Difference between revisions of "Netherlands" - New World Encyclopedia

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==Politics==
 
==Politics==
  
The Netherlands was a [[constitutional monarchy]] until 1815. It has been a [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary democracy]] since 1848; before that it had been a [[republic]] from 1581 to 1806 and a [[kingdom]] between 1806 and 1810 (it was part of [[France]] between 1810 and 1813). The [[head of state]] is the [[monarch]] (at present [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Queen Beatrix]]). The monarch currently has a mainly ceremonial function but the constitution allows for the exertion of real power, should the responsible ministers subordinate themselves; an open conflict between them and the monarch — whose signature is needed for any law or warrant to come into effect — would lead to a constitutional crisis.
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The Netherlands was a [[republic]] from 1581 to 1806 and a [[kingdom]] between 1806 and 1810 (it was part of [[France]] between 1810 and 1813). It then became a [[constitutional monarchy]] until 1815. It has been a [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary democracy]] since 1848. The [[head of state]] is the [[monarch]] (at present [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Queen Beatrix]]). The monarch currently has a mainly ceremonial function but the constitution allows for the exertion of real power, should the responsible ministers subordinate themselves; an open conflict between them and the monarch — whose signature is needed for any law or warrant to come into effect — would lead to a constitutional crisis.
 
   
 
   
 
Since the 19th century Dutch governments have consisted of coalitions, since no single political party has been large enough to get the majority vote. Formally, the monarch appoints the members of the government. In practice, once the results of parliamentary elections are known, a coalition government is formed (in a process of negotiations that has taken up to seven months), after which the government formed in this way is officially appointed by the monarch. The head of the government is the [[Prime Minister]], in Dutch ''Minister President'' or ''Premier'', a ''primus inter pares'' who is usually also the leader of the largest party in the coalition.  
 
Since the 19th century Dutch governments have consisted of coalitions, since no single political party has been large enough to get the majority vote. Formally, the monarch appoints the members of the government. In practice, once the results of parliamentary elections are known, a coalition government is formed (in a process of negotiations that has taken up to seven months), after which the government formed in this way is officially appointed by the monarch. The head of the government is the [[Prime Minister]], in Dutch ''Minister President'' or ''Premier'', a ''primus inter pares'' who is usually also the leader of the largest party in the coalition.  

Revision as of 11:56, 25 March 2007


Nederland
The Netherlands
Flag of the Netherlands Coat of arms of the Netherlands
MottoJe Maintiendrai
(Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I will uphold)
Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe
CapitalAmsterdam1
52°21′N 04°52′E / 52.35, 4.867
Largest city Amsterdam
Official languages Dutch2
Government Parliamentary democracy
Constitutional monarchy
 -  Queen Beatrix
 -  Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Independence Eighty Years' War 
 -  Declared July 26, 1581 
 -  Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain
EU accession March 25, 1957
Area
 -  Total 41,526 km² (134th)
16,033 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 18.41%
Population
 -  July 2006 estimate 16,336,346 (58th)
 -  2001 census 16,105,285 
GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate
 -  Total 625.271 billion (23rd)
 -  Per capita $ 30,500 (15th)
Currency Euro 3 (€ EUR)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 -  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD .nl
Calling code +31
1 The Hague is the seat of the government
2 In Fryslân the Frisian language is also an official language, and Low Saxon and Limburgish are officially recognised as regional languages
3 Prior to 2001: Dutch guilder (ƒ NLG)

Nederland is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is formed by the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy located in northwestern Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The current borders were established in 1839.

Amsterdam is the capital city (hoofdstad), and The Hague (Dutch: Den Haag or 's-Gravenhage) is the Netherlands' seat of government (regeringszetel), the home of the monarch (residentie), and the location of most foreign embassies.

The Netherlands is often referred to by the name Holland. This is not terminologically precise, since the provinces of North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country's twelve provinces. Nevertheless, Netherlands and Holland are names which have become popularly interchangeable when refering to this nation.

Some 16 million people live in the densely populated and geographically low-lying country (its name literally means "low countries" or "low lands") that is known worldwide for its windmills, clogs (wooden shoes), dikes, tulips, bicycles and social tolerance. Its policies are liberal towards drugs, prostitution, homosexual marriage, abortion and euthanasia. The country is host to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

History

Under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and king of Spain, the region was part of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, which also included most of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and some land of France and Germany. The Eighty Years' War between the provinces and Spain started in 1578. In 1579 the northern half of the Seventeen Provinces declared independence from Spain and formed the Union of Utrecht, which is seen as the foundation of the modern Netherlands. Philip II, the son of Charles V, was not prepared to let them go that easily and war continued until 1648 when Spain finally recognized Dutch independence.

After gaining formal independence from the Spanish Empire under King Philip IV, the Dutch became a major seafaring and economic power in the 17th century during the period of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. In this era, referred to as the Dutch Golden Age, colonies and trading posts were established all over the globe.

Many economic historians regard the Netherlands as the first thoroughly capitalist country in the world. In early modern Europe it featured the wealthiest trading city (Amsterdam) and the first full-time stock exchange. The inventiveness of the traders led to insurance and retirement funds as well as such phenomena like the boom-bust cycle, the world's first asset-inflation bubble, the tulip mania of 1636–1637, and according to Murray Sayle, the world's first bear raider - Isaac le Maire, who forced prices down by dumping stock and then buying it back at a discount[1]

After being incorporated briefly in the First French Empire under Napoleon, the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815, consisting of the present day Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In addition, the king of the Netherlands became heriditary beginning with the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Belgium rebeled and gained independence in 1830, while the personal union between Luxembourg and the Netherlands was severed in 1890 as a result of ascendancy laws which prevented Queen Wilhelmina from becoming Grand Duke.

The Netherlands possessed several colonies, most notably the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and Suriname (the latter was traded with the British for New Amsterdam, now known as New York). These 'colonies' were first administered by the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, both private collective enterprises. Three centuries later these companies got into financial trouble and the territories in which they operated were taken over by the Dutch government (in 1815 and 1791 respectively). Only then did they become official colonies.

During the 19th century the Netherlands was slow to industrialize compared to neighboring countries, mainly due to its unique infrastructure of waterways and reliance on wind power. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I and intended to do so in World War II. Nazi Germany changed those plans when it invaded the Netherlands in 1940 in the Western European campaign of World War II. Subsequently the Netherlands joined the Anglo-French alliance. The country was quickly overrun and surrendered after the bombing of Rotterdam. During the occupation more than 100,000 Dutch Jews were murdered in the Holocaust along with significant numbers of Dutch Roma (gypsies). As in many other countries occupied by the Nazi's, a Dutch Resistance arose that worked to sabotage the occupation of their country.

The Allied 21st Army Group was given the task of conducting military operations to liberate The Netherlands after the Normandy. British, Canadian, Polish and American soldiers fought on Dutch soil beginning in September 1944. Allied focus shifted to the German heartland and the Netherlands was finally liberated on May 5, 1945 (just 3 days before the unconditional surrender of all German troops). The disruption of the war made the winter of 1944-1945 one in which malnutrition and starvation were rife among the Dutch population. After the war the Dutch economy prospered, leaving behind an era of neutrality and bonding with neighboring states. The Netherlands became a member of the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) cooperation. Furthermore, the Netherlands was among the twelve founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and among the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community, which would later evolve into the European Union.


Politics

The Netherlands was a republic from 1581 to 1806 and a kingdom between 1806 and 1810 (it was part of France between 1810 and 1813). It then became a constitutional monarchy until 1815. It has been a parliamentary democracy since 1848. The head of state is the monarch (at present Queen Beatrix). The monarch currently has a mainly ceremonial function but the constitution allows for the exertion of real power, should the responsible ministers subordinate themselves; an open conflict between them and the monarch — whose signature is needed for any law or warrant to come into effect — would lead to a constitutional crisis.

Since the 19th century Dutch governments have consisted of coalitions, since no single political party has been large enough to get the majority vote. Formally, the monarch appoints the members of the government. In practice, once the results of parliamentary elections are known, a coalition government is formed (in a process of negotiations that has taken up to seven months), after which the government formed in this way is officially appointed by the monarch. The head of the government is the Prime Minister, in Dutch Minister President or Premier, a primus inter pares who is usually also the leader of the largest party in the coalition.

The parliament consists of two houses. The bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms).

Political scientists consider the Netherlands to be a classic example of a consociational state, traditionally explained since the early Middle Ages by the necessity for different social groups to cooperate in order to fight the sea. This system of reaching an agreement despite differences is called the Polder Model in Dutch. The Dutch have a 'friendly' reputation in other countries, to the point that bearers of a Dutch passport often have relatively little difficulty getting into other countries for visits or even for emigration purposes.

In the Netherlands the early years of the 21st century has seen a political upheaval, most clearly illustrated by the quick rise and fall of the right wing anti-immigration political party Lijst Pim Fortuyn. Pim Fortuyn, its founder, gained massive support with his populist views. Just before the election of 2002 he was murdered by an environmentalist activist, the first political murder in the country in about 400 years. The elections, which sent the Netherlands into a period of political chaos, were concluded with Peter Balkenede becoming Prime Minister in July 2002.

Administrative divisions

Map of the Netherlands, with red dots marking the capitals of the provinces and black dots marking the large cities. The national capital is Amsterdam, and the national seat of government is The Hague.

The Netherlands is divided into twelve administrative regions, called provinces, each under a Governor, who is called Commissaris van de Koningin (Commissioner of the Queen), except for the province Limburg where the commissioner is called Gouverneur (Governor), underlining the more "non-Dutch" mentality.

The country is also subdivided in water districts, governed by a water board (waterschap or hoogheemraadschap), each having authority in matters concerning water management. The creation of water boards actually pre-dates that of the nation itself, the first appearing in 1196. Dutch water boards are one of the oldest democratic entities in the world today.

Geography

A remarkable aspect of the Netherlands is the flatness of the country. Hilly landscapes can be found only in the central part and the south-eastern tip of the country.

About half of its surface area is less than 1 meter (3.3 ft) above sea level, and large parts of it are actually below sea level. An extensive range of dykes and dunes protects these areas from flooding. Numerous massive pumping stations monitor the ground water level. The highest point, the Vaalserberg, in the south-eastern most part of the country is 321 meters (1,053 ft) above sea level. The Vaalserberg is a foothill of the Ardennes mountains. A substantial part of the Netherlands, including all of the province of Flevoland (contains the largest man-made island in the world) and large parts of Holland, has been reclaimed from the sea. These areas are known as polders. This has led to the saying "God created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands."

Over the years the Dutch coastline has changed considerably due to human intervention and natural disasters. Most notable in terms of land loss were the 1134 storm, which created the archipelago of Zeeland in the southwest, and the 1287 storm, which killed 50,000 people and created the Zuyderzee (now dammed in and renamed the IJsselmeer — see below) in the northwest, giving Amsterdam direct access to the sea. The St. Elizabeth's flood of 1421 and the mismanagement in its aftermath destroyed a newly reclaimed polder, replacing it with the 72 square kilometers (28 sq mi) Biesbosch tidal floodplains in the south-centre. The most recent parts of Zeeland were flooded during the North Sea flood of 1953 when 1,836 people were killed, after which the Delta Works was executed.

Satellite image of the Netherlands (ca. May 2000)

The disasters were partially man-made; the people drained relatively high lying swampland for use as farmland. This drainage caused the fertile peat to compress and the ground level to drop, locking the land users in a vicious circle whereby they would lower the water level to compensate for the drop in ground level, causing the underlying peat to compress even more. The vicious circle is unsolvable and remains to this day. Up until the 19th century peat was dug up, dried, and used for fuel, further adding to the problem.

To guard against floods, a series of defenses against the water were contrived. In the first millennium, villages and farmhouses were built on man-made hills called terps. Later, these terps were connected by dikes. In the 12th century, local government agencies called "waterschappen" (English "water bodies") or "hoogheemraadschappen" ("high home councils") started to appear, whose job it was to maintain the water level and to protect a region from floods. (The water bodies are still around today performing the exact same function.) As the ground level dropped, the dikes by necessity grew and merged into an integrated system. In the 13th century, windmills came into use to pump water out of the areas by now below sea level. The windmills were later used to drain lakes, creating the famous polders. In 1932, the Afsluitdijk (English "Closure Dike") was completed, blocking the former Zuyderzee (Southern Sea) off from the North Sea and thus creating the IJsselmeer (IJssel Lake). It became part of the larger Zuiderzee Works in which four polders totalling 1,650 square kilometres (637 sq mi) were reclaimed from the sea.

After the 1953 disaster, the Delta project, a vast construction effort designed to end the threat from the sea once and for all, was launched in 1958 and largely completed in 2002. The official goal of the Delta project was to reduce the risk of flooding in Holland to once per 10,000 years. (For the rest of the country, the protection-level is once per 4,000 years.) This was achieved by raising 3,000 kilometres (1,864 mi) of outer sea-dikes and 10,000 kilometres (6,200 mi) of inner, canal, and river dikes to "delta" height, and by closing off the sea estuaries of the Zeeland province. New risk assessments occasionally incur additional Delta project work in the form of dike reinforcements. The Delta project is the single largest construction effort in human history and is considered by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Because of the high cost of maintaining the polders some have argued that maybe some of the deepest polders should be given up. Additionally, the Netherlands is one of the countries that may suffer most from climatic change. Not only is the rising sea a problem, but also erratic weather patterns may cause the rivers to overflow. These flooded polders might then be used as water catchments to take part of the blow.

The country is divided into two main parts by three rivers Rhine (Rijn), Waal, and Meuse (Maas). The south-western part of the Netherlands is actually one big river delta of these rivers. These rivers not only function as a natural barrier, but also as a cultural divide, as is evident in the different dialects spoken north and south of these great rivers and the (previous) religious dominance of Catholics in the south and Calvinists in the north.

The predominant wind direction in the Netherlands is south-west, which causes a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters.

Economy

The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy in which the government has reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food-processing (for example Unilever and Heineken), chemicals (for example DSM), petroleum refining (for example Royal Dutch Shell), and electrical machinery (for example Philips). Slochteren has one of the largest natural gas fields in the world.

A highly mechanised agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labour force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Dutch rank third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France, with exports earning $46 billion annually. A significant portion of Dutch agricultural exports are derived from fresh-cut plants,flowers and bulbs, with the Netherlands exporting two-thirds of the world's total. The Netherlands also exports a quarter of all world tomatoes, and one-third of the world's exports of peppers and cucumbers. [2] The Netherlands' location gives it prime access to markets in the UK and Germany, with the port of Rotterdam being the largest port in Europe. Other important parts of the economy are international trade (Dutch colonialism started with cooperative private enterprises such as the VOC), banking and transport.The Netherlands successfully addressed the issue of public finances and stagnating job growth long before its European partners.

As a founding member of the Euro, the Netherlands replaced its former currency, the Dutch guilder, on January 1 1999 along with the other adopters of the single European currency, with the actual Euro coins and banknotes following on January 1, 2002.

The Netherlands is the 16th largest economy of the world.

Demographics

File:Netherlands-demography.png
Demographics of Netherlands, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

The Netherlands is the 23rd most densely populated country in the world, with 395 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,023 sq mi)—or 484 people per square kilometre (1,254/sq mi) if only the land area is counted, since 18.4% is water. Partly because of this it is also one of the most densely cabled countries in the world. Internet penetration is at 66.2% the 7th highest in the world.[3]

According to CBS Statline, the official statistics bureau of the Netherlands, the ethnic origins of the citizens are very diverse. The vast majority of the population however still remains Dutch. They were: 80.8% Dutch, 5.6% other Western European (including 2.4% German), 2.4% Indonesian (Indo-European, Indo-Dutch, Moluccan), 2.2% Turks, 2.0% Surinamese, 1.9% Moroccan, 1.5% East Indian, 0.8% Antillean and Aruban, and 4.2% other. However, this does not include the whole Kingdom of the Netherlands (such as the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, which have a non-European majority community), and only include the population in the Netherlands itself. The Netherlands also has a resident population of some 200,000 people of mixed Dutch and Indonesian descent (Indonesia being a Dutch East Indies former colony of the Netherlands).

There are no cities with a population over 1 million in the Netherlands, but the 'four big cities' as they are called (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) can in many ways be regarded as one 'big city' agglomeration, the Randstad ('fringe city') with about 7 million inhabitants and an agricultural 'green heart' (het Groene Hart). This is illustrated by the idea to create a circular train network with a frequency and carriages similar to a metropolitan railway.

The 5 largest cities are, in order of descending population:

  • Amsterdam
  • Rotterdam
  • The Hague (Den Haag)
  • Utrecht
  • Eindhoven.

Eindhoven is the only of these cities that is not located in the Randstad.

The population of the Netherlands is physically the tallest in the world, with an average height of 1.83 m (6 ft ) for adult males and 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) for adult females. A few centuries ago, it was among the shortest. The reasons for the increase in height are uncertain (CBS 2006).

Languages

The official language is Dutch, which is spoken by practically all inhabitants. Another official language is Frisian, which is spoken in the northern province of Fryslân. Frisian is co-official only in the province of Fryslân, although with a few restrictions. Several dialects of Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch in Dutch) are spoken in much of the north and east and are recognised by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. To the south, the Dutch language shifts into other varieties of Low Franconian languages and German, which may or may not be best classified as Dutch, most notably West Flemish language. One of these, Limburgish language, which is spoken in the south-eastern province of Limburg (Netherlands), has been recognized as a minority language since 1997. There is a tradition of speaking foreign languages in the Netherlands: about 85% of the total population speaks English, 55–60% speaks German and about 17% speaks French. Note, though, that these percentages do not represent fluency, but basic knowledge.

Religion

According to the governmental statistics agency (Statistics Netherlands|CBS) 30% of the population consider themselves to be Roman Catholic Church, 20% Protestantism (predominantly Dutch Reformed) and 8% 'other denominations'. 42% consider themselves unaffiliated. Church attendance however is much lower than these figures may suggest: some 70% of the population 'rarely or never' visit a house of worship (be it a church, mosque, synagogue or temple), and even then it is mostly for occasions like weddings and baptisms. Most Protestants live in the northern provinces while the southern provinces, North Brabant (Noord-Brabant) and Limburg (Netherlands), are mainly Roman Catholic, along with some regions in the east of the country like Twente in Overijssel.

The largest part of the 'other denominations', at 920,000, are Muslim immigrants mainly living in the bigger cities, mostly from Morocco and Turkey, and their descendants. The other denominations also include some 200,000 Hindus (1.3% of the population), mostly descendants of indentured servants who migrated from India to the former Dutch colony of Surinam around 1900.

During the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands in World War II about 100,000 out of 140,000 Dutch Jews were murdered in extermination camps. The Jewish population of the Netherlands today is estimated at between 30,000 and 40,000. They are mostly Liberal Judaism in practice, rather than Orthodox Judaism.

Culture

One of the main characteristics of the Dutch culture is the bluntness. Their proverbial bluntless is not to everyone's taste. The Dutch are also so committed to equality, compromise and avoiding conflict that they have created a labyrinth of rules and regulations from which there is no easy exit. The Dutch are generally known to have an openess for new ideas and are very tolerant. Dutch obsession with equality and keeping everything "normal" is reflected in one of the most famous Dutch sayings which says: "Doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg" (Behave normally, that's mad enough).

The bicycle is one of the most common ways of getting around in the Netherlands. Since the general lay of the land is flat, it is perfect for a bicycle culture. Along the freeways can be seen a separate bicycle highway away from the highspeed traffic. Within the towns and cities are separate lanes and even traffic signals for cyclists. People of all ages use their bicycles to get from place to place at any given time. Car ownership is very expensive and the price of gasoline in the Netherlands is the highest in the world because it is a heavily taxed commodity.

Arts

Erasmus (1466–1536)

The Netherlands has had many well-known painters. During the 17th century of prosperity for the Dutch Republic was the age of the "Dutch Masters". Renowned painters such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen and many others rose to prominence. Famous Dutch painters of the 19th and 20th century were Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondriaan. M. C. Escher is a well-known graphics artist. Willem de Kooning was born and trained in Rotterdam, although he is considered to have reached acclaim as an American artist. Han van Meegeren was an infamous Dutch art forger.

The Netherlands was also the home of philosophers such as the great Erasmus of Rotterdam and Baruch Spinoza. All of René Descartes' major work was done there. The Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens(1629–1695) discovered Saturn's moon Titan and invented the pendulum clock.

In the Dutch Golden Age, literature flowered as well, with Joost van den Vondel and P. C. Hooft as the two most famous writers. In the 19th century, Multatuli wrote about the bad treatment of the natives in Dutch colonies. Important 20th century authors include Harry Mulisch, Jan Wolkers, Simon Vestdijk, Cees Nooteboom, Gerard van het Reve and Willem Frederik Hermans. Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl was published after she died in the Holocaust and translated from Dutch to all the major languages.

Replicas of Dutch buildings can be found in Huis ten Bosch, Nagasaki, Japan. A similar Holland Village is being built in Shenyang, China.

Footnotes

  1. Sayle, Murray. London Review of Books. 2001. "Japan Goes Dutch" Retrieved March 24, 2007.
  2. Pinckaers, Marcel. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. 2005. The Benelux Horticulture Market Retrieved March 24, 2007.
  3. internetworldstats.com

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • J.C.H. Blom and E. Lamberts. History of the Low Countries (edited). 1999. Berghahn Books. New York. ISBN 1571810846
  • Hilda Van Stockum. The Winged Watchman. Historical fiction. Originally published 1962. Reprinted by Bethlehem Books. 1997. ISBN 1883937078
  • Harry Mulisch. The Assault. Historical fiction. Pantheon Books, USA. 1985. ISBN 0394744209
  • Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Quotation. The Way for a True Child. 1998. Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International. ISBN 10892163101

External links

History, geography and politics

Moving to the Netherlands

Travel

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