> The Netherlands had been a quiet little village for centuries. You must be thinking of another country. A lot can be said about the Netherlands and its prede

> The Netherlands had been a quiet little village for centuries. You must be thinking of another country. A lot can be said about the Netherlands and its predecessors, but it was not a 'quiet little village'. From dominating maritime trade, to waging (a lot of) wars with England, Spain, and France, and its many achievements in science; the past half millennium was quite eventful.