Greater Netherlands
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Greater Netherlands is the political movement to unite all Dutch-speaking people into a single state. Also known as Dietsland ("Dutchland'"), which uses the word "Diets," an archaic term for Dutch. "Greater Dutch Movement" or "Greater Netherlandsism" (Grootneerlandisme) are other terms used to describe these aspirations, while in literature it is also called the "Greater Dutch Thought" (Grootnederlandse Gedachte).
The basic scenario entails the unification or reunification of the Netherlands and Flanders in any number of political forms, including a unitary state, a federation, or a confederation. Much more expansive versions tend to include the former and currently Flemish-speaking portions of France, the formerly Dutch-speaking areas of Germany, or even the ethnically Dutch and/or Afrikaans-speaking parts of South Africa and Suriname a former Dutch territory in South America.
It is not to be confused with so-called "Whole-Netherlandism" or Burgundism (after the historical Burgundian Circle), whose aim is the establishment of a "Whole-Netherlands" (Heel-Nederland). This would combine all the Low Countries as a single multilingual entity, which would be similar to the former United Kingdom of the Netherlands), uniting Belgium (as a whole), Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Northern France (most likely Nord-Pas de Calais). Yet another form is contemporary Orangism which seeks the restoration of the Dutch royal family to the Low Countries.
In its most limited form (a merger of Flanders and the Netherlands), a Greater Netherlands would consist of 23 million inhabitants, comprise an area of 54,900 km² (equivalent to a population density of 418 persons/km²) and possess a GDP per capita of $38 700.
See also
- Bakker-Schut Plan
- Benelux
- Burgundian Netherlands
- Flemish movement
- Low Countries
- Orangism
- Partition of Belgium
- Rattachism; A similar movement in Wallonia aiming for unification with France
- Seventeen Provinces
- Union of Utrecht
- United Kingdom of the Netherlands
