1.
Netherlands
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The Netherlands, also informally known as Holland is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three territories in the Caribbean. The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest, sharing borders with Belgium, the United Kingdom. The three largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, Amsterdam is the countrys capital, while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government. The port of Rotterdam is the worlds largest port outside East-Asia, the name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands. Netherlands literally means lower countries, influenced by its low land and flat geography, most of the areas below sea level are artificial. Since the late 16th century, large areas have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes, with a population density of 412 people per km2 –507 if water is excluded – the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country. Only Bangladesh, South Korea, and Taiwan have both a population and higher population density. Nevertheless, the Netherlands is the worlds second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products and this is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate. In 2001, it became the worlds first country to legalise same-sex marriage, the Netherlands is a founding member of the EU, Eurozone, G-10, NATO, OECD and WTO, as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union. The first four are situated in The Hague, as is the EUs criminal intelligence agency Europol and this has led to the city being dubbed the worlds legal capital. The country also ranks second highest in the worlds 2016 Press Freedom Index, the Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy, ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom. It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund, in 2013, the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world, reflecting its high quality of life. The Netherlands also ranks joint second highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, the region called Low Countries and the country of the Netherlands have the same toponymy. Place names with Neder, Nieder, Nether and Nedre and Bas or Inferior are in use in all over Europe. They are sometimes used in a relation to a higher ground that consecutively is indicated as Upper, Boven, Oben. In the case of the Low Countries / the Netherlands the geographical location of the region has been more or less downstream. The geographical location of the region, however, changed over time tremendously
2.
Royal Netherlands Army
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The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands. The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814—however, its origins back to 1572. Therefore, the Netherlands has one of the oldest standing armies in the world, dating back to the 16th century. It fought during the Napoleonic Wars, World War II, the Indonesian War of Independence, Korean War,2 of 3 Dutch Army Brigades are now under German Command. In 2014 the 11th Airmobile Brigade, was integrated into the German Division of fast forces, also the Dutch 43rd Mechanized Brigade, will be integrated into the 1st Panzer Division of the German army. With the integration starting at the beginning of 2016, and the unit becoming operational at the end of 2019, the Dutch-German military cooperation are seen as an example for setting up a European defense union. The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins back to 1572. Therefore, the Netherlands operates one of the worlds oldest standing armies, the Staatse Leger was replaced by the army of the Batavian Republic in 1795, which in turn was replaced by the army of the Kingdom of Holland in 1806. It fought alongside the French in the Anglo-Russian Invasion of Holland in 1799 and several campaigns in Germany, Austria, the independent army was disbanded in 1810 when Napoleon decided to reunite Holland into France. The army units became part of the Grande Armée, the present day French 126th Infantry Regiment has Dutch origins. Dutch army elements participated in the French invasion of Russia in 1812, most notable were the actions of the Pontonniers company under Captain Benthien at the Berezina River. New research points out that, contrary to what is currently believed, an independent Dutch army was resurrected by the new Kingdom of the United Netherlands in 1814, following the Orangist uprising against Napoleonic rule in 1813. This new force, the Netherlands Mobile Army, formed a part of the allied army during the Hundred Days Campaign that culminated in the Battle of Waterloo. Units such as Baron Chassés were key in securing victory for the allied army, since 1814, the army have been involved in several military conflicts (Waterloo campaign 1815, several colonial wars 1825–1925, and the Belgian Revolution 1830–1832. At the beginning of the Second World War, the I Corps was the strategic reserve and was located in the Vesting Holland, around The Hague, Leiden, Haarlem. The Royal Netherlands Army was defeated in May 1940 and only began to rise again with the formation of the Princess Irene Brigade Group in exile, in the Far East, the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was defeated by the Japanese in 1942, few elements managed to escape. The army then fought in the Indonesian War of Independence 1945–1949, in Korea in 1950-53, the Royal Netherlands Navy and an army battalion were sent to Korea between 1950 and 1954. In total,3,972 Soldiers were sent to fight the war in Korea,123 died in combat, the I Corps stood watch alongside its NATO allies in Germany during the Cold War
3.
Infantry
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Infantry is the general branch of an army that engages in military combat on foot. As the troops who engage with the enemy in close-ranged combat, infantry units bear the largest brunt of warfare, Infantry can enter and maneuver in terrain that is inaccessible to military vehicles and employ crew-served infantry weapons that provide greater and more sustained firepower. In English, the 16th-century term Infantry describes soldiers who walk to the battlefield, and there engage, fight, the term arose in Sixteenth-Century Spain, which boasted one of the first professional standing armies seen in Europe since the days of Rome. It was common to appoint royal princes to military commands, and the men under them became known as Infanteria. in the Canadian Army, the role of the infantry is to close with, and destroy the enemy. In the U. S. Army, the closes with the enemy, by means of fire and maneuver, in order to destroy or capture him, or to repel his assault by fire, close combat. In the U. S. Marine Corps, the role of the infantry is to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy fire and maneuver. Beginning with the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, artillery has become a dominant force on the battlefield. Since World War I, combat aircraft and armoured vehicles have become dominant. In 20th and 21st century warfare, infantry functions most effectively as part of a combined arms team including artillery, armour, Infantry relies on organized formations to be employed in battle. These have evolved over time, but remain a key element to effective infantry development and deployment, until the end of the 19th century, infantry units were for the most part employed in close formations up until contact with the enemy. This allowed commanders to control of the unit, especially while maneuvering. The development of guns and other weapons with increased firepower forced infantry units to disperse in order to make them less vulnerable to such weapons. This decentralization of command was made possible by improved communications equipment, among the various subtypes of infantry is Medium infantry. This refers to infantry which are heavily armed and armored than heavy infantry. In the early period, medium infantry were largely eliminated due to discontinued use of body armour up until the 20th century. In the United States Army, Stryker Infantry is considered Medium Infantry, since they are heavier than light infantry, Infantry doctrine is the concise expression of how infantry forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements. It is a guide to action, not a set of hard, doctrine provides a very common frame of reference across the military forces, allowing the infantry to function cooperatively in what are now called combined arms operations. Doctrine helps standardise operations, facilitating readiness by establishing common ways of accomplishing infantry tasks, doctrine links theory, history, experimentation, and practice
4.
Oirschot
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Oirschot is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands. It is situated 12 kilometres from the city of Eindhoven and 20 kilometres from the city of Tilburg in the province Noord-Brabant, the municipality had a population of 18,016 in 2014. Oirschot Middelbeers Oostelbeers Spoordonk Westelbeers Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Oirschot, some of the monuments are, The Roman Catholic Church named Sint-Petrus’-Bandenkerk. This 15th- and 16th-century Gothic church is the biggest building in the town of Oirschot, the old town hall build in 1513 in the centre of town Maria-church. A 12th-century Romanesque church in the centre of the town of Oirschot, monastery Nazareth with a chapel in Neoromanesque style. Former Brewery De Kroon built in 1773 Hof van Solms, palace of Arnoldus Feij The Big Chair the biggest chair of Europe, huize Groenenberg, a very fine house built in 1613. Chapel of the Holy Oak, stone chapel dated 1606, zinderend Oirschot Countery & Western weekend There are many more festivals in Oirschot every year. He is member of the political party PvdA, media related to Oirschot at Wikimedia Commons Official website
5.
Rhinoceros
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A rhinoceros, often abbreviated to rhino, is one of any five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae, as well as any of the numerous extinct species. Two of these extant species are native to Africa and three to Southern Asia and they generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter, if necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths, relying instead on their lips to pluck food. Rhinoceros are killed by humans for their horns, which are bought and sold on the market. East Asia, specifically Vietnam, is the largest market for rhino horns, by weight, rhino horns cost as much as gold on the black market. People grind up the horns and then consume them believing the dust has therapeutic properties, the horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails. Both African species and the Sumatran rhinoceros have two horns, while the Indian and Javan rhinoceros have a single horn, the IUCN Red List identifies three of the species as critically endangered. The word rhinoceros is derived through Latin from the Ancient Greek, ῥῑνόκερως, the plural in English is rhinoceros or rhinoceroses. The collective noun for a group of rhinoceroses is crash or herd, the name has been in use since the 14th century. The family Rhinocerotidae consists of four extant genera, Ceratotherium, Dicerorhinus. The living species fall into three categories, the two African species, the white rhinoceros and the black rhinoceros, belong to the tribe Dicerotini, which originated in the middle Miocene, about 14.2 million years ago. The species diverged during the early Pliocene, the main difference between black and white rhinos is the shape of their mouths – white rhinos have broad flat lips for grazing, whereas black rhinos have long pointed lips for eating foliage. There are two living Rhinocerotini species, the Indian rhinoceros and the Javan rhinoceros, which diverged from one another about 10 million years ago, the Sumatran rhinoceros is the only surviving representative of the most primitive group, the Dicerorhinini, which emerged in the Miocene. A subspecific hybrid white rhino was bred at the Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic in 1977, interspecific hybridisation of black and white rhinoceros has also been confirmed. While the black rhinoceros has 84 chromosomes, all other species have 82 chromosomes. However, chromosomal polymorphism might lead to varying chromosome counts, for instance, in a study there were three northern white rhinoceroses with 81 chromosomes. There are two subspecies of rhinoceros, the southern white rhinoceros and the northern white rhinoceros. As of 2013, the subspecies has a wild population of 20,405 – making them the most abundant rhino subspecies in the world
6.
11th Airmobile Brigade (Netherlands)
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Deployment can be as part of NATO or the United Nations. Since 2014, the 11th Airmobile Brigade has been part of the German Special Operations Division, when the Airmobile Brigade, an Army brigade, operates integrated with the Dutch Defence Helicopter Command, an Air Force command, they form the 11th Air Manoeuvre Brigade. Helicopters from the Defence Helicopter Command support 11th Airmobile Brigade with troop transports, attack helicopters are used for reconnaissance, to give air support, and to provide cover for infantry on the ground. When helicopters are used in combination with infantry as parts of an operation it is called an Air assault operation. When troopcarrier helicopters are just used to bring infantry from A to B it is called an Air mobile operation, with attack helicopters performing on their own it is called an Air mechanized operation. When paratroopers are deployed it is called an Airborne operation, the brigade is also able to operate Motorized with heavily armed light armored vehicles. Specially trained units are able to assist Special Forces as a Special Operations Task Group. In 2003 in Poland,2012 in the Netherlands and 2014 in Hungary the brigade had, passing the test it proved to be able to run a brigade operation with the Air Mobile Brigade and Defence Helicopter Command integrated as the 11th Air Manoeuvre Brigade. The worlds security situation changed drastically after the fall of the Berlin wall in 89, in the Netherland arose the need for a rapid reaction force for global operations in the entire warfare spectrum. In 9211 Air Manoeuvre Brigade was created and it became unfavorable for the Dutch government to send drafties on missions and this brigade was put together with volunteers from other units. After 10 years of pioneering the brigade got its operational readiness state in October 2003, the emblem of 11th Airmobile Brigade is a diving Falcon on a maroon shield with two crossed swords underneath. The color is related to the color of the beret, Air assault infantry distinguish itself by the beret and is allowed to wear it after completing the Air assault infantry training. The maroon beret is the standard for air landing troops. The EM stands for Expeditionare Macht, which stands for, Expeditionary Force, Operations can be performed either by foot, using light vehicles or using airlift capabilities from the Airforce. A share of the brigade can be deployed as paratroopers and these forms of airlanding make the brigade effective in operating behind the enemy frontline to occupy strategic locations like bridges till being relieved by mechanized infantry and cavalry. Another task is the destruction of targets, evacuation of personnel. Previously, the brigade also included 11 Mortar company and 11 Air Defense company and their tasks have been taken over by the artillery and anti-aircraft artillery. 20 National Reserves Battalion come under the command of the 11th Airmobile Brigade in 2012, the battalions are the actual boots on the ground
7.
Fennek
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The Turkish company FNSS Defence Systems acquired the right for licence production in 2004. It was developed for both the German Army and Royal Netherlands Army to replace their current vehicles, in April 2000, the prototype vehicle finished field trials and in December 2001 a combined order was placed. 410 were ordered by the Royal Netherlands Army and 222 by the German military, more Fenneks for the German Army will be procured from 2015 on. Germany plans an overall purchase of approximately 300 Fenneks, the first vehicle was delivered to the Netherlands in July 2003 and the first to Germany in December of the same year. The Dutch SP Aerospace company, which produced the Fennek for the Dutch military, was declared bankrupt in August 2004, a new company called Dutch Defence Vehicle Systems was created to continue the production of the vehicles for the Royal Netherlands Army. The Fennek has four wheels with two or four wheel drive. It has a Deutz diesel engine producing 179 kW, giving it a top speed of 115 km/h, tire pressure can be regulated by the driver from inside the vehicle to suit terrain conditions. The primary mission equipment is an observation package mounted on an extendable mast, sensors include a thermal imager, daylight camera and a laser rangefinder. Combined with the vehicles GPS and inertial navigation system the operator can accurately mark targets or points of interest, many Fenneks of the German Army are also equipped with Aladin miniature UAVs. The Royal Netherlands Army also placed an order at the Turkish company Aselsan for 18 Raytheon Stinger surface-to-air missile launchers to be fitted on the Fennek, the launcher in this case is the Stinger Weapon Platform, with four Stinger missiles intended for mid-range air defence. The launcher can be controlled from on board the vehicle, or else remotely as part of an air defense system. On the Dutch Fennek the primary weapon is the 12.7 mm machine gun, the vehicle is protected all-round against 7.62 mm rounds and additional armour can be added if the mission requires. The air conditioning system provides protection against nuclear, biological and chemical warfare, both Germany and the Netherlands have deployed Fennek reconnaissance vehicles to Afghanistan in support of ISAF. On 3 November 2007 a Dutch Fennek was hit by an explosive device killing one. The vehicle and its crew were taking part in an operation targeting the Taliban in the province of Uruzgan, Afghanistan. In another incident a German Fennek was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and its hollow charge jet penetrated the vehicle through the right front wheel rim, passed through the vehicle and blew the left door off the hinge. Thanks to the liner the crew sustained only negligible injuries
8.
Boxer (armoured fighting vehicle)
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The Boxer is a German-Dutch multirole armoured fighting vehicle designed to accomplish a number of operations through the use of installable mission modules. It is produced by the ARTEC GmbH industrial group, and the programme is being managed by OCCAR, overall, Rheinmetall has a 64% stake in the joint venture. Other names are GTK Boxer and MRAV for Multirole Armoured Vehicle, the Boxer is a cooperative European design project aimed at producing the next generation of armoured utility vehicle. Following negotiations, a contract was awarded in November 1999 for eight prototype vehicles, four for Germany, total value of this contract was £70 million. In February 2001, the Netherlands joined the programme and 12 prototypes were built, on 12 December 2002 the GTK/MRAV/PWV was unveiled in Munich, Germany. The second prototype was rolled out and the vehicle was named Boxer, at this time the first production run was to have been for 600 vehicles,200 for each country. In July 2003, shortly after the start of the Iraq war, the first Dutch prototype was delivered in October 2003. Prior to deliveries commencing, the 12 prototypes were put through a series of reliability trials, the Netherlands confirmed the procurement of 200 Boxer in the autumn of 2006, these to replace the M577 and the support variants of the YPR-765 in the Royal Netherlands Army. Deliveries are from 2013 through to 2018, vehicles coming from the Netherlands production line, within the RNLA the baseline Boxer is called the Pantser Wiel Voertuig. On December 13,2006 the German parliament approved the procurement of 272 Boxers for the German Army, to replace shares of its M113, by September 2011, six German Army Boxer had been upgraded to the Boxer A1 standard. From German Army Boxer No 41 all vehicles have been produced to the A1 standard and it is expected that earlier vehicles will be brought up to this configuration. In December 2015 it was announced that Germany had placed a contract for an additional 131 Boxer worth EUR476 million, there are three production/assembly lines for Boxer, one in the Netherlands and two in Germany. In August 2016 Lithuania placed a EUR390 million contract for 88 Boxer, most of these in IFV configuration, Lithuanian Boxers will be manufactured by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall with deliveries running from 2017 through to 2021. In Lithuanian service, Boxer will be known as Vilkas, the Boxer is an eight-wheeled multirole vehicle, which at the time of its development easily dwarfed most contemporary vehicles with its size. With a combat weight of 33 tonnes, it was also about 10 tonnes heavier than many of its contemporaries, Boxer consists of two key elements, the platform/drive-line and the removable mission module. The platform has the driver located front right, with the pack to the left. The MTU/Allison powerpack can be replaced under field conditions in about 20 minutes and can, if required, Boxer is full-time all-wheel drive, the front four wheels steering. Suspension is double-wishbone coils, independent all round, tyres are 405/80 R27 and a central tyre inflation system and run-flat inserts are fitted
9.
Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle
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The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle or Infantry Mobility Vehicle is an Australian-built four wheeled, all-wheel drive armoured vehicle. The Bushmaster is produced by Thales Australia and Oshkosh Truck has a contract to provide support, the Bushmaster is currently in service with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Army, British Army and the Jamaica Defence Force. The role of the Bushmaster is to provide protected mobility transport, later the Bushmasters designation was changed to Protected Mobility Vehicle. The 1991 Defence Force Structure Review identified the Australian Army need for an Infantry Mobility Vehicle, the 1994 White Paper stated that new land force vehicles would be acquired. Project Bushranger was created to procure both protected and unprotected vehicles, the Infantry Improvised Mobility Vehicle, a fleet of unarmoured Land Rover Perentie vehicles, were purchased from November 1993 to fill the IMV role until it entered service. In September 1995, the request for tender was issued to 5 shortlisted proposals and in January 1997 due to withdrawals the Bushmaster, over 65% of the components by Stewart & Stevenson were from the FMTV including engine, transmission, steering, instrumentation, electrical and pneumatic systems. The prototype was built in less than seven months, in November 1997, ADI launched its re-engineered Bushmaster proposal changing the design and shape of the hull to withstand a greater force and associated internal and external features. In March 1998, three Bushmaster IMVs and three Taipain IMVs built in South Africa started a 44-week competitive evaluation trial, neither vehicle fully met all of the requirements of the specification, and performed with varying success over the course of the trials. On 10 March 1999, ADI was awarded the Bushranger contract to produce the Bushmaster to be manufactured at their Bendigo facility, in November 1999, ADI was privatised becoming 50% owned by French company Thales and 50% owned by Australian company Transfield. In 2006, ADI was renamed to Thales Australia following Thales buying out Transfield, in October 2016 it was announced that Australia and Indonesia would jointly develop a vehicle based on the Bushmaster for used by the Indonesian military. The vehicle, known as the Sanca, is manufactured by PT Pindad in collaboration with Thales. The Bushmaster is optimised for operations in northern Australia, and is capable of carrying up to 9 soldiers and their equipment, fuel and supplies for 3 days, depending on the type of variant. The vehicle is fitted with air conditioning and was planned to have a cool water drinking system. After operational complaints the drinking water cooling system is being reconsidered for installation and it has a road cruise speed of 100 km/h and an operational range of 800 km. The Bushmaster is a protected vehicle and provides a high degree of protection against land mines, using its v-hull monocoque to deflect the blast away from the vehicle. The fuel and hydraulic tanks of the vehicle are located outside the crew compartment, the troop carrier variant of the Bushmaster is fitted with one gun ring. The forward gun ring can be fitted with a 5.56 mm or 7.62 mm machine gun, the two rear hatches each have a mounting boss to allow the attachment of a swing mount capable of holding a 7.62 mm machine gun. The Bushmaster is air transportable by C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III and it is the first armoured vehicle to be designed and completely manufactured in Australia since the Sentinel tank during World War II
10.
Breda
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Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark, as a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance. Breda had a population of 180,420 in 2014, the area had a population of 324,812. In the 11th century, Breda was a fief of the Holy Roman Emperor. The city of Breda obtained a charter in 1252. After that Breda had the rights to build fortifications, the city constructed brick walls and Roman-style gates. In 1327 Adelheid of Gaveren Breda sold Breda to Duke Johannes III of Brabant, in 1350, the fief was resold to Johannes II of Wassenaar. In 1403 the heiress of his line, Johanna of Polanen, thus, the baron of Breda was also count of Nassau, Germany, prince of Orange and stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. Breda remained part of the barony Breda until it was taken by French revolutionary forces in 1795, the acquisition of the city by the House of Orange-Nassau marked its emergence as a residentiestad. The presence of the Orange-Nassau family attracted other nobles, who built palatial residences in the old quarters of the city. The most impressive one, built by the Italian architect Thomas Vincidor de Bologna for the first Dutch prince, was the first renaissance-style palace built north of the Alps, in the 15th century the citys physical, economic and strategic importance expanded rapidly. A great church was built in Brabantine Gothic style with a gallant 97-metre-high tower, in 1534 Henry III of Nassau-Breda rebuilt the modest medieval fortifications in impressive style. In 1534 a fire destroyed over 90 percent of the city, close to 1300 houses, churches and chapels, only 150 houses and the main church remained. In July 1581, during the Eighty Years War, Breda was captured by surprise by Spanish troops then under the command of Claudius van Barlaymont, although the city had surrendered upon the condition that it would not be plundered, the troops vented their fury upon the inhabitants. In the resulting mayhem, known as Haultpennes Fury, over 500 citizens were killed, the so-called Spaniards Hole marks the spot where the peat-boat allegedly lay, although this has not been historically proven. After a ten-month siege in 1624–25, the city surrendered to the Spaniards under Spinola, in 1637 Breda was recaptured by Frederick Henry of Orange after a four-month siege, and in 1648 it was finally ceded to the Dutch Republic by the Treaty of Westphalia. The Treaty of Breda was signed in the city, July 31,1667, during World War II the city was under German occupation. It was liberated following a successful outflanking manoeuvre planned and performed by forces of 1st Polish Armoured Division of Gen. Maczek on October 29,1944
11.
Vlissingen
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Vlissingen is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an important harbour for centuries and it was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century Vlissingen was a harbour for ships of the Dutch East India Company. It is also known as the birthplace of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, Vlissingen is mainly noted for the yards on the Scheldt where most of the ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy are built. The Counts of Holland, Flanders, and Zeeland had the first harbours dug, over the centuries, Vlissingen developed into a hub for fishing, especially the herring fishery, commerce, privateering and the slave trade. Under the Treaty of Nonsuch, English garrisons were stationed here, during the heyday of the Dutch Golden Age, ships from Vlissingen set sail for the various outposts of the Dutch colonial empire and contributed to the world power of The Seven Provinces. The history of Vlissingen was also marked by invasion, oppression, floods have also been a constant threat. Vlissingen declined during the 18th century, the Napoleonic Wars were particularly disastrous. After 1870, the economy revived after the construction of new docks and the Walcheren canal, the arrival of the railway, the Second World War interrupted this growth. The city was damaged by shelling and inundation but was captured and liberated by British Commandos of 4th Special Service Brigade on 3 November 1944. The city was rebuilt after the war, in the 1960s, the seaport and industrial area of Vlissingen-Oost developed and flourished. Now this area is the driving force behind central Zeeland. 50,000 ships annually from all corners of the pass through the Schelde. Tourists are attracted to Vlissingen not just because of its history and maritime character, the derivation of the name Vlissingen is unclear, though most scholars relate the name to the word fles in one way or another. According to one story, when saint Willibrord landed in Vlissingen with a bottle in the 7th century, a miracle occurred, familiar to readers of hagiography, when the contents of the bottle did not diminish. When the bishop realised the beggars did not want to listen to his words, after that, he supposedly called the city Flessinghe. Another source states that the name had its origins in an old ferry-service house, the monk Jacob van Dreischor, who visited the city in 967, then apparently called the ferry-house het veer aan de Flesse. Because many cities in the region received the appendix -inge
12.
Brunssum
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Brunssum is a municipality and a town in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. Brunssum was a center of coal mining until 1973, the municipality of Brunssum has 28,840 residents as of 2014. The headquarters was known as Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe from its inception in Fontainebleau, France, the name was changed to Regional Headquarters, Allied Forces Northern Europe when a restructuring in 2000 led to the closing of HQ AFNORTH in Kolsås, Norway. The current title was adopted in 2004 to add flexibility to the command structure by removing regional restrictions. The main base area, Hendrik Camp, was built on a coal mine called Hendrik Mine. Brunssum is also the home of the AFNORTH International School, located just outside Hendrik Camp, the Brunssummerheide is a sloping nature landscape with many trails for hiking and running. It is bisected by a brook called Roode Beek, the Brunssumerheide is a protected nature preserve. One of the football teams is BSV Limburgia, formerly known as SV Limburgia. As SV Limburgia, the competed in the Eredivisie at various times. Upon the introduction of football in the Netherlands in 1954, SV Limburgia had little success and was relegated to the lowest level of Dutch football. The annual Parelloop ten kilometer road running race is held in Brunssum, micah Kogo from Kenya won the race in 2009, breaking the world record for that distance
Netherlands
13th Light Brigade in Oirschot