After a long period of stability, the Netherlands entered the second half of the 20th century with a period of rapid growth in industry and population. The new economy created more jobs, and the Dutch people took great strides to improve their standard of living.
This growth and prosperity came with a growing sense of inequality in the nation. As industrialization progressed, the working conditions for the lower classes began to deteriorate. This, in turn, caused the rise of political unrest.
In 1785, a group of citizens known as the Patriots attacked the government and accused Prince William V of Orange of corruption and discrimination. Their accusations led to a series of open debates and finger-pointing in newspapers, pamphlets, and publications. In 1785, the fracas ended with the resignation of the Prince and his wife, who fled to Gelderland.
The Dutch approach to public broadcasting is unique in the world: programmes are made by groups that reflect political or religious currents and then allocated airtime by an independent body, based on the number of members they have. The Netherlands is a very flat country, making it an area of collision between warm and polar air masses. It is therefore an area of frequent, unsettled weather and a place of much wind.
In the modern era, the Netherlands has become one of Europe’s most densely populated countries, and its cities have become centres for international youth culture. Amsterdam in particular demonstrates the Dutch tradition of social tolerance: prostitution, soft drug (marijuana and hashish) use, and even euthanasia are legal in this forward-thinking society.
