HOLLAND OR NETHERLANDS

mar. kingdom, N. Europe (50° 46/’-53° 33’ N., 3° 21’-7° 10’ E.), consisting mainly of deltaic deposits of Rhine, Maas, and Scheldt; much of surface 8 ft. below sea-level and protected by embankments and sand dunes; _ highest point 655 ft. Is bounded by Germany on E., Belgium on S., and elsewhere by North Sea. ‘Within historic times sea has invaded land, transforming. Flevo lake into the Zuider Zee (South Sea); ane. continental coast-line lay along Frisian Islands (Texel, Vlieland, TerRottum, Borkum), now separated by the Wadden (Shallows) from the mainland. Since the i6th cent. over a million ac. have been reclaimed from sea, lake, and river, and schemes for recovery of Zuider Zee have been pa ed (June, 1918); time required is thirty-three years, and capital cost $750,000,000; four separate areas to be diked cover total area of 521,170 ac., with fresh-water lake in centre. Alluvium (59 per cent. of area) consists of fens, clays, and sands; clays— especially of newly-reclaimed polders, te, low-lying basins embanked and then pumped dry—are most fertile; diluvial strata, (4014 per cent.) chiefly sands and gravels, not very fertile. tains many islands—e.g., N. and Bevel and, Walcheren, etc. Canals important than railways (2,382 m). metalled roads. Climate resembles that of England, but is more variable. cipal occupations are grazing and culture. Cattle of superior breeds rise to trade in butter and cheese pared in factories (Gouda and horticulture, especially production bulbs, flowers, and fruit, has been carried on for centuries; fisheries of some portance; chief industries are brewing, distilling, manufacture of sugar, vinegar, bricks, and stoneware, margarine, chinery, cocoa, salt, diamond-cutting, prov. is increasing. Holland is a trade country; exports are food products and commodities mentioned 4mports, cereals and flour, iron and steel,| textiles, raw materials, and food ducts. The official cap. is the Hague, Amsterdam is the commercial cap., Rotter dam and Flushing are the chief| ports. Population and Area.—Inhabitants N. descended from anc. Frisians, centre from Franks, of s. from mixed with French Huguenots, Walloons, Scots, ete.; Jews mostly in Amsterdam. gave 2,588,261 as belonging to Dutch Reformed Church, and 746-186 other} Protestants; also 2,053,021 Roman Cath-| Protestants are strongest in Fries land, Groningen, and Drenthe; Roman Catho-| lics in N. Brabant and Limburg. There is no State Church, but state allowances to all Churches. Eduéation.—Primary education free arid (since 1900) compulsory between ages of six and thirteen. Intermediate instruction in ‘burgher night-schools’ for those engaged in industrial and cultural work, and in ‘higher burgher schools’ for technical education, is pensive; in connection with these forestry. Above these are gymmasia, preparing for uni ver is ties of Leyden, Utrecht, Groningen, and Amsterdam. The government is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy, with a States general of two chambers. The chamber has 50 members, elected directly by the provincial states from wealthiest citizens; it holds office for years, one-third of number retiring every three years. The second chamber, of members, is elected directly by single member constituencies for four years (electors to be 25 years old, members Justice is administered by a high court