About Netherlands

    The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland (help·info), IPA: [ˈne:dərlɑnt]) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, located in Western Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east.

     The Netherlands is often called Holland. This is formally incorrect as North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country's twelve provinces (for more on this and other naming issues see Netherlands (terminology)).

     The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying and densely populated country. It is popularly known for its windmills, cheese, clogs (wooden shoes), delftware and gouda pottery, dikes, tulips, bicycles, and social tolerance. A Parliamentary democracy, the country is also known for its somewhat liberal policies toward drugs, prostitution, gay rights, abortion, and euthanasia.

    The Netherlands has an international outlook; among other affiliations the country is a member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, and has signed the Kyoto protocol. Along with Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands is also one of three member nations of the Benelux economic union. The country is host to four international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and the International Criminal Court. All of these courts, as well as the EU's criminal intelligence agency (Europol) are situated in The Hague, which has led to the city being referred to as "the world's legal capital."

About Roermond

     Roermond (pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality, a diocese and a city in the southeastern Netherlands.

     Roermond received city rights in 1231.

     Roermond is a historically important town situated on the banks of the river Maas (Meuse). Contrary to popular belief its name does not come from the "mond of the Roer", which means "mouth of the river Roer" in Dutch. The name is much older and since Dutch was not widely spoken in Limburg until the 1900s its origin is older. The name comes from "Ruramonde". Rura was an old Celtic-Germanic goddess associated with water. After Rura the river Roer which flows through Roermond is named. It did not flow into the river Maas until 1338-1342, when the flow of the river Maas was altered to pass the city. "Monde" is an old Celtic-Germanic word meaning "bridge". Roermond therefore means "bridge of Rura".

     The Galgeberg is a small hill in Roermond. It is in the Kapel in 't Zand-area of Roermond. Galgeberg means "mountain of the gallow" in Dutch. It is called "mountain of the gallow" because criminals in Roermond were hanged or burned there. In 1613, 64 witches were burned on the Galgeberg in the Kapel in het Zand in Roermond, the biggest witchtrial in the Netherlands ever.

Population centres :

• Asenray
• Herten
• Leeuwen
• Maasniel
• Roermond