United Provinces of the Netherlands
| Republic of the Seven United Netherlands | ||||||||||
| Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden | ||||||||||
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Motto Concordia res parvae crescunt "Unity makes strength" |
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Anthem Het Wilhelmus "The William" |
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.svg) Location of the Dutch Republic in 1789
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| Capital | Amsterdam | |||||||||
| Languages | Dutch, Zeelandic, West Flemish, Dutch Low Saxon, Frisian languages | |||||||||
| Religion | Dutch Reformed | |||||||||
| Government | Confederative republic | |||||||||
| Stadtholder | ||||||||||
| • | 1581–1584 | William I (first) | ||||||||
| • | 1751–1795 | William V (last) | ||||||||
| Grand Pensionary | ||||||||||
| • | 1581–1585 | Paulus Buys (first) | ||||||||
| • | 1787–1795 | Laurens van de Spiegel (last) | ||||||||
| Legislature | States General | |||||||||
| • | State council | Council of State | ||||||||
| Historical era | Early modern | |||||||||
| • | Union of Utrecht | 23 January 1579 | ||||||||
| • | Act of Abjuration | 26 July 1581 | ||||||||
| • | Peace of Münster | 30 January 1648 | ||||||||
| • | Batavian Revolution | 19 January 1795 | ||||||||
| Population | ||||||||||
| • | 1795 est. | 1,880,500 | ||||||||
| Currency | Guilder | |||||||||
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| Today part of | ||||||||||
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The Dutch Republic, also known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden), Republic of the United Netherlands or Republic of the Seven United Provinces (Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Provinciën), was a republic in Europe existing from 1581, when part of the Netherlands separated from Spanish rule, until 1795. It preceded the Batavian Republic, the Kingdom of Holland, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and ultimately the modern Kingdom of the Netherlands. Alternative names include the United Provinces (Verenigde Provinciën), Seven Provinces (Zeven Provinciën), Federated Dutch Provinces (Foederatae Belgii Provinciae), and Dutch Federation (Belgica Foederata).
Until the 16th century, the Low Countries – corresponding roughly to the present-day Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg – consisted of a number of duchies, counties, and Prince-bishoprics, almost all of which were under the supremacy of the Holy Roman Empire, with the exception of the county of Flanders, which was under the Kingdom of France.
Most of the Low Countries had come under the rule of the House of Burgundy and subsequently the House of Habsburg. In 1549 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V issued the Pragmatic Sanction, which further unified the Seventeen Provinces under his rule. Charles was succeeded by his son, King Philip II of Spain. In 1568 the Netherlands, led by William I of Orange, revolted against Philip II because of high taxes, persecution of Protestants by the government, and Philip's efforts to modernize and centralize the devolved-medieval government structures of the provinces. This was the start of the Eighty Years' War.
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