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The Netherlands
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THE NETHERLANDS

Capital: Amsterdam (official, pop. 724,096); The Hague (administrative, pop. 445,279)

Population: 16,067,754

Area: 41,526 sq. km.

Economy: In 2002, the Netherlands ranked 8th in the UN's Human Development Index survey and 19th in total GDP, with a per capita GDP of $27,010. 7.1% of its population live on less than $11 per day. Debt service statistics unavailable

Main Language: Dutch

Monkey's Name: Aap (Ah-p)

Fun Fact: Over half of the land area of the Netherlands is below sea level.

In May of 2002, the Monkey made a whirl-wind tour of the Low Countries that included a short stop-off in Maastricht, Netherlands. The Monkey has long been an admirer of the Dutch social welfare system, and the country's progressive politics on a range of issues from wind power generation to euthanasia and drug policy. He is also a huge fan of its adorable 1960s child singing sensation, Heintje. Unfortunately, though, the Monkey only managed to spend a few hours in the Netherlands.

Still, Maastricht was an interesting city for the Monkey. Founded as a Roman imperial post in the north, Maastricht recently played a crucial role in the formation of a new and larger European institution: the European Union. In February of 1992 the city hosted the conference of founding members of the EU. The heads of state of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom ratified what became known as the Maastricht Accord, which vowed to create "an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen." Later, the EU added three members (Austria, Finland, and Sweden), and in 2004 it expanded dramatically to include the following states: the Czech Republic, Estonia, (Greek) Cyprus, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia. By 2007, Bulgaria and Romania are scheduled to join. Turkey, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Switzerland, and perhaps other states may also be invited to join the EU.

The Monkey enjoyed his time in Maastricht. He wants to say "Dank U" to the people of the Netherlands, and he is sure he'll be back there soon.
Dutch fans of the Monkey may also be interested in his photos from the Flemish areas of Belgium.
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Ah, the Netherlands (a.k.a. Holland). Blessed with flat land, a mild climate year-round, and short distances between towns, the Dutch (like their Belgian neighbors) are bike-mad. The Monkey commends the Dutch for their use of this clean and healthy mode of transport. In the background of this Maastricht street, you can also see a building with the traditional stepped gables so common in Dutch architecture.

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