particularly from Schoonhoven to Utrecht. Today the river has a tourist function. In particular cyclists and pedestrians use the area for their tours. In the summer the roads beside the Vlist filled with cyclists and hikers. The river itself is often navigated with canoes which can be hired in Haastrecht. In the winter when the river is frozen, the Two Provinces trip is organized for the ice-skate enthusiasts. Along this river (at Bonrepas) Wilhelmina of Prussia, wife of William V, was stopped on June 28, 1787 by patriots from Gouda and then brought to a farm on the Goejanverwelle Lock.
  
  wn.com/Vlist
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  Voorschoten
  Voorschoten ([ˈvɔːrˌsxoʊ̯tə(n)] ( listen); population: 22,505 in 2004) is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km² (of which 0.38 km² is covered by water). Recently, plans to merge into one village with Wassenaar have been introduced.
  The old Castle Duivenvoorde, the British School in the Netherlands and the Manor Vredenhof - rebuilt from Diederik Jansz. Graeff, and until the 18th century in the hands from the De Graeff family - are located in or near Voorschoten.
  The population in 2012 is nearly 30,000. There's a sport park in Voorschoten with a golf court (nine par three holes) a baseball club, a hockey club, a handball club and a football club. There's a swimming pool near there too. There're two big churches: the main church and the Laurentius Church. There goes one main road through Voorschoten pass the centre called the Leidscheweg.
  
  wn.com/Voorschoten
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  Waddinxveen
  Waddinxveen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌʋɑdɪŋksˈfeːn], locally [ˌʋɑdɪŋksˈfeɪ̯n] ( listen)) is a town and municipality along the Gouwe river in the western Netherlands in the province of South Holland near Gouda. The municipality had a population of 26,304 in 2004, 25.328 on New Year's Eve of 2010. and covers an area of 29.39 km² (of which 1.52 km² is water).
  In Waddinxveen, there's the so-called 'Vergeten Plek' (Dutch for 'Forgotten Place'). This is the lowest place in the Dutch polders. It's 7.01 meters below Amsterdam Ordnance Datum
  Partner city of Waddinxveen is Pelhřimov in the Czech Republic.
  The first reference to the area is from 1233, when on April 20, Floris IV, Count of Holland, sold an area of peat lands along the Gouwe River for 200 Dutch pounds to Nicolas of Gnepwijk, Lord of Aalsmeer and Woubrecht. The area was given the name "Waddinxvene". Because of this event, Waddinxveen celebrated its 750-year anniversary in 1983.
  Between 1817 and 1870, Waddinxveen was dissolved and its area split into the municipalities of Noord-Waddinxveen and Zuid-Waddinxveen. Due to further expanding, those two municipalities reunited into one.
  
  wn.com/Waddinxveen
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  Wassenaar
  Wassenaar  pronunciation (help·info) (population: 25,651 as of June 1, 2007) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.
  A fairly affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km (6 mi) north of that city on the N44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region. The municipality covers an area of 62.50 km², of which 11.65 km² is covered by water. Inhabitants of Wassenaar are called Wassenaarders.
  It is known^{[citation needed]} that a 12th century Romanesque church in Wassenaar lies on the spot where the Northumbrian missionary Willibrord once landed in the Netherlands; the high dunes to the west were not formed until later.
  Wassenaar long remained an unremarkable little town, known only as the home of the House of Wassenaer. It only began to gain notoriety in the 19th century when Louis Bonaparte ordered the construction of the Heerweg ("Army Road") between The Hague and Leiden, which forms the current Rijksstraatweg. In approximately 1840, Prince Frederik had the De Paauw (Peacock) palace built, where he lived for many years; it now serves as the city hall of Wassenaar.
  
  wn.com/Wassenaar
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  Westvoorne
  Coordinates: 51°53′24″N 4°03′59″E / 51.89°N 4.06639°E / 51.89; 4.06639
  Westvoorne ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality on the island Voorne-Putten in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 97.52 km² (of which 44.06 km² water). It had a population of 14,265 in 2004.
  The municipality of Westvoorne was formed on January 1, 1980, through the merger of the former municipalities of Oostvoorne and Rockanje. It consists the population centres of Oostvoorne, Rockanje, Tinte and Helhoek.
  Rockanje, windmill
  Tinte, chapel
  
  
  
  wn.com/Westvoorne
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  Zederik
  Zederik ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 76.49 km² (of which 2.72 km² water). It had a population of 13,546 in 2004.
  The municipality of Zederik was formed on January 1, 1986, through the merger of the former municipalities of Ameide, Hei- en Boeicop, Leerbroek, Lexmond, Meerkerk, Nieuwland, and Tienhoven. The municipality is named after the Old Zederik, a small canal running through its area.
  The population centres of Zederik consist of Ameide, Hei- en Boeicop, Leerbroek, Lexmond, Meerkerk, Nieuwland, and Tienhoven.
  
  wn.com/Zederik
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  Zoetermeer
  Coordinates: 52°03′40″N 4°29′36″E / 52.06111°N 4.49333°E / 52.06111; 4.49333
  Zoetermeer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌzu.tər.ˈmɪːr] ( listen)) is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² (of which 2.15 km² is water). A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950. By 1 January 2010 this had grown to 121.580, making it the third largest population centre in the province of South Holland, after Rotterdam and The Hague. It is part of the Haaglanden conurbation.
  The name "Zoetermeer" (Dutch for "Sweet Lake") refers to the former fresh lake north of the town (reclaimed in 1614).
  In the tenth century Zoetermeer was a small village, primarily home to farmers and fishermen. In the 13th century a village centre was formed, which still exists as the historic Dorpsstraat. Until the 17th century there was a lake, called the Zoetermeer. A reminder of this is the "Noord Aa" at the northern edge of town, an artificial lake was created when tons of sand were needed as building material for the foundations for new housing development, and the area north of Zoetermeer provided a good source.
  
  wn.com/Zoetermeer
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  Zoeterwoude
  Zoeterwoude ([ˌzutərˈʋʌudə] ( listen)) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers 21.91 km² (of which 0.67 km² is water). It had a population of 8,526 in 2004.
  The municipality of Zoeterwoude consists of Zoeterwoude-Dorp, Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk, Gelderswoude, Weipoort, Westeinde, and Zuidbuurt. The main brewery of Heineken International is located there.
  The name Zoeterwoude is first mentioned in a document from 1205, which references a certain "Florentius van Sotrewold". It is uncertain if this is a reference to the village. The first confirmed existence is from 1276 when Dirk van Santhorst received the "Soetrewold" fiefdom from Floris V, Count of Holland.
  Its municipal boundaries were set circa 1300. At that time it was one of the largest municipalities in the Netherlands, but later much land was annexed by surrounding cities, notably Leiden. In 1450, the first bridge between Leiderdorp and Zoeterwoude was built. In 1574, Zoeterwoude was burnt to the ground and its polders inundated by Leideners in order to increase the range of the city's cannons. Almost no inhabitants remained in Zoeterwoude.
  
  wn.com/Zoeterwoude
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  Zuidplas
  Zuidplas is a new municipality by 1 january 2010. Joining of Moordrecht, Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel and Zevenhuizen-Moerkapelle.
  
  wn.com/Zuidplas

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  Adriaen van de Venne
  Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne (1589 – November 12, 1662), was a versatile Dutch Golden Age painter of allegories, genre subjects and portraits, as well as a miniaturist, book-illustrator and designer of political satires and a versifier.
  Van de Venne was born in Delft. According to Houbraken he learned Latin in Leiden. He learned to paint from the master goldsmith and painter Simon de Valk, and afterwards learned engraving from Jeronimus van Diest, a good painter of grisailles. He then moved to Middelburg in 1614 where he was influenced by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Pieter Brueghel the Elder. His political painting Fishers of men, 1614, is an ironic commentary on the Catholic and Protestant troubles of the Eighty Years War that split the border between the Northern from the Southern Netherlands along the Schelde river, very close to his home in Middleburg. When he painted this picture, the Twelve Years' Truce was in effect since 1609. The influence of Jan Brueghel the Elder is particularly evident in this allegory of religious fanaticism.
  
  wn.com/Adriaen_van_de_Venne
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  Arantxa Rus
  Arantxa Rus (born 13 December 1990, in Delft, South Holland) is a Dutch female tennis player. In 2008 she won the Australian Open for juniors, defeating Jessica Moore from Australia. With this win she went from the 35th to 2nd place on the junior ranking, ultimately becoming the world junior No.1 player.
  Rus' biggest win to date was a second round shocker over #2 seed Kim Clijsters at the 2011 French Open, winning 3–6, 7–5, 6–1, saving two match points in the second set.
  At age 14 Arantxa Rus played her first ITF Pro tournament at Alkmaar. She lost in the second round to Julie Coin.
  She played 2 more ITF tournaments at Heerhugowaard and Vlaardingen, reaching the semi finals at the latter.
  Rus continued playing ITF tournaments and winning her first at Vlaardingen and second at Alphen aan de Rijn. In San Luis Potosi she reached the finals, but lost in 3 sets.
  In 's-Hertogenbosch she was granted a wildcard to play her first WTA main draw, she lost to Alona Bondarenko 1–6, 1–6 in the first round.
  
  wn.com/Arantxa_Rus
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  Atzo Nicolaï
  Atzo Nicolaï (born 22 February 1960 in Delft) is a former Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Since 1 June 2011 he is a member of the board of directors of the Dutch chemical multinational DSM.
  Nicolaï studied law and political science at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Before entering into politics, he worked in several culture-related jobs, among others at the Dutch Welfare department.
  He served as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (called Minister of Foreign Affairs abroad) from July 2002 till July 2006 in the Cabinets Balkenende I and II. He became Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations serving from July 2006 till February 2007 in the Cabinet Balkenende III.
  He was a Member of the House of Representatives from May 1998 till July 2002, from January till May 2003 and from November 2006 till June 2011.
  
  wn.com/Atzo_Nicolaï
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  Balthazar Gerards
  Balthasar Gérard (alternative spellings Gerards or Gerardts; c. 1557 – 14 July 1584) was the assassin of the Dutch independence leader, William I of Orange (William the Silent). He killed William I in Delft on July 10, 1584, by shooting him twice with a pistol, and was afterwards tried, convicted, and gruesomely executed.
  Gérard was born in Franche-Comté (then belonging to Spain, afterwards to France). He came from a Roman Catholic family with 11 children and was a great admirer of Philip II, king of Spain and the Netherlands. He studied law at the University of Dole. King Philip offered a reward of 25,000 crowns^[when?] to anyone who killed William the Silent, to whom he referred as a "pest on the whole of Christianity and the enemy of the human race".^{[citation needed]}
  After the reward offered by Philip was published Gérard left for Luxembourg where he learned that Juan de Jáuregui was already preparing to attempt the assassination, but did not succeed. In March 1584 he went to Trier, where he put his plan before the regent of the Jesuits but another Jesuit convinced him to change his original scheme and go to the prince of Parma. In Tournai, after holding counsel with a Franciscan, Father Gery, Gérard wrote a letter, a copy of which was deposited with the guardian of the convent, and the original presented personally to the Prince of Parma. In the letter Gérard wrote, in part, "The vassal ought always to prefer justice and the will of the king to his own life."^{[citation needed]}
  
  wn.com/Balthazar_Gerards
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  Carel Fabritius
  Carel Fabritius (bapt. 27 February 1622 - 12 October 1654) was a Dutch painter and one of Rembrandt's most gifted pupils.
  Fabritius was born in Beemster, the ten-year old polder, as the son of a schoolteacher. Initially he worked as a carpenter (Latin fabritius). In the early 1640s he studied at Rembrandt's studio in Amsterdam, along with his brother Barent Fabritius. In the early 1650s he moved to Delft, and joined the Delft painters' guild in 1652. He died young, caught in the explosion of the Delft gunpowder magazine on October 12, 1654, which destroyed a quarter of the city, along with his studio and many of his paintings. Only about a dozen paintings have survived. According to Houbraken, his student Mattias Spoors and the church deacon Simon Decker died with him, since they were working on a painting together at the time. In a poem written by Arnold Bon to his memory, he is called Karel Faber.
  Of all Rembrandt's pupils, Fabritius was the only one to develop his own artistic style. A typical Rembrandt portrait would have a plain dark background with the subject defined by spotlighting. In contrast, Fabritius' portraits feature delicately lit subjects against light-coloured, textured backgrounds. Moving away from the Renaissance focus on iconography, Fabritius became interested in the technical aspects of painting. He used cool colour harmonies to create shape in a luminous style of painting.
  
  wn.com/Carel_Fabritius
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  China
  China (ⁱ/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
  The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
  
  wn.com/China
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  Daniël Mijtens
  Daniël Mijtens (Delft, c. 1590 – The Hague, 1647/48), known in England as Daniel Mytens the Elder, was a Dutch portrait painter who spent the central years of his career working in England.
  He was born in Delft into a family of artists and trained in The Hague, possibly in the studio of Van Mierevelt. He was the nephew of the painter Aert Mijtens, the older brother of the painter Isaac Mijtens, and the father of the painter Daniel Mijtens the Younger. No known work survives from his first Dutch period.
  By 1618, he had moved to London where his initial patron was the leading art collector Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel. Mijtens painted the Earl and his Countess, and was soon commissioned to paint King James I and his son Charles, Prince of Wales. In 1625 he became painter to Charles I.
  After the prince's accession to the throne as Charles I in 1625 Mijtens produced such a large number of full length portraits of Charles I and his courtiers, including duplicates, that it is assumed that he had workshop assistance. Two of his finest portraits are of the same man, James Hamilton later 1st Duke of Hamilton, whom he painted as a seventeen year old in 1623 and again in 1629. Mijtens made visits to the Netherlands in 1626 and 1630, perhaps to study the latest developments in his field, more particularly the works of Rubens and Van Dyck.
  
  wn.com/Daniël_Mijtens
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  Egbert van der Poel
  Egbert van der Poel (Delft, 1621 - Rotterdam, 1664) was a Dutch Golden Age genre and landscape painter, son of a Delft goldsmith.
  He may possibly have been a student of Esaias van de Velde and of Aert van der Neer. According to the RKD he was the brother of the painter Adriaen Lievensz van der Poel and a student of Cornelis Saftleven in Rotterdam. Van der Poel was registered with the Guild of St Luke in Delft on October 17, 1650, where he is listed as a landscape painter. In 1651 van der Poel married Aeltgen Willems van Linschooten in Maassluis, near Rotterdam. His most famous paintings depict the Delft gunpowder explosion of October 12, 1654 and its aftermath; he and his wife were living in the area at the time. Egbert and Aeltgen van der Poel had a son and three daughters. He died in Rotterdam in 1664.
  
  wn.com/Egbert_van_der_Poel
• Ferrie Bodde
  Ferrie Bodde (born 5 May 1982 in Delft) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Swansea City, as a central midfielder. Since 2008 his career has been blighted by injury, with a number of operations on his left knee and a series of failed comebacks. In February 2012, Bodde suffered another setback after injuring his right knee in a reserve game.
  Bodde started his senior career with Dutch side ADO Den Haag, signing professional forms with them in July 2000 at the age of 18. Bodde spent seven years with the club, playing over 150 games and scoring ten goals. On 13 June 2007, Bodde signed for Swansea City for an initial fee of £50,000, rising to £85,000 if the club were promoted. They also negotiated a clause which would see 50% of any profit on a future transfer return to Den Haag.
  Bodde made his Swansea City debut against First Division Swedish side Östersunds FK in a pre-season friendly on 14 July 2007, scoring his first goal and helping the Swans win their first game on Swedish soil in a 5–2 victory. His competitive debut came a month later in a League One match against Oldham Athletic, which Swansea lost 2–1. His first goal for the club came in a 2–1 win away to Yeovil Town in October 2007. Bodde was sent off twice during the 2007–08 campaign, once against Doncaster Rovers for a headbutt, the other against Leeds United for an alleged stamp. Despite this he played 33 league matches as Swansea marched to the League One title and promotion to the Football League Championship. He was also included, alongside four of his Swansea City team-mates, in the PFA League One team of the year.
  
  wn.com/Ferrie_Bodde
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  Hugo Grotius
  Hugo Grotius (10 April 1583 – 28 August 1645), also known as Huig de Groot, Hugo Grocio or Hugo de Groot, was a jurist in the Dutch Republic. With Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili he laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law. He was also a philosopher, theologian, Christian apologist, playwright, and poet.
  Grotius's influence on international law is paramount, and is acknowledged by, for instance, the American Society of International Law, which since 1999 holds an annual series of Grotius Lectures. Additionally, his contributions to Arminian theology provided the seeds for later Arminian-based movements, such as Methodism and Pentecostalism and he is acknowledged as a significant figure in the Arminianism-Calvinism debate.
  Born in Delft during the Dutch Revolt, Hugo was the first child of Jan de Groot and Alida van Overschie. His father was a man of learning, once having studied with the eminent Justus Lipsius at Leiden, as well as of political distinction, and he groomed his son from an early age in a traditional humanist and Aristotelian education. A prodigious learner, Hugo entered the University of Leiden when he was just eleven years old. There he studied with some of the most acclaimed intellectuals in northern Europe, including Franciscus Junius, Joseph Justus Scaliger, and Rudolph Snellius. At age sixteen he published his first book: a scholarly edition of the late antique author Martianus Capella's work on the seven liberal arts, Martiani Minei Felicis Capellæ Carthaginiensis viri proconsularis Satyricon, in quo De nuptiis Philologiæ & Mercurij libri duo, & De septem artibus liberalibus libri singulares. Omnes, & emendati, & Notis, siue Februis Hug. Grotii illustrati.
  
  wn.com/Hugo_Grotius
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  Jan Timman
  Jan Timman (born 14 December 1951) is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West". He has won the Dutch Chess Championship nine times and has been a Candidate for the World Championship several times.
  Timman was an outstanding prospect in his early teens, and at Jerusalem 1967 played in the World Junior Championship, aged fifteen, finishing third.
  He received the International Master title in 1971, and in 1974 attained Grandmaster status, making him the Netherlands' third after Max Euwe and Jan Hein Donner. In the same year he won the Dutch Championship for the first time, having finished second in 1972. He was to win it again on many more occasions through 1996. His first notable international success was at Hastings 1973/74, where he shared victory with Tal, Kuzmin, and Szabó. A string of victories quickly followed at Sombor 1974 (with Boris Gulko), Netanya 1975, Reykjavik 1976 (with Fridrik Olafsson), Amsterdam IBM 1978, Nikšić 1978, and Bled/Portorož 1979.
  
  wn.com/Jan_Timman
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  Johannes Vermeer
  Johannes, Jan or Johan Vermeer (Dutch pronunciation: [joˈɦɑnəs jɑn vərˈmɪːr];1632 – December 1675) was a Dutch painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime. He seems never to have been particularly wealthy, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death, perhaps because he produced relatively few paintings.
  Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, using bright colours and sometimes expensive pigments, with a preference for cornflower blue and yellow. He is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment and use of light in his work.
  Vermeer painted mostly domestic interior scenes. As Koning points out: "Almost all his paintings are apparently set in two smallish rooms in his house in Delft; they show the same furniture and decorations in various arrangements and they often portray the same people, mostly women".
  Recognized during his lifetime in Delft and The Hague, his modest celebrity gave way to obscurity after his death; he was barely mentioned in Arnold Houbraken's major source book on 17th century Dutch painting (Grand Theatre of Dutch Painters and Women Artists), and was thus omitted from subsequent surveys of Dutch art for nearly two centuries. In the 19th century Vermeer was rediscovered by Gustav Friedrich Waagen and Théophile Thoré-Bürger, who published an essay attributing sixty-six pictures to him, although only thirty-four paintings are universally attributed to him today. Since that time Vermeer's reputation has grown, and he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age.
  
  wn.com/Johannes_Vermeer
• 
  Ken Monkou
  Kenneth John "Ken" Monkou (born 29 November 1964 in Nickerie in Suriname) is a retired Dutch footballer who played in a defensive role.
  Born in Suriname but raised in the Netherlands, Monkou's first major side was Feyenoord Rotterdam. He moved to England in May 1989 to sign for newly-promoted to the First Division Chelsea for £100,000. He was their first player from outside the Commonwealth of Nations since Petar Borota in 1982. He made an impressive start for his new side, being voted club player of the year in his first season – the first black player to do so for Chelsea – as the team finished 5th in the First Division and won the Full Members Cup. He remained with Chelsea until 1992, when he was sold to Southampton for £750,000 just 3 months after signing a new 5 year contract with Chelsea.
  Monkou's time with Southampton saw regular battles for Premier League survival, though the club were never actually relegated. In the 1993–94 season he scored a last minute winner in a 5–4 defeat of Norwich City from a Matt Le Tissier corner which helped the club to stay in the Premier League. He stayed on the South Coast until 1999, when he joined Huddersfield Town on a free transfer, scoring once against Yorkshire rivals Barnsley. However, disagreements with Huddersfield manager Steve Bruce ensured his time with the club was short-lived. Monkou made a return to Chelsea during the 2002–2003 season, before finally retiring from the game
  
  wn.com/Ken_Monkou
• 
  Leonaert Bramer
  Leonaert/Leonard Bramer alias Nestelghat (24 December 1596 - 10 February 1674 (buried)) was a Dutch painter, best known for probably being one of the teachers of Johannes Vermeer, although there is no similarity between their work. Bramer's dark and exotic style is unlike Vermeer's style. Bramer was primarily a genre and history painter, but also made some unique frescos, not very often found north of the Alps. Leonaert Bramer is one of the most intriguing personalities in seventeenth-century Dutch art. He was a talented and diligent draughtsman, evidently Roman Catholic and a lifelong bachelor.
  Bramer was born in Delft. In 1614, at the age of 18, he left on a long trip eventually reaching Rome in 1616, via Atrecht, Amiens, Paris, Aix (February 1616), Marseille, Genoa, and Livorno. In Rome he was one of the founders of the Bentvueghels group of Northern artists. He lived with Wouter Crabeth and got into a fight with Claude Lorraine. He dedicated a poem to Wybrand de Geest. Bramer remained on and off in Rome until October 1627, visiting Mantua and Venice, often for deliveries and to meet Domenico Fetti. In Italy Bramer was nicknamed Leonardo della Notte ("Leonardo of the night"). In 1648 he went to Rome for a second time.
  
  wn.com/Leonaert_Bramer
• Martin van den Hove
  Martin (Maarten) van den Hove (Latinized as Martinus Hortensius (Ortensius)) (1605 – 7 August 1639) was a Dutch astronomer and mathematician. His adopted Latin name is a translation of the Dutch hof ("garden"), in Latin horta.
  Born in Delft, he studied at Leiden University under Snellius and Isaac Beeckman from 1625 to 1627. He received further instruction from Snellius from 1628 to 1630 at Leiden and at Ghent.
  In 1628, he began studying under Philippe van Lansberge, who was introduced to him by Beeckman. Van den Hove became an enthusiastic supporter of Landsberge, who was by now quite aged, and helped Landsberge complete his project to "restore astronomy" (i.e. create new systematic observations to replace old, insufficient data). Landsberge thanked Van den Hove publicly, considered himself lucky that "by divine providence, in my old age, pressed by sickness, such a strong helper came to my aid, as formerly the learned Rheticus to the great Copernicus."
  
  wn.com/Martin_van_den_Hove
• 
  Nicolaes Maes
  Nicolaes Maes, also known as Nicolaes Maas (January 1634 – November 24, 1693 (buried)) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of genre and portraits.
  Maes was born in Dordrecht, the son of Gerrit Maes, a prosperous merchant, and Ida Herman Claesdr. In about 1648 he went to Amsterdam, where he entered Rembrandt's studio. Before his return to Dordrecht in 1653 Maes painted a few Rembrandtesque genre pictures, with life-size figures and in a deep glowing scheme of colour, like the Reverie at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Card Players at the National Gallery, and the Children with a Goat Carriage. So closely did his early style resemble that of Rembrandt, that the last-named picture, and other canvases in the Leipzig and Budapest galleries and in the collection of Lord Radnor, were or are still ascribed to Rembrandt.
  In his best period, from 1655 to 1665, Maes devoted himself to domestic genre on a smaller scale, retaining to a great extent the magic of colour he had learnt from Rembrandt. Only on rare occasions did he treat scriptural subjects, as in Hagar's Departure, which has been ascribed to Rembrandt. His favorite subjects were women spinning, or reading the Bible, or preparing a meal. He had a particular fascination with the subject of lacemaking and made almost a dozen versions on this subject.
  
  wn.com/Nicolaes_Maes
• 
  Stien Kaiser
  Christina ("Stien") Wilhelmina Baas-Kaiser (born 20 May 1938 in Delft, Zuid-Holland) is a former speed skater from the Netherlands.
  Having not been selected for the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Stien Baas-Kaiser (then Stien Kaiser) soon turned out to be the first Dutch female world class speed skater. In both 1965 and 1966, she won bronze at the World Allround Championships. After having become World Allround Champion twice (in 1967 and 1968) – and also winning her 3rd and 4th Dutch Allround Championships those years – she participated at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Her two bronze medals – on the 1,500 m, behind Finnish skater Kaija Mustonen and Dutch compatriot Carry Geijssen, and on the 3,000 m behind compatriot Ans Schut and, once more, Kaija Mustonen – were a bit disappointing. Not she, but Geijssen (who not only won silver on the 1,500 m, but also gold on the 1,000 m) and Schut became the Dutch heroines of those Olympics.
  Although she was still a formidable competitor in the years that followed, Kaiser was slightly surpassed at major championships by Atje Keulen-Deelstra, who was the same age as Kaiser. In 1972, by then married and 33 years old, Baas-Kaiser was no longer really considered to be a favourite, especially not after her disappointing 11th place at the European Allround Championships. At the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Baas-Kaiser originally was not meant to skate, but since fellow Dutch skater Trijnie Rep had disappointed on the 500 m (finishing 20th) and the 1,000 m (finishing 24th), Baas-Kaiser was given a chance on the 1,500 m and the 3,000 m. And she turned it into something beautiful: On the 1,500 m, she won silver behind Dianne Holum, but ahead of Atje Keulen-Deelstra, and on the 3,000 m two days later, she became Olympic Champion ahead of Holum and Keulen-Deelstra. She ended her skating career later that year with a silver medal at the World Allround Championships.
  
  wn.com/Stien_Kaiser
• 
  Vermeer
  Johannes, Jan or Johan Vermeer (Dutch pronunciation: [joˈɦɑnəs jɑn vərˈmɪːr];1632 – December 1675) was a Dutch painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime. He seems never to have been particularly wealthy, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death, perhaps because he produced relatively few paintings.
  Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, using bright colours and sometimes expensive pigments, with a preference for cornflower blue and yellow. He is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment and use of light in his work.
  Vermeer painted mostly domestic interior scenes. As Koning points out: "Almost all his paintings are apparently set in two smallish rooms in his house in Delft; they show the same furniture and decorations in various arrangements and they often portray the same people, mostly women".
  Recognized during his lifetime in Delft and The Hague, his modest celebrity gave way to obscurity after his death; he was barely mentioned in Arnold Houbraken's major source book on 17th century Dutch painting (Grand Theatre of Dutch Painters and Women Artists), and was thus omitted from subsequent surveys of Dutch art for nearly two centuries. In the 19th century Vermeer was rediscovered by Gustav Friedrich Waagen and Théophile Thoré-Bürger, who published an essay attributing sixty-six pictures to him, although only thirty-four paintings are universally attributed to him today. Since that time Vermeer's reputation has grown, and he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age.
  
  wn.com/Vermeer
• Vincent de Moor
  Vincent de Moor (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈvɪn.sɛnt də ˈmʊːr]) (born 1973, Delft, Netherlands) is a Dutch trance artist. He is most notable for his work with the record producer Ferry Corsten under the working title, "Veracocha," and for his 2001 single, "Fly Away".
  De Moor first recorded in 1993 as Fix To Fax. Tracks released under this alias included "Enjoy Yourself", "Do U Feel It", "Pick It Up" and "Take Control". Other early releases include "Het Vliegende Kunstgebit" as Gmoork, "Chinese Juice" and "Exotic Mind" as Outline, and "Voice In The Dark", "Frame Of Pleasure" and "Brazilia Carnavelas" as Sidewalk.
  His breakthrough track, using his own name, was "Flowtation". The track was first released in 1996, and reached peaked in the UK Singles Chart at #54 in August 1997. Several versions of this track were available, including a 2002 remix with vocals. In 1998, De Moor collaborated with Ernst Bijlsma to release "Don't Hurt Me" (as Cache) and, using his own name, released the track "Orion City" and a debut album of the same name. He also found time to release tracks including "Darwin's Voyage", "Magnetic" and "Domino Runner" using his VdM moniker.
  
  wn.com/Vincent_de_Moor
• 
  Willem van Aelst
  Willem van Aelst (May 16, 1627 - in or after 1683) was a Dutch artist who specialized in still-life painting with flowers or game.
  Van Aelst was born in Delft to a family of prominent city magistrates. He learned to paint from his uncle, the still-life painter Evert van Aelst. On 9 November 1643 he enrolled as a master of the Guild of Saint Luke at Delft.
  Between 1645 and 1649 he lived in France. In 1649 Van Aelst travelled to Florence, where he served as court painter to Ferdinando II de' Medici, grand duke of Tuscany. At this time, the grand duke also employed two fellow Dutchmen Matthias Withoos and Otto Marseus van Schrieck, the latter also a still-life painter who probably influenced Van Aelst's style.
  In 1656 he returned to the Netherlands to settle permanently in Amsterdam. He became one of the most prominent still-life painters of his generation, which allowed him to live on the Prinsengracht. He must have at Amsterdam died in 1683 or shortly thereafter, as his latest dated work is from that year. Van Aelst taught Rachel Ruysch and several others.
  
  wn.com/Willem_van_Aelst
• 
  Willem van der Vliet
  Willem van der Vliet (ca. 1584 - 6 December 1642) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
  Van der Vliet was born and died in Delft. According to Houbraken his paintings are historical allegories and portraits. Records of his paintings are noted by the Delft history writer (unspecified Stads schryver). He had his nephew Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet as his pupil, who painted historical scenes in architectural perspectives, but who later went to work for Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt to learn to paint portraits. Houbraken preferred his (he means Hendrick's) church interiors in the style of Emanuel de Witte.
  
  wn.com/Willem_van_der_Vliet
• 
  William the Silent
  William I, Prince of Orange (24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584), also widely known as William the Silent (Dutch: Willem de Zwijger), or simply William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of Nassau as Count of Nassau-Dillenburg. He became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the branch House of Orange-Nassau.
  A wealthy nobleman, William originally served the Habsburgs as a member of the court of Margaret of Parma, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Unhappy with the centralisation of political power away from the local estates and with the Spanish persecution of Dutch Protestants, William joined the Dutch uprising and turned against his former masters. The most influential and politically capable of the rebels, he led the Dutch to several successes in the fight against the Spanish. Declared an outlaw by the Spanish king in 1580, he was assassinated by Balthasar Gérard (also written as 'Gerardts') in Delft four years later.
  
  wn.com/William_the_Silent

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