Den Haag / The Hague, The Netherlands

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About Den Haag / The Hague, The Netherlands

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The Hague (Den Haag in Dutch) is a beautiful city behind the dunes and today still known as 'the largest village of Europe'. It’s a city that is full of history and royalty.

Royal Residence
Although the Netherlands first became a monarchy in 1813, the Royal House of Orange had been playing an important role in its history since 1559 when Emperor Charles V assigned Prince William of Nassau to the post of stadtholder of the provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht.

Administrative capital of The Netherlands
The Hague hosts the Eerste Kamer (Senaat) and the Tweede Kamer, respectively the upper and lower houses, forming the Dutch parliament. Also the Dutch Queen Beatrix lives and works in The Hague. All foreign embassies and government ministries are located in the city, as well as the Supreme Court and many lobby organizations. Nevertheless, Amsterdam is the official capital of the Netherlands, as is stated in the Dutch constitution.

Europe's Largest Village
The Hague was originally a hamlet close to the counts castle built in the 13th century. The village was first recorded in a document dated 1370, but has never been granted a Charter.

The foundation of The Hague as a "city of peace and justice" was lain over a hundred years ago, in 1899, when the world's first ever Peace Conference took place in The Hague, followed by a second one in 1907.
A direct result of these meetings was the establishment of the first world organization for the settlement of international disputes: the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Shortly thereafter the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie made available the necessary funds for building the Peace Palace.
In the years following the establishment of the Peace Palace, The Hague became the seat of the Permanent Court of International Justice, which was replaced by the International Court of Justice after the Second World War. In 1981 the Iran US Claims Tribunal was established, further consolidating the role of The Hague as center of international legal arbitration.

If you want to know more about Den Haag (The Hague):

Wikipedia entry
City Blog(In Dutch)
City Council
Tourist (Information) Office
The Hague Soccer club
Haags uitburo(The Hague entertainment information)

And an overview page for The Hague on Flikcr.

Flickr places

Meetups

Check Haags Bakkie, a group specific for Flickr Meetups in Den Haag / The Hague.

Some stats

http://flickr.com/places/Netherlands/South+Holland/The+Hague