History of the Netherlands The Dutch government subsequently decided on a large-scale programme of public works (the "Delta Works") to protect the country against future floods. The project took more than thirty years to complete. The Oosterscheldedam, an advanced sea storm barrier, became operational in 1986. According to Dutch government engineers, the odds of a major inundation anywhere in the Netherlands are now one in 10,000 years. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), was founded in 1951 by the six founding members: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (the Benelux countries) and West Germany, France and Italy. Its purpose was to pool the steel
Tourism in Luxembourg the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany with substantial numbers from France, the United Kingdom and the United States. Camping is popular in Luxembourg, particularly with the Dutch, who camp for much longer than other nationalities, especially in the Ardennes and the Mullerthal. Bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany, Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of . A representative democracy and constitutional monarchy ruled by a Grand Duke, it is the world's only remaining Grand Duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the world's highest GDP per capita. Its strategic importance dates back