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| The Netherlands is a small country in North Western Europe that faces the sea. It is often called Holland, which was the name of the richest and most powerful of the seven original provinces that became the united provinces of the Netherlands in the 16th century. The people of the Netherlands were once ruled by Spain and Belgium over the centuries. Along with Belgium and Luxembourg it was known as one of the Low Countries. |
| Norway is a Constitutional Monarchy in Northern Europe in the Scandinavian Peninsula. After centuries of dominations by Denmark and Sweden, Norway became independent in 1905. Norway is a northern mountainous and maritime country. One third of its territory lies within the Arctic Circle where the sun shines almost continuously from May - July and in mid-winter there is no daylight. Norway's early inhabitants looked to the sea for their livelihood. It was from Norway that the Vikings set out more that 1,0000 years ago to explore the Western world. In 1397 the three Scandinavian countries Sweden, Denmark and Norway united in the Kalmar Union. |
| This union established Danish rule in Norway. In 1523 Sweden dropped out of the union. Norway stayed until 1814. In 1814 the Treaty of Kiel forced the Danes to cede Norway to Sweden. The Norwegians declared their independance but were forced to accept the Swedish King as their ruler. Finally in 1905 the union was dissolved with Sweden and the Norwegians offered the crown to a Danish Prince Charles, who was elected as King and began to rule as Haakon V11 |
| Poland is bounded by the Baltic Sea on the north, Russia on the east and Czechoslovakia on the south and the eastern part of Germany on the west. Poland's boarders changed a lot from 1772 - 1795. |
| POLAND |
| NORWAY |
| NETHERLANDS |