The Hague
Encyclopedia
The Hague is the capital city of the province
of South Holland
in the Netherlands
. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants (as of 1 September 2011), it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam
and Rotterdam
. Located in the west of the Netherlands, The Hague is in the centre of the Haaglanden
conurbation
and lies at the southwest corner of the larger Randstad
conurbation.
The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government
and parliament
, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands
which constitutionally
is Amsterdam
. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
lives at Huis ten Bosch
and works at Noordeinde Palace
in The Hague. All foreign embassies
in the Netherlands and 150 international organisations are located in the city, including the International Court of Justice
and the International Criminal Court
, which makes The Hague one of the major cities hosting the United Nations
, along with New York
and Geneva
.
, Count of Holland purchased land alongside a pond (now the Hofvijver
) in order to build a hunting residence. In 1248 William II, Count of Holland
and Rex Romanorum
, decided to extend the residence to a palace. He died in 1256 before this palace was completed, but parts of it were finished by his son Floris V
, of which the Ridderzaal
(Knights' Hall), still extant, is the most prominent. It is still used for political events, such as the annual speech from the throne by the monarch
. From the 13th century on the counts of Holland used The Hague as their administrative centre and residence when in Holland.
s like "the count's hedge, private enclosure
or hunting grounds". 's Gravenshage was officially used for the city from the 17th century on. Nowadays this name is only used in official documents. The city itself uses "Den Haag" in all its other communications.
When the Dukes of Burgundy gained control over the counties of Holland and Zeeland at the beginning of the 15th century, they appointed a stadtholder
to rule in their stead with the States of Holland
as an advisory council. Their seat was located in The Hague. At the beginning of the Eighty Years' War, the absence of city walls proved disastrous, as it allowed Spanish
troops easily to occupy the town. In 1575 the States of Holland even considered demolishing the city, but this proposal was abandoned, after mediation by William of Orange
. From 1588 The Hague also became the location of the government of the Dutch Republic
. In order for the administration to maintain control over city matters, The Hague never received official city status (although it did have many of the privileges normally granted only to cities). However, since the days of King Louis Napoleon
(1806) The Hague has been allowed to call itself a city.
After the Napoleonic Wars
, modern-day Belgium
and the Netherlands
were combined in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
to form a buffer against France
. As a compromise, Brussels
and The Hague alternated as capital every two years, with the government remaining in The Hague. After the separation of Belgium in 1830, Amsterdam remained the capital of the Netherlands, while the government was situated in The Hague.
Since early times, probably as far back as the 15th century, the stork
has been the symbol of The Hague.
. It does not have a cramped inner city, bordered by canals and walls. Instead it has some small streets in the town centre that may be dated from the late Middle Ages
, and several spacious streets boasting rich 18th century houses built for diplomats and affluent Dutch families. It has a large church dating from the 15th century, an impressive City Hall
(built as such) from the 16th century, several large 17th-century palaces, a 17th-century Protestant church built in what was then a modern style, and many important 18th-century buildings. When the government started to play a more prominent role in Dutch society after 1850, The Hague quickly expanded. Many streets were specifically built for the large number of civil servants employed in the country's government and for the Dutchmen who were retiring from the administration and exploitation of the Netherlands East Indies. The growing city annexed the rural municipality of Loosduinen
partly in 1903 and completely in 1923.
Parts of the city sustained heavy damage during World War II
. The Atlantic Wall
was built through part of the city, causing a large quarter to be torn down by the Nazi occupants. On March 3, 1945, the Royal Air Force
mistakenly bombed the Bezuidenhout
quarter. The target was an installation of V-2 rocket
s in a nearby park. Because of navigational errors, the bombs fell on a heavily populated and historic part of the city. Over 500 people died and the scars in the city may still be seen today.
After the war The Hague was at one point the largest building site in Europe. The city expanded massively to the southwest. The destroyed areas were also quickly rebuilt. The population peaked at 600,000 inhabitants around 1965.
In the 1970s and 1980s many, mostly white, middle class families moved to neighbouring towns like Voorburg
, Leidschendam
, Rijswijk
and, most of all, Zoetermeer
. This led to the traditional pattern of an impoverished inner city and more prosperous suburbs. Attempts to include parts of these municipalities in the city of The Hague were highly controversial. In the 1990s, with the consent of Dutch Parliament, The Hague annexed fairly large areas from neighbouring towns as well as from not even bordering ones, on which complete new residential areas were built and are still being built.
and the Binnenhof
, where the Parliament is located. The city has a limited student culture due to its lack of an actual university
, although the Royal Conservatory of The Hague
is located there, as well as The Hague University, a vocational university
and a branch of The Open University of the Netherlands. The city has many civil servants and diplomat
s. In fact, the number and variety of foreign residents (especially the expatriate
s) makes the city quite culturally diverse, with many foreign pubs, shops and cultural events.
The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea
and includes two distinct beach resorts. The main beach resort Scheveningen, in the northwestern part of the city, is a popular destination for tourists as well as for inhabitants. With 10 million visitors a year, it is the most popular beach town in the Benelux
. Kijkduin
, in the southwest, is The Hague's other beach resort. It is significantly smaller and attracts mainly local residents.
The former Dutch colony of Netherlands East Indies ("Nederlands-Indië", now Indonesia
) has left its mark on The Hague. Since the 19th century high level civil servants from the Dutch East Indies often spent long term leave and vacation in The Hague. Many streets are named after places in the Netherlands East Indies (as well as other former Dutch colonies such as Suriname) and there is a sizable "Indo" (i.e. mixed Dutch-Indonesian) community. Since the loss of these Dutch possessions in December 1949, "Indo people" also known as "Indische people" often refer to The Hague as "the Widow of the Indies".
The older parts of the town have many characteristically wide and long streets. Houses are generally low-rise (often not more than three floors). A large part of the southwestern city was planned by the progressive Dutch architect H.P. Berlage
about 1910. This 'Plan Berlage' decided the spacious and homely streets for several decades. In World War II a large part of western The Hague was destroyed by the Germans. Afterwards, modernist architect W.M. Dudok
planned its renewal, putting apartment blocks for the middle class in open, park-like settings.
The layout of the city is more spacious than other Dutch cities, and because of the incorporation of large and old nobility estates, the creation of various parks and the use of green zones around natural streams, it is a much more green city than any other in the Netherlands. That is, excepting some mediaeval close-knitted streets in the centre. There are only a few canals in The Hague, as most of these were drained in the late 19th century.
Some of the most prosperous and some of the poorest neighbourhoods of the Netherlands can be found in The Hague. The wealthier areas (Statenkwartier, Belgisch Park
, Marlot, Benoordenhout
and Archipelbuurt) are generally located in the northwest part of the city; however, the Vogelwijk and several very recently built quarters like Vroondaal are in the southwest, not far from the sea. Poorer areas like Transvaal, Moerwijk, and the Schilderswijk can be found in the southeastern areas, or near the coast in Scheveningen (Duindorp). This division is reflected in the local accent: The more affluent citizens are usually called "Hagenaars" and speak so-called "bekakt Haags" ("Bekakt" is Dutch for "stuck-up"). This contrasts with the "Hagenezen", who speak "plat Haags" ("plat" meaning "flat" or "common").
The tallest building is the 142-metre-tall Hoftoren
(see image).
See Districts of The Hague
for a detailed breakdown.
Population of The Hague on 1 September 2011 500,000 inhabitants and are with that the third city of the Netherlands. The proportion of immigrants in The Hague 49%. On 1 January 2011 The Hague 241,000 immigrants counted: 73,000 of Western origin and 168,000 with Other non-western.
The city contributes substantially to international politics: The Hague is home to over 150 international organisations. These include the International Court of Justice
(ICJ), the International Criminal Court
(ICC), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY), and the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
(ICTR).
The foundation of The Hague as an "international city of peace and justice"
was laid in 1899, when the world's first Peace Conference
took place in The Hague on Tobias Asser
's initiative, followed by a second in 1907. A direct result of these meetings was the establishment of the world's first organisation for the settlement of international disputes: the Permanent Court of Arbitration
(PCA). Shortly thereafter the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie
made the necessary funds available to build the Peace Palace
("Vredespaleis") to house the PCA.
After the establishment of the League of Nations
, The Hague became the seat of the Permanent Court of International Justice
, which was replaced by the UN's International Court of Justice
after the Second World War. The establishment of the Iran-US Claims Tribunal (1981), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(1993) and the International Criminal Court
(2002) in the city further consolidated the role of The Hague as a center for international legal arbitration. Most recently, on 1 March 2009, a U.N. tribunal to investigate and prosecute suspects in the 2005 assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
opened in the former headquarters of the Netherlands General Intelligence Agency in Leidschendam
, a town within the greater The Hague area.
The Hague is the fourth major centre for the UN, after New York, Geneva and Vienna. In line with the city's history as an important convention center and the current presence of institutions such as the ICJ, The Hague's city council employs a city branding strategy that aims to establish The Hague as the Legal Capital of the World and the International City of Peace and Justice.
Major international organisations based in The Hague include:
Many academic institutions in the fields of international relations, international law and international development are based in The Hague. The Hague Academic Coalition
(HAC) is a consortium of those institutions.
Its member institutions are:
In 1948 The Hague Congress
was held with 750 delegates from 26 European countries, providing them with the opportunity to discuss ideas about the development of the European Union
.
There has never been any large-scale industrial activity in The Hague, with the possible exception of the fishing harbour in Scheveningen. Many of the city’s logistical and minor-industrial services are located in the Binckhorst (Laak district), which contains many large warehouses.
The Hague has its share of museums and cultural institutions:
Other tourist attractions and landmarks in The Hague include:
The Hague does not have the customary metropolitan
reputation for a bustling night life, with some festivity exceptions in the course of the year. This is partly explained by the city's lack of a university and hence student life. Night life centers around the three main squares in the city center: the Plein (literally "Square"), the Grote Markt (literally "Great Market") and the Buitenhof (literally the "Outer Court", which lies just outside the Binnenhof
). The Plein is taken by several large sidewalk cafés where often politicians may be spotted. The Grote Markt is completely strewn with chairs and tables, summer or winter. The Buitenhof contains the popular Pathé Buitenhof cinema
and a handful of bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. A similar pattern of night life centers on the cinema in Scheveningen, although, especially in summer, night life concentrates around the sea-front boulevard with its bars, restaurants and gambling halls.
The Hague shares an airport with Rotterdam
. It can be reached from Central Station by RandstadRail Line E, with an Airport Shuttle to and from Meijersplein Station. However, with several direct trains per hour from the railway stations Hollands Spoor and Centraal, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is more frequently used by people travelling to and from The Hague by air.
There are two main train station
s in The Hague: Den Haag Hollands Spoor
(HS) and Den Haag Centraal Station (CS), only 1.5 km distant from each other. Because these two stations were built and exploited by two different railway companies in the 19th century, east-west lines terminate at Centraal Station, whereas north-south lines run through Hollands Spoor. The international Benelux
trains to Brussels
call only at Hollands Spoor. Centraal Station does, however, now offer good connections with the rest of the country, with direct services to most major cities, for instance Amsterdam
, Rotterdam
and Utrecht
.
Public transport in The Hague consists of a tramway network
and a sizeable number of bus
routes, operated by HTM Personenvervoer
. Plans for a subway were shelved in the early 1970s. However, in 2004 a tunnel was built under the city centre with two underground tram stations ("Spui" and "Grote Markt"); it is shared by tram routes 2, 3, 4 and 6.
A regional light rail
system called RandstadRail
connects The Hague to nearby cities, Zoetermeer and Rotterdam. The system suffered from startup problems and derailings in 2006, but is fully operational now.
Major motorways connecting to The Hague include the A12
, running to Utrecht and the German border. The A12 runs directly into the heart of the city in a cutting. Built in the 1970s, this section of motorway (the "Utrechtsebaan") is now heavily overburdened. Plans were made in the late 1990s for a second artery road into the city (the "Trekvliettracé" or previously called "Rotterdamsebaan") but have continually been put on hold. Other connecting motorways are the A4
, which connects the city with Amsterdam
, and the A13
, which runs to Rotterdam
and connects to motorways towards the Belgian border. There is also the A44 that connects the city to Leiden, Haarlem
and Amsterdam
.
, Leiden, Leidschendam-Voorburg
, Nootdorp
, Pijnacker
, Rijswijk
, Voorburg
, Voorschoten
, Wassenaar
, Wateringen
, Zoetermeer
The Hague is the centre of a conurbation
called Haaglanden
.
The Leiden conurbation lies to the north. The Rotterdam
conurbation (called "Stadsregio Rotterdam" or "Rijnmond
") lies to the east. The conurbations around The Hague and Rotterdam are close enough to be a single conurbation in some contexts. For example, they share the Rotterdam The Hague Airport and a light rail system called RandstadRail
. Consideration is being given to creating a Rotterdam-The Hague metropolitan area (metropoolregio).
This large conurbation centred on The Hague and Rotterdam is, in turn, part of the Randstad
, specifically a band of municipalities called the South Wing (Zuidvleugel
). The Randstad
, which includes Amsterdam
, Rotterdam
and Utrecht
, has a population of 6,659,300. The Hague lies at the southwestern corner of one of the largest urban areas in Europe.
with: Bethlehem
, Palestinian Authority Juigalpa, Nicaragua
Warsaw
, Poland
Nazareth
, Israel
In addition, The Hague has a policy to partner with various countries of origin of its citizens. Since 2002 The Hague co-operates with Suriname
and in 2009 a co-operation contract was made with the Moroccan
provinces of Nador, Al Hoceima and Taza. There are plans to make such contracts with Turkey and the Antilles
.
Provinces of the Netherlands
A Dutch province represents the administrative layer in between the national government and the local municipalities, having the responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance. The government of each province consists of three major parts: the Provinciale Staten which is the...
of South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants (as of 1 September 2011), it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. Located in the west of the Netherlands, The Hague is in the centre of the Haaglanden
Haaglanden
Haaglanden refers to the conurbation around The Hague in the Province of South Holland in the Netherlands. This area is prominent in the Netherlands because The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands and the country's seat of government.-Usage:"Haaglanden" is sometimes used to refer to...
conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
and lies at the southwest corner of the larger Randstad
Randstad
Image:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...
conurbation.
The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government
Cabinet of the Netherlands
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Dutch government. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Rutte cabinet.-Composition and role:...
and parliament
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands
Capital of the Netherlands
The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, even though the States-General and the government have been both situated in The Hague since 1588. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of 24 August 1815 and its...
which constitutionally
Constitution of the Netherlands
The Constitution of the Netherlands is the fundamental law of the European territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The present constitution is generally seen as directly derived from the one issued in 1815, constituting a constitutional monarchy. A revision in 1848 instituted a system of...
is Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
lives at Huis ten Bosch
Huis ten Bosch
Huis ten Bosch is one of the three official residences of the Dutch Royal Family, located in The Hague in the Netherlands. It has been home to Queen Beatrix since 1981. The other Royal palace in The Hague, Noordeinde Palace, is used for work-related purposes...
and works at Noordeinde Palace
Noordeinde Palace
Noordeinde Palace is one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family. Located in The Hague in the province of South Holland, it has been used as the "working palace" for Queen Beatrix since 1984.-From farmhouse to palace:...
in The Hague. All foreign embassies
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
in the Netherlands and 150 international organisations are located in the city, including the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
and the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, which makes The Hague one of the major cities hosting the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, along with New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
History
The Hague originated around 1230, when Floris IVFloris IV, Count of Holland
Floris IV , Count of Holland from 1222 to 1234. He was a son of William I of Holland and Adelaide of Geldern....
, Count of Holland purchased land alongside a pond (now the Hofvijver
Hofvijver
The Hofvijver is a small pond in the centre of The Hague. It is adjoined in the east by the Korte Vijverberg , in the south by the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis, in the west by the Buitenhof and in the north by the Lange Vijverberg...
) in order to build a hunting residence. In 1248 William II, Count of Holland
Count of Holland
The Counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century.-House of Holland:The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia...
and Rex Romanorum
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
, decided to extend the residence to a palace. He died in 1256 before this palace was completed, but parts of it were finished by his son Floris V
Floris V, Count of Holland
Count Floris V of Holland and Zeeland , "der Keerlen God" , is one of the most important figures of the first, native dynasty of Holland . His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler...
, of which the Ridderzaal
Ridderzaal
The Ridderzaal is the main building at the Binnenhof in The Hague, Netherlands, which is used for the state opening of Parliament on the third Tuesday in September, Prinsjesdag, when the Dutch monarch drives to Parliament in the Golden Carriage and delivers the speech from the throne...
(Knights' Hall), still extant, is the most prominent. It is still used for political events, such as the annual speech from the throne by the monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
. From the 13th century on the counts of Holland used The Hague as their administrative centre and residence when in Holland.
Name and status
The Hague is first mentioned as 'Die Hage' in a document dating from 1242. In the fifteenth century the more formal 'des Graven hage' came into use, literally "the count's wood", with connotationConnotation
A connotation is a commonly understood subjective cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to the word's or phrase's explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation....
s like "the count's hedge, private enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
or hunting grounds". 's Gravenshage was officially used for the city from the 17th century on. Nowadays this name is only used in official documents. The city itself uses "Den Haag" in all its other communications.
When the Dukes of Burgundy gained control over the counties of Holland and Zeeland at the beginning of the 15th century, they appointed a stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
to rule in their stead with the States of Holland
States of Holland
The States of Holland and West Frisia were the representation of the two Estates to the court of the Count of Holland...
as an advisory council. Their seat was located in The Hague. At the beginning of the Eighty Years' War, the absence of city walls proved disastrous, as it allowed Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
troops easily to occupy the town. In 1575 the States of Holland even considered demolishing the city, but this proposal was abandoned, after mediation by William of Orange
William the Silent
William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
. From 1588 The Hague also became the location of the government of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
. In order for the administration to maintain control over city matters, The Hague never received official city status (although it did have many of the privileges normally granted only to cities). However, since the days of King Louis Napoleon
Louis Bonaparte
Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Français, Comte de Saint-Leu , King of Holland , was the fifth surviving child and the fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino...
(1806) The Hague has been allowed to call itself a city.
After the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, modern-day Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
were combined in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
to form a buffer against France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. As a compromise, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and The Hague alternated as capital every two years, with the government remaining in The Hague. After the separation of Belgium in 1830, Amsterdam remained the capital of the Netherlands, while the government was situated in The Hague.
Since early times, probably as far back as the 15th century, the stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
has been the symbol of The Hague.
Modern city
Because of its history, the historical inner city of The Hague differs in various respects from the nearby smaller cities of Leiden and DelftDelft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
. It does not have a cramped inner city, bordered by canals and walls. Instead it has some small streets in the town centre that may be dated from the late Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, and several spacious streets boasting rich 18th century houses built for diplomats and affluent Dutch families. It has a large church dating from the 15th century, an impressive City Hall
Old City Hall (The Hague)
The Old City Hall in The Hague is a Renaissance style building on the Groenmarkt near the Grote Kerk. It is the former seat of the city's government, and still today the place where residents hold their civic wedding ceremonies, and where the Royal family register their family births...
(built as such) from the 16th century, several large 17th-century palaces, a 17th-century Protestant church built in what was then a modern style, and many important 18th-century buildings. When the government started to play a more prominent role in Dutch society after 1850, The Hague quickly expanded. Many streets were specifically built for the large number of civil servants employed in the country's government and for the Dutchmen who were retiring from the administration and exploitation of the Netherlands East Indies. The growing city annexed the rural municipality of Loosduinen
Loosduinen
Loosduinen is a former village in The Netherlands that was a municipality unto itself until 1923. At that time it merged with The Hague, and subsequently became known as the neighbourhood called Stadsdeel of that city.-References:...
partly in 1903 and completely in 1923.
Parts of the city sustained heavy damage during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
was built through part of the city, causing a large quarter to be torn down by the Nazi occupants. On March 3, 1945, the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
mistakenly bombed the Bezuidenhout
Bezuidenhout
Bezuidenhout is the neighborhood southeast of the Haagse Bos neighborhood. Bezuidenhout includes the Beatrixkwartier financial area near the Central Station and streets such as Bezuidenhoutseweg, Juliana van Stolberglaan, Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië, Prins Clauslaan, and Theresiastraat.Part of...
quarter. The target was an installation of V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
s in a nearby park. Because of navigational errors, the bombs fell on a heavily populated and historic part of the city. Over 500 people died and the scars in the city may still be seen today.
After the war The Hague was at one point the largest building site in Europe. The city expanded massively to the southwest. The destroyed areas were also quickly rebuilt. The population peaked at 600,000 inhabitants around 1965.
In the 1970s and 1980s many, mostly white, middle class families moved to neighbouring towns like Voorburg
Voorburg
Voorburg is a Dutch town and former municipality in the western part of the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. As also Leidschendam and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg. It has approximately 39,000 inhabitants....
, Leidschendam
Leidschendam
Leidschendam is a town and former municipality in the province of South Holland of the Netherlands. Along with Voorburg and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg.- History :...
, Rijswijk
Rijswijk
Rijswijk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a suburb of The Hague and covers an area of 14.48 km² ....
and, most of all, Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² . A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950...
. This led to the traditional pattern of an impoverished inner city and more prosperous suburbs. Attempts to include parts of these municipalities in the city of The Hague were highly controversial. In the 1990s, with the consent of Dutch Parliament, The Hague annexed fairly large areas from neighbouring towns as well as from not even bordering ones, on which complete new residential areas were built and are still being built.
Cityscape
City life concentrates around the HofvijverHofvijver
The Hofvijver is a small pond in the centre of The Hague. It is adjoined in the east by the Korte Vijverberg , in the south by the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis, in the west by the Buitenhof and in the north by the Lange Vijverberg...
and the Binnenhof
Binnenhof
The Binnenhof , is a complex of buildings in The Hague. It has been the location of meetings of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries....
, where the Parliament is located. The city has a limited student culture due to its lack of an actual university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, although the Royal Conservatory of The Hague
Royal Conservatory of The Hague
The Royal Conservatory of The Hague is a conservatorium of music, providing higher education in music and dance, it is located in The Hague, Netherlands.-The Conservatory:...
is located there, as well as The Hague University, a vocational university
Vocational university
A vocational university is an institution of higher education and sometimes research, which provides both tertiary and sometimes quaternary education and grants academic degrees at all levels in a variety of subjects...
and a branch of The Open University of the Netherlands. The city has many civil servants and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
s. In fact, the number and variety of foreign residents (especially the expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
s) makes the city quite culturally diverse, with many foreign pubs, shops and cultural events.
The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and includes two distinct beach resorts. The main beach resort Scheveningen, in the northwestern part of the city, is a popular destination for tourists as well as for inhabitants. With 10 million visitors a year, it is the most popular beach town in the Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
. Kijkduin
Kijkduin
Kijkduin is a seaside resort on the North Sea coast of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is one of the two seaside resorts of the city of The Hague, the other one being Scheveningen....
, in the southwest, is The Hague's other beach resort. It is significantly smaller and attracts mainly local residents.
The former Dutch colony of Netherlands East Indies ("Nederlands-Indië", now Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) has left its mark on The Hague. Since the 19th century high level civil servants from the Dutch East Indies often spent long term leave and vacation in The Hague. Many streets are named after places in the Netherlands East Indies (as well as other former Dutch colonies such as Suriname) and there is a sizable "Indo" (i.e. mixed Dutch-Indonesian) community. Since the loss of these Dutch possessions in December 1949, "Indo people" also known as "Indische people" often refer to The Hague as "the Widow of the Indies".
The older parts of the town have many characteristically wide and long streets. Houses are generally low-rise (often not more than three floors). A large part of the southwestern city was planned by the progressive Dutch architect H.P. Berlage
Hendrik Petrus Berlage
thumb|120px|left|BerlageHendrik Petrus Berlage, Amsterdam, 21 February 1856 — The Hague 12 August 1934, was a prominent Dutch architect.-Overview:...
about 1910. This 'Plan Berlage' decided the spacious and homely streets for several decades. In World War II a large part of western The Hague was destroyed by the Germans. Afterwards, modernist architect W.M. Dudok
Willem Marinus Dudok
Willem Marinus Dudok , was a Dutch modernist architect, best known for the brick Hilversum City Hall....
planned its renewal, putting apartment blocks for the middle class in open, park-like settings.
The layout of the city is more spacious than other Dutch cities, and because of the incorporation of large and old nobility estates, the creation of various parks and the use of green zones around natural streams, it is a much more green city than any other in the Netherlands. That is, excepting some mediaeval close-knitted streets in the centre. There are only a few canals in The Hague, as most of these were drained in the late 19th century.
Some of the most prosperous and some of the poorest neighbourhoods of the Netherlands can be found in The Hague. The wealthier areas (Statenkwartier, Belgisch Park
Belgisch Park
Belgisch Park is a subdistrict of district Scheveningen in The Hague, the Netherlands. The area has around 7,900 residents and contains many trees and the adjoining “Nieuwe Scheveningse Bosjes” and “Oostduinen”. The buildings date from the period 1870–1940...
, Marlot, Benoordenhout
Benoordenhout
Benoordenhout is a neighbourhood in the Haagse Hout district of The Hague. In addition to Benoordenhout, Haagse Hout consists of the Bezuidenhout, Mariahoeve en Marlot, and Haagse Bos neighbourhoods....
and Archipelbuurt) are generally located in the northwest part of the city; however, the Vogelwijk and several very recently built quarters like Vroondaal are in the southwest, not far from the sea. Poorer areas like Transvaal, Moerwijk, and the Schilderswijk can be found in the southeastern areas, or near the coast in Scheveningen (Duindorp). This division is reflected in the local accent: The more affluent citizens are usually called "Hagenaars" and speak so-called "bekakt Haags" ("Bekakt" is Dutch for "stuck-up"). This contrasts with the "Hagenezen", who speak "plat Haags" ("plat" meaning "flat" or "common").
The tallest building is the 142-metre-tall Hoftoren
Hoftoren
Hoftoren is the tallest building of the Hague, measuring 142 metres. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands is housed here. The tower has 29 floors. The nickname of the tower is De vulpen - Design :...
(see image).
Geography
The Hague has eight official districts (stadsdelen). They are divided into smaller parts (wijken).See Districts of The Hague
Districts of The Hague
The Dutch city of The Hague consists of eight districts . Each district is divided into subdistricts . Each of these stadsdelen has its own office , where most of the local government activity is organized. These stadsdeelkantoren make many aspects of local government more accessible to residents...
for a detailed breakdown.
- EscampEscampEscamp is a suburb of The Hague, largely on the Eskamppolders from the 15th century.Escamp consists of the districts:* Bouwlust & Vrederust* Leyenburg* Moerwijk & Zuiderpark* Morgenstond* Rustenburg & Oostbroek* Wateringse Veld....
- Haagse HoutHaagse HoutHaagse Hout is one of the seven stadsdelen of The Hague. The old name for this area was Die Haghe Houte, which later became the current Haagse Hout. The district has about 42,000 residents...
- Laak
- Leidschenveen-YpenburgLeidschenveen-YpenburgLeidschenveen-Ypenburg is a stadsdeel of The Hague, in the southeast . It is geographically connected to the main body of The Hague by only a narrow corridor...
- LoosduinenLoosduinenLoosduinen is a former village in The Netherlands that was a municipality unto itself until 1923. At that time it merged with The Hague, and subsequently became known as the neighbourhood called Stadsdeel of that city.-References:...
- The Hague CenterThe Hague CenterThe Hague city center has 90,000 inhabitants and is the oldest part of The Hague. It consists of nine parts. This article briefly describes all nine parts that make up the city center.-Archipelbuurt:...
- Scheveningen
- Segbroek
Demographics
Origin of citizens of The Hague in 2011:Population of The Hague on 1 September 2011 500,000 inhabitants and are with that the third city of the Netherlands. The proportion of immigrants in The Hague 49%. On 1 January 2011 The Hague 241,000 immigrants counted: 73,000 of Western origin and 168,000 with Other non-western.
International organisations
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
(ICJ), the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(ICC), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
(ICTY), and the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
(ICTR).
The foundation of The Hague as an "international city of peace and justice"
Hague Justice Portal
The Hague Justice Portal is a website that promotes, and provides greater access to, the institutions, courts and organisations in The Hague, The Netherlands, working in the field of international peace, justice and security...
was laid in 1899, when the world's first Peace Conference
Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907)
The Hague Conventions were two international treaties negotiated at international peace conferences at The Hague in the Netherlands: The First Hague Conference in 1899 and the Second Hague Conference in 1907...
took place in The Hague on Tobias Asser
Tobias Michael Carel Asser
Tobias Michael Carel Asser was a Dutch lawyer and legal scholar of Jewish background, cowinner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1911 for his role in the formation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the first Hague peace conference...
's initiative, followed by a second in 1907. A direct result of these meetings was the establishment of the world's first organisation for the settlement of international disputes: the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
(PCA). Shortly thereafter the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
made the necessary funds available to build the Peace Palace
Peace Palace
The Peace Palace is a building situated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice , the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the extensive Peace Palace Library.In addition...
("Vredespaleis") to house the PCA.
After the establishment of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, The Hague became the seat of the Permanent Court of International Justice
Permanent Court of International Justice
The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, was an international court attached to the League of Nations. Created in 1922 , the Court was initially met with a good reaction from states and academics alike, with many cases submitted to it for its first decade of...
, which was replaced by the UN's International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
after the Second World War. The establishment of the Iran-US Claims Tribunal (1981), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
(1993) and the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(2002) in the city further consolidated the role of The Hague as a center for international legal arbitration. Most recently, on 1 March 2009, a U.N. tribunal to investigate and prosecute suspects in the 2005 assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
Special Tribunal for Lebanon
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an international tribunal for the prosecution under Lebanese law of those responsible for the assassination of Rafic Hariri on February 14, 2005. The tribunal also has jurisdiction over a series of other attacks in Lebanon if they are proven to be connected...
opened in the former headquarters of the Netherlands General Intelligence Agency in Leidschendam
Leidschendam
Leidschendam is a town and former municipality in the province of South Holland of the Netherlands. Along with Voorburg and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg.- History :...
, a town within the greater The Hague area.
The Hague is the fourth major centre for the UN, after New York, Geneva and Vienna. In line with the city's history as an important convention center and the current presence of institutions such as the ICJ, The Hague's city council employs a city branding strategy that aims to establish The Hague as the Legal Capital of the World and the International City of Peace and Justice.
Major international organisations based in The Hague include:
- EurojustEurojustEurojust is an agency of the European Union dealing with judicial co-operation in criminal matters....
, European Union body composed of national prosecutors - European Police Office, (Europol)
- Hague Academy of International LawHague Academy of International LawThe Hague Academy of International Law is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands...
, center for high-level education in both public and private international law - Hague Conference on Private International LawHague Conference on Private International LawThe Hague Conference on Private International Law is the preeminent organisation in the area of private international law....
, (HCCH), the oldest and preeminent private international law harmonisation institution - International Court of JusticeInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
, located in the Peace PalacePeace PalaceThe Peace Palace is a building situated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice , the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the extensive Peace Palace Library.In addition... - International Criminal CourtInternational Criminal CourtThe International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, (ICC) - International Criminal Tribunal for the Former YugoslaviaInternational Criminal Tribunal for the former YugoslaviaThe International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
, (ICTY) - International Criminal Tribunal for RwandaInternational Criminal Tribunal for RwandaThe International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
(ICTR, appeals court only). The tribunal itself is in ArushaArushaArusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
, Tanzania. - Iran-United States Claims TribunalIran-United States Claims TribunalThe Iran-United States Claims Tribunal is an international arbitral tribunal established out of an agreement between Iran and the United States, under an understanding known as the Algiers Accords of January 19, 1981. The Algiers Accords were the outcome of negotiations between Iran and the United...
- Unrepresented Nations and Peoples OrganizationUnrepresented Nations and Peoples OrganizationThe Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization , formed in 11 February 1991, in The Hague, is an international organization of political organisations and governments representing self-proclaimed "indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognised or occupied territories". The organization...
- NATO Consultation, Command and Control AgencyNATO Consultation, Command and Control AgencyThe NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency was formed in 1996 by merging the SHAPE Technical Centre in The Hague, Netherlands; and the NATO Communications and Information Systems Agency in Brussels, Belgium...
, (NC3A) - Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical WeaponsOrganisation for the Prohibition of Chemical WeaponsThe Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is an intergovernmental organization, located in The Hague, Netherlands. The organization promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits of the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction...
, (OPCW) - Permanent Court of ArbitrationPermanent Court of ArbitrationThe Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
, the oldest institution for international dispute resolution. - The European LibraryEuropean LibraryThe European Library is an Internet service that allows access to the resources of 48 European national libraries. Searching is free and delivers metadata records as well as digital objects...
Many academic institutions in the fields of international relations, international law and international development are based in The Hague. The Hague Academic Coalition
Hague Academic Coalition
is a consortium of academic institutions in the fields of international relations, international law and international development.-Members and Organization:The member institutions are:* Carnegie Foundation*...
(HAC) is a consortium of those institutions.
Its member institutions are:
- Carnegie Foundation
- Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law (HiiL)
- International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS)Institute of Social StudiesThe International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Hague is a unique, independent and international graduate school in the social sciences...
- Leiden University College The HagueLeiden University College The HagueLeiden University College The Hague offers BA & BSc programmes in Liberal Arts & Sciences, which provides both broad, general education and in-depth specialization. The programmes address global issues, topics, theories and systems classified according to the broad domains of Peace, Justice and...
- Netherlands Institute of International Relations 'Clingendael'Netherlands Institute of International Relations ClingendaelThe Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael or Clingendael Institute is an independent institute of knowledge which studies various aspects of International Relations. The institute is based in The Hague on the Clingendael Estate. Former Dutch minister of foreign affairs Ben...
- The Hague Academy of International Law
- The Hague University of Applied Sciences (Haagse Hogeschool)
- T.M.C. Asser InstituutT.M.C. Asser InstituutThe T.M.C. Asser instituut is a professional inter-university centre of knowledge and research. The institute carries out research in private and public international law, European law, international commercial arbitration and all other related fields, such as international sports law and...
In 1948 The Hague Congress
Hague Congress (1948)
The Hague Congress was held in the Congress of Europe in Hague from 7–11 May 1948 with 750 delegates participating from around Europe as well as observers from Canada and the United States....
was held with 750 delegates from 26 European countries, providing them with the opportunity to discuss ideas about the development of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Business
Professional life in The Hague is dominated by the large number of civil servants and diplomats who work in the city. Government ministries and public institutions are almost all located in The Hague. It is also home to several large international businesses, including:- AEGONAEGONAegon N.V. is one of the world’s largest life insurance and pension groups, and a strong provider of investment products. Aegon's head office is in The Hague, Netherlands...
, one of the world’s leading insurance companies - APM TerminalsAPM TerminalsAPM Terminals is an international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of the world's leading port and terminal operators as well as providing cargo support and container Inland Services, and is the largest port and terminal operating company in...
, the world's second largest container terminal operator - KPNKPNKPN is a Dutch landline and mobile telecommunications company, including both 2G and 3G mobile operations...
(Koninklijke PTT Nederland), the Dutch national telephone company (fixed and mobile divisions) - ING Investment Management, an asset management company that is part of the ING GroupING GroupThe ING Group is a global financial institution offering retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, asset management, and insurance services. ING is the Dutch member of the Inter-Alpha Group of Banks, a cooperative consortium of 11 prominent European banks...
- Nationale NederlandenNationale NederlandenNationale-Nederlanden is one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands. The company was formed in a merger in 1962 between the Assurantie Maatschappij tegen Brandschade De Nederlanden van 1845 and the Nationale Levensverzekerings Bank...
, an insurance company that is part of the ING GroupING GroupThe ING Group is a global financial institution offering retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, asset management, and insurance services. ING is the Dutch member of the Inter-Alpha Group of Banks, a cooperative consortium of 11 prominent European banks...
(shared HQ with RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
) - Royal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, the world's second largest international energy company - SchlumbergerSchlumbergerSchlumberger Limited is the world's largest oilfield services company. Schlumberger employs over 110,000 people of more than 140 nationalities working in approximately 80 countries...
, the world's largest oilservice company maintains a principal office there (along with Houston and Paris) - Siemens A.G., Europe's largest engineering company has its Dutch headquarters there
- T-MobileT-MobileT-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, a mobile network operator, part of Deutsche Telekom. - PostNLPostNLPostNL is a mail, parcel and e-commerce corporation with operations in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. It is listed at Euronext Amsterdam. Formerly a subsidiary of TNT N.V., it became an independent company upon TNT's demerger in May 2011.- History :As decided by a general...
a mail, parcel and e-commerce corporation with operations in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
There has never been any large-scale industrial activity in The Hague, with the possible exception of the fishing harbour in Scheveningen. Many of the city’s logistical and minor-industrial services are located in the Binckhorst (Laak district), which contains many large warehouses.
Culture
- MadurodamMadurodamMadurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks, as are found at various locations in the country. This major Dutch tourist attraction was built in 1952 and has...
is a miniature city, containing hundreds of scale-models of Dutch landmarks in a typically Dutch miniature landscape. - The MauritshuisMauritshuisThe Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis is an art museum in The Hague, the Netherlands. Previously the residence of count John Maurice of Nassau, it now has a large art collection, including paintings by Dutch painters such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter and Frans...
exhibits many paintingPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s by Dutch masters, such as Johannes VermeerJohannes VermeerJohannes, Jan or Johan Vermeer was a Dutch painter who specialized in exquisite, domestic interior scenes of middle class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime...
, Rembrandt van Rijn and Paulus PotterPaulus PotterPaulus Potter was a Dutch painter, specialized in animals in landscapes, usually with a low point of view. Before Potter died of tuberculosis, 28-years old, he succeeded in producing about a hundred paintings, working continuously.-Life:Few details are known of Potter's life...
. - The Escher MuseumEscher MuseumThe Escher Museum is a museum in The Hague, The Netherlands, featuring the works of the Dutch graphical artist M. C. Escher. This museum opened on 16 November 2002....
is located in the former Royal Palace on the Lange Voorhout. - The Haags Historisch museum showcases the history of the city from the Middle Ages to the present day.
- The Museum BrediusMuseum BrediusMuseum Bredius is a museum named after Abraham Bredius on the Lange Vijverberg in The Hague. It is remarkable for its collection of etchings and paintings, but is most attractive to visitors for its accurate restoration of the 18th-century Herenhuis interior with period furnishings.-History:The...
houses part of the collection of 19th century art historian Abraham Bredius, containing antique furniture, silverware and porcelain. - Museum Gevangenpoort (lit. the "Prison Gate") is a former prison housed in a 15th century gatehouse, with genuine mediaeval dungeons and torture chambers.
- The GemeentemuseumGemeentemuseum Den HaagThe Municipal Museum is an art museum, located in The Hague, Netherlands.The museum was built by the Dutch architect H.P. Berlage. It is renowned for its large Mondrian collection, the largest in the world...
(Municipal museum) is home to the world’s largest collection of works by the Dutch painter Piet Mondriaan as well as other modern art. - The MuseonMuseonMuseon is a museum for science and culture in The Hague, Netherlands. It has collections in the domains of geology, biology, archaeology, history, science and ethnology.-Origin:...
is an interactive and historical science museumScience museumA science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
. - The Omniversum is EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
’s first 360° IMAX-cinema. - Panorama MesdagPanorama MesdagPanorama Mesdag is a panorama by Hendrik Willem Mesdag. Housed in a purpose-built museum in The Hague, the panorama is a cylindrical painting more than 14 metres high and about 40 metres in diameter...
houses a cylindrical 360° "panoramic" painting, 14 meters high by 120 meters long, depicting the sea-front at Scheveningen in the late 19th century, made by Hendrik Willem MesdagHendrik Willem MesdagHendrik Willem Mesdag was a Dutch marine painter.He was born in Groningen, the son of the banker Klaas Mesdag and his wife Johanna Wilhelmina van Giffen. Mesdag was encouraged by his father, an amateur painter, to study art...
. It is presented in such a way that it is almost as if one is looking at a real scene rather than a painting. - The Museum voor Communicatie (formerly the "PTT Museum") is the national postal museumPostal MuseumThere are museums for postal organisations and the worldwide postal system:-Egypt:*, Cairo-United States of America:*Smithsonian National Postal Museum*, Marshall, Michigan-- second largest postal museum in U.S.*, originally at 127 N Main St, Delphos, Ohio...
and houses interactive exhibits as well as one of the country’s best collections of stamps. - The Louis Couperus Museum is devoted to the life and works of Louis CouperusLouis CouperusLouis Marie-Anne Couperus was a Dutch novelist and poet during the Belle Époque. There is a wide variety of genres in his oeuvre, which contains poetry, fairy tales, psychological novels, and historical novels...
(1863–1923). - The museum Beelden aan ZeeBeelden aan ZeeBeelden aan Zee museum in the Scheveningen district of The Hague, founded in 1994 by the sculpture collectors Theo and Lida Scholten, is the only Dutch museum which specializes in exhibiting sculpture....
in Scheveningen has a large collection of sculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s, mainly from the 20th century artists. - The Koninklijke Schouwburg ("Royal Theatre"), located on the Korte Voorhout, is the home of the "Nationaal Toneel" ("National theatre-group").
- The Lucent Danstheater is home to the internationally celebrated Nederlands Dans TheatreNederlands Dans TheatreNederlands Dans Theater is a Dutch contemporary dance company. NDT is headquartered at the Lucent Danstheater in The Hague...
, a modern dance company. The building was designed by the Dutch architect Rem KoolhaasRem KoolhaasRemment Lucas Koolhaas is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist and "Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design" at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, USA. Koolhaas studied at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy in Amsterdam, at the Architectural...
in 1988. It shares a lobby with the Anton Philipszaal, home of the Residentie Orkest, the city's most important symphony orchestra. - Paard van TrojePaard van TrojePaard van Troje is a venue in The Hague, Netherlands founded in 1972 with the support of the alderman of culture from The Hague. Currently located at the Prinsegracht.-History:The Paard van Troje began as a centre for youth culture...
is located in The Hague and is one of the 10 biggest music venues in the Netherlands focused on popular musicPopular musicPopular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. - Muziekcafé de Paap is located in The Hague and famous for its livemusic. Some of the biggest Dutch artist are discovered here.
Other tourist attractions and landmarks in The Hague include:
- The historic BinnenhofBinnenhofThe Binnenhof , is a complex of buildings in The Hague. It has been the location of meetings of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries....
("Inner Court") and Medieval RidderzaalRidderzaalThe Ridderzaal is the main building at the Binnenhof in The Hague, Netherlands, which is used for the state opening of Parliament on the third Tuesday in September, Prinsjesdag, when the Dutch monarch drives to Parliament in the Golden Carriage and delivers the speech from the throne...
("Knights' Hall"), which now contains the Houses of Parliament and government offices. A good view can be obtained from the leafy Lange Vijverberg on the other side of the adjacent lake called the "Hofvijver" (lit. "Court Pond"). - The Lange Voorhout is a wide avenue containing many splendid houses (now home to several embassies) as well as The Hague's oldest and narrowest house and the famous "Hotel des Indes", the city’s most luxurious hotel.
- "De Passage" was the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' first covered shopping mall. Dating from the late 19th century, it contains many expensive and speciality shops. - The "Paleis Noordeinde"Noordeinde PalaceNoordeinde Palace is one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family. Located in The Hague in the province of South Holland, it has been used as the "working palace" for Queen Beatrix since 1984.-From farmhouse to palace:...
has been Queen Beatrix' official work-palace since 1984. It is closed to the public, but the Palace Gardens ("Paleistuin") are accessible to the public. - The Clingendael Park is an old landed estate with a Japanese Garden. Nearby one can also find the home of the Clingendael Institute of International Relations.
- Queen Beatrix' residential Palace, "Paleis Huis ten Bosch", can be found a little outside the city centre in the "Haagse Bosch" forest.
The Hague does not have the customary metropolitan
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
reputation for a bustling night life, with some festivity exceptions in the course of the year. This is partly explained by the city's lack of a university and hence student life. Night life centers around the three main squares in the city center: the Plein (literally "Square"), the Grote Markt (literally "Great Market") and the Buitenhof (literally the "Outer Court", which lies just outside the Binnenhof
Binnenhof
The Binnenhof , is a complex of buildings in The Hague. It has been the location of meetings of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries....
). The Plein is taken by several large sidewalk cafés where often politicians may be spotted. The Grote Markt is completely strewn with chairs and tables, summer or winter. The Buitenhof contains the popular Pathé Buitenhof cinema
Movie theaters in the Netherlands
There are ca. 132 movie theaters and 31 arthouse cinemas in the Netherlands in 2009, with ca. 675 screens , in addition to 79 small arthouse cinemas and a number of adult movie theaters....
and a handful of bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. A similar pattern of night life centers on the cinema in Scheveningen, although, especially in summer, night life concentrates around the sea-front boulevard with its bars, restaurants and gambling halls.
Sports
- The city's major football club is ADO Den HaagADO Den HaagAlles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club...
. They play in the EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(the top division in the Netherlands). They are two time winners of the KNVB Cup and won the League twice in the era before professional football. They play their matches at the 15,000 seat Kyocera Stadion. - CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is traditionally one of the most popular sports in The Hague, with a number of strong teams from the Dutch league located there. - The local rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team is Haagsche Rugby Club (a.k.a. HRC) and has been in the Guinness Book of Records for becoming Dutch (in adult and youth) champions so often. - The ice hockey team is HYS The HagueHYS The HagueHYS The Hague is the professional ice hockey team in The Hague, Netherlands. Founded in 1933, the team plays in the North Sea Cup as well as competing annually in the Dutch Cup tournament. The most successful hockey team in the Netherlands during the 1960s, it broke a 40-year championship drought...
. - The handball team is HV Hellas Den Haag, active in the top division.
- The local American FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team is Den Haag Raiders'99. - DartsDartsDarts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
is another sport played in The Hague; its popularity was increased by Raymond Van BarneveldRaymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
winning several World Championships. - The half marathon race CPC Loop Den Haag is held annually in The Hague
- In 1994, The Hague held the FEIInternational Federation for Equestrian SportsThe Fédération Équestre Internationale or in English, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, is the international governing body of equestrian sports. It recognizes ten international disciplines...
World Equestrian Games.
Films shot in The Hague
- 1963: Feest! (Party!) directed by Paul Verhoeven
- 2004: Hum TumHum TumHum Tum is a Bollywood movie, released in India on 28 May 2004, directed by Kunal Kohli and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra. The movie stars Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles....
directed by Kunal KohliKunal KohliKunal Kohli is an Indian film director, producer and writer- Biography :Born in Mumbai,Kunal Kohli is a true Indian director. He is a "family man" as he claims on a video interview.... - 2006: Zwartboek (Black Book) directed by Paul Verhoeven
- 2008: ColdplayColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
Viva la Vida directed by Anton CorbijnAnton CorbijnAnton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
Annual events
- January: The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) is a five day conference held at the World Forum, gathering over 4000 students from over 200 secondary schools across the globe. It is the oldest and largest high school United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
simulation in the world. - April 29: "KoninginneNach" ("Queen's Night", pronounced with a "plat Haags" accent) is held the night before "KoninginnedagKoninginnedagKoninginnedag or Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 30 April , Koninginnedag is Queen Beatrix's official birthday. Though Queen Beatrix was born on 31 January, the holiday is observed on 30 April as it was the birthday of her mother and...
"; there are several open air concerts in the city and young people flock from all over the country to drink and party. It is the largest open air festival in Europe. - April 30: "KoninginnedagKoninginnedagKoninginnedag or Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 30 April , Koninginnedag is Queen Beatrix's official birthday. Though Queen Beatrix was born on 31 January, the holiday is observed on 30 April as it was the birthday of her mother and...
" ("Queen's Day") is a Dutch national holiday held on the birthday of former Queen Juliana. On this day the colour orange predominates at a funfairFunfairA funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
(which sells orange cotton candyCotton candyCotton candy , candy floss or candyfloss or candy buttox , or fairy floss is a form of spun sugar. Since cotton candy is mostly air, a small initial quantity of sugar generates a tremendously greater final volume, causing servings to be physically large and voluminous...
) and scores of informal street markets. The day is a "vrijmarkt" (literally "free market"), which means no licence is needed for street vending; children traditionally use this day to sell old unwanted toys. - May & June: The Tong Tong Fair is one of the largest Eurasian cultural festivals in Europe. It focuses on Indo culture.
- June–September: Den Haag Sculptuur is an open air exhibition of sculptures. The 10th edition, in 2007, celebrated the 400 years of the relationship between the Netherlands and Australia.
- June: The Hague JazzThe Hague JazzThe Hague Jazz is an annual jazz festival held since 2006 in the World Forum Convention Center in The Hague. The festival was first organized in 2006 after the North Sea Jazz festival moved to Rotterdam in the same year. The Hague Jazz is partnered with the Cape Town International Jazz Festival....
festival. - June: Vlaggetjesdag in Scheveningen is a festival celebrating the arrival of the first new herringHerringHerring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
of the year. - The last Sunday in June: ParkpopParkpopThe Parkpop festival is a free music festival held annually on the last Sunday of June in the city of The Hague, The Netherlands/Holland.It was first held in 1981 and attended by 35,000 visitors. Today up to 350,000 people visit the festival every year. They held the title for largest free pop...
is the largest free open air pop concert in Europe. - July: Jazz in de Gracht is an intercultural two-day event hosting Jazz groups which perform their music on flat-bottom boats and in bars in various places between Passantenhaven and Zuidwal.
- July & August: The city hosts a series of weekly firework displays by the sea front in Scheveningen, as part of an international fireworks festival and competition.
- July & August is the annual Summer School of The Hague, an international summer course for young dancers, initiated by Mirella Simoncini (Green Report)Mirella Simoncini (Green Report)Mirella Simoncini is a ballet dancer, journalist and dance teacher.Simoncini was born in The Hague, Netherlands where she received her first ballet training at the private school of her mother: Mabel Alter...
- July: "Milan", Europe’s biggest Hindustani open air event held in Zuiderpark.
- The third Tuesday in September: "PrinsjesdagPrinsjesdagPrinsjesdag is the day on which the reigning monarch of the Netherlands addresses a joint session of the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives in the Ridderzaal or Hall of Knights in The Hague. The Speech from the Throne sets out the main features of government policy for the coming...
" (literally "Prince's Day") is the Dutch State Opening of Parliament when the Queen reads the "speech from the throne" ("Troonrede"). The day is popular among monarchists and tourists who are out to see Queen Beatrix and the royal family in the Golden State CoachGouden KoetsThe Golden Carriage is a carriage owned and used by the Dutch royal family. Generally, the Golden Carriage is used yearly to bear the Dutch monarch from the Noordeinde Palace to the Ridderzaal in order to pronounce the Speech from the Throne. The carriage is made of teak wood, much of which is...
("de Gouden Koets").
Transportation
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. It can be reached from Central Station by RandstadRail Line E, with an Airport Shuttle to and from Meijersplein Station. However, with several direct trains per hour from the railway stations Hollands Spoor and Centraal, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is more frequently used by people travelling to and from The Hague by air.
There are two main train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
s in The Hague: Den Haag Hollands Spoor
Den Haag Hollands Spoor railway station
The Den Haag Hollands Spoor railway station, also known as Den Haag HS, is the oldest railway station in The Hague, Netherlands. It was opened in 1843, when the Amsterdam–Haarlem railway, the oldest railway line in the country, was extended to The Hague. This line was further extended to Rotterdam...
(HS) and Den Haag Centraal Station (CS), only 1.5 km distant from each other. Because these two stations were built and exploited by two different railway companies in the 19th century, east-west lines terminate at Centraal Station, whereas north-south lines run through Hollands Spoor. The international Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
trains to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
call only at Hollands Spoor. Centraal Station does, however, now offer good connections with the rest of the country, with direct services to most major cities, for instance Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
.
Public transport in The Hague consists of a tramway network
Trams in The Hague
The The Hague tramway network forms part of the public transport system in The Hague, the seat of government of the Netherlands.Opened in 1864, the network currently has 12 tram lines and two light rail lines. It has been operated since 2002 by HTM Personenvervoer.-External links:...
and a sizeable number of bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
routes, operated by HTM Personenvervoer
HTM Personenvervoer
HTM Personenvervoer NV is a public transport company in the Netherlands operating trams, lightrail and buses in The Hague, Rijswijk, Leidschendam-Voorburg, Delft, Zoetermeer, Wateringen and Nootdorp, the so-called Conurbation Haaglanden...
. Plans for a subway were shelved in the early 1970s. However, in 2004 a tunnel was built under the city centre with two underground tram stations ("Spui" and "Grote Markt"); it is shared by tram routes 2, 3, 4 and 6.
A regional light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system called RandstadRail
RandstadRail
RandstadRail network in the southern part of the Randstad conurbation in the west of the Netherlands, connecting The Hague, Zoetermeer and Rotterdam, consists of a metro-like line between The Hague and Rotterdam and two light rail lines between The Hague and Zoetermeer...
connects The Hague to nearby cities, Zoetermeer and Rotterdam. The system suffered from startup problems and derailings in 2006, but is fully operational now.
Major motorways connecting to The Hague include the A12
A12 motorway (Netherlands)
The A12 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. The road connects the city of The Hague, with the German border, near Zevenaar, and the German Autobahn BAB 3...
, running to Utrecht and the German border. The A12 runs directly into the heart of the city in a cutting. Built in the 1970s, this section of motorway (the "Utrechtsebaan") is now heavily overburdened. Plans were made in the late 1990s for a second artery road into the city (the "Trekvliettracé" or previously called "Rotterdamsebaan") but have continually been put on hold. Other connecting motorways are the A4
A4 motorway (Netherlands)
The A4 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands from Amsterdam to the Belgian border near Zandvliet. Some parts of the motorway are still not completed. The completed route as of 2006 is divided into three parts: from Amsterdam via The Hague to Delft, from Vlaardingen to Pernis, and finally from...
, which connects the city with Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and the A13
A13 motorway (Netherlands)
The A13 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands connecting the cities The Hague and Rotterdam.The 17 kilometer long, highly congested motorway, is the only current motorway connection between these two cities. It is a dual carriageway with three lanes in each direction. The maximum speed on the...
, which runs to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and connects to motorways towards the Belgian border. There is also the A44 that connects the city to Leiden, Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
Nearby towns and conurbations
DelftDelft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
, Leiden, Leidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 73,832 in 2004, and covers an area of 35.68 km² of which 2.86 km² is water.-Origin:...
, Nootdorp
Nootdorp
Nootdorp is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located approx. 2 km to the east of Delft and about 6 km southeast of the centre of The Hague, in the municipality of Pijnacker-Nootdorp....
, Pijnacker
Pijnacker
Pijnacker is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located about 4 km east of the city of Delft, in the municipality of Pijnacker-Nootdorp....
, Rijswijk
Rijswijk
Rijswijk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a suburb of The Hague and covers an area of 14.48 km² ....
, Voorburg
Voorburg
Voorburg is a Dutch town and former municipality in the western part of the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. As also Leidschendam and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg. It has approximately 39,000 inhabitants....
, Voorschoten
Voorschoten
Voorschoten is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km²...
, Wassenaar
Wassenaar
Wassenaar is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. A fairly affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km north of that city on the N44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region...
, Wateringen
Wateringen
Wateringen is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 5 km southwest of The Hague.Until 2004 it was a separate municipality and covered an area of 8.93 km²....
, Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² . A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950...
The Hague is the centre of a conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
called Haaglanden
Haaglanden
Haaglanden refers to the conurbation around The Hague in the Province of South Holland in the Netherlands. This area is prominent in the Netherlands because The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands and the country's seat of government.-Usage:"Haaglanden" is sometimes used to refer to...
.
The Leiden conurbation lies to the north. The Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
conurbation (called "Stadsregio Rotterdam" or "Rijnmond
Rijnmond
Rijnmond is an official region of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It refers to the city of Rotterdam and its surrounding suburbs and municipalities...
") lies to the east. The conurbations around The Hague and Rotterdam are close enough to be a single conurbation in some contexts. For example, they share the Rotterdam The Hague Airport and a light rail system called RandstadRail
RandstadRail
RandstadRail network in the southern part of the Randstad conurbation in the west of the Netherlands, connecting The Hague, Zoetermeer and Rotterdam, consists of a metro-like line between The Hague and Rotterdam and two light rail lines between The Hague and Zoetermeer...
. Consideration is being given to creating a Rotterdam-The Hague metropolitan area (metropoolregio).
This large conurbation centred on The Hague and Rotterdam is, in turn, part of the Randstad
Randstad
Image:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...
, specifically a band of municipalities called the South Wing (Zuidvleugel
Zuidvleugel
Zuidvleugel is a way of describing the band of cities and towns located along the southern wing of the Randstad in the Netherlands. It is that part of the Randstad that is located in the Province of South Holland. This developing conurbation extends around 60 kilometres from Dordrecht to Leiden...
). The Randstad
Randstad
Image:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...
, which includes Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, has a population of 6,659,300. The Hague lies at the southwestern corner of one of the largest urban areas in Europe.
Twin towns – Sister cities
The Hague is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, Palestinian Authority Juigalpa, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
In addition, The Hague has a policy to partner with various countries of origin of its citizens. Since 2002 The Hague co-operates with Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
and in 2009 a co-operation contract was made with the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
provinces of Nador, Al Hoceima and Taza. There are plans to make such contracts with Turkey and the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
.
See also
- Districts of The HagueDistricts of The HagueThe Dutch city of The Hague consists of eight districts . Each district is divided into subdistricts . Each of these stadsdelen has its own office , where most of the local government activity is organized. These stadsdeelkantoren make many aspects of local government more accessible to residents...
- Famous people from The HagueFamous people from The Hague-Politicians:See also: List of mayors of The Hague*Mark Rutte - current prime minister*Willem Drees - former prime minister*Wim Deetman - former Speaker of the Dutch parliament.*Jozias van Aartsen - former foreign minister...
- HTM PersonenvervoerHTM PersonenvervoerHTM Personenvervoer NV is a public transport company in the Netherlands operating trams, lightrail and buses in The Hague, Rijswijk, Leidschendam-Voorburg, Delft, Zoetermeer, Wateringen and Nootdorp, the so-called Conurbation Haaglanden...
- List of mayors of The Hague
External links
- Tourist information about The Hague – Website of the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions City of The Hague.
- Guide to The Hague (from WikitravelWikitravel-External links:* *...
) - The largest painting in The Netherlands. The Hague Festivals 2011.
- HagueJusticePortal.net, The Hague Justice Portal: an academic gateway to The Hague organisations concerning international peace, justiceJusticeJustice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
and securitySecuritySecurity is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
. - http://www.scheveningenbeach.com, Official site for Scheveningen beach).