Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, currently under the rule of King William III. The country is governed by a parliamentary system established by the 1848 Constitution, which significantly limited the power of the monarch and strengthened the role of elected officials. These officials were selected by vote, which was limited to wealthy (male) citizens.

Besides the country, the Dutch have important colonial holdings, such as the Dutch East Indies, Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean. These colonies are very important to the economic system, making the Netherlands an important power in trade and economics. Agriculture is the most dominant sector; however, other industries were growing with industrialisation. Especially textiles, shipbuilding and general trade were growing, stimulating the population to work and also live in the cities.