Preview of the Netherlands
The Netherlands is very active in facilitating the growth of high-tech knowledge through its excellent scientific and technological reputation and a solid level of research funding.
In addition, the Dutch government lowers the threshold to attract international talent by a swift immigration trajectory for knowledge migrants and a special beneficial tax ruling for highly skilled international staff.
About the Netherlands
When the name Holland is used instead of the Netherlands, it actually refers to the two Western coastal provinces, North and South Holland, which have played an important role in the country's history. The name 'Netherland' is derived from the Dutch word 'neder' meaning 'low', and the term Low Countries is used as a reference to the low-lying nature of the land. The Netherlands occupies an area of 41,160 square kilometres and is home to 16+ million people. Nearly a quarter of its surface area is below sea level. The lowest point in the Netherlands, near Rotterdam, is 6.7 metres below sea level. Its highest point, the Vaalserberg, is 312 metres above sea level.
The Netherlands is one of the European Union's most dynamic centres of trade and industry. Dutch economy ranks sixth in the European Union and fifteenth in the world. The port of Rotterdam is the biggest port in Europe. Amsterdam Schiphol international airport is the fourth biggest cargo-handling airport in Europe. That is why the Netherlands is often called the Gateway to Europe.