The Netherlands is located in northwestern Europe, bordered by Belgium to the south and Germany to the east, and is often incorrectly referred to as Holland.  Holland is the name for the provinces of North and South Holland in the western Netherlands which represent only two of the country's twelve provinces.  Amsterdam is located in the province of North Holland.

A decidedly post-Christian society, The Netherlands is a country of over 16 million people and historically has been known for its windmills, cheese, wooden shoes, dikes, tulips, bicycles, and reformed theology.  Today, The Netherlands is more commonly known for its social tolerance, specifically its liberal policies toward drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.  The attitude toward the church is that of antiquity, as the Dutch were among those who originally brought the Gospel to America.  Now the Bible is viewed as passe, and Christianity has been replaced in the culture by post-modern thought and New-Age values.

The Netherlands is a country rich in culture.  There is a great sense of pride among the Dutch people, they are very proud to call themselves "Dutch".  On the other hand, because of civil unrest in Northern Africa over the last decade, there has been an immagration explosion in Western Europe.  This influx from the south has impacted the overall culture of the Netherlands, particularly the capital city of Amsterdam.  Islam is increasing at a rate of 3% annually, while professing Christians represent the smallest percentage of organized religion in The Netherlands.  The arrival of immigrants has prompted the Dutch government to become increasingly more restrictive in their immigration policies, making it difficult for foreigners to attain a permit for residency.