The Netherlands is often called Holland, which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are merely two of its twelve provinces.The word Dutch is used to refer to the people, the language, and anything appertaining to the Netherlands.Being one of the first parliamentary democracies, the Netherlands was a modern country at the moment of its very foundation, and it has always been open to the world. Today, the country has an international outlook. Among other affiliations the country is a founding member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, and has signed the Kyoto protocol. With Belgium and Luxembourg it forms the Benelux economic union. The country is host to five international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The former four are situated in The Hague as is the EU's criminal intelligence agency Europol. This has led to the city being dubbed "the world's legal capital."

Tourism is an important economic sector in the Netherlands. The country receives some 10 million foreign visitors every year, primarily from Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Belgium.The Netherlands is a densely populated country with famous cities like Amsterdam known for its many canals, red light district (De Wallen) and cannabis coffee shops. One can purchase and use cannabis legally in the Netherlands, which is rare for most western countries, and has led to a large number of "drug tourists" from abroad. Amsterdam is also a city of rich culture and history with popular attractions like the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum (national museum), Rembrandt House Museum and Anne Frank House.Other tourist destinations in the Netherlands are cities like the royal seat The Hague with its elegant downtown, beaches and Madurodam miniature city; modern Rotterdam with its harbour, shopping and skyline; and Delft and Utrecht - formerly rich trading cities. In the south you have one of the oldest (Roman) cities, Maastricht and a very old village called Valkenburg lying in a romantic landscape with old castles and hills.Many tourists seeking to experience the typically Dutch tulips and windmills visit the Keukenhof flower gardens, the windmills of the Zaanse Schans and Kinderdijk, and the traditional fishing villages of Volendam and Marken. Popular souvenirs from the Netherlands are flower bulbs, delftware and clogs (wooden shoes).