The Netherlands may not look like much on a map - it's that small spot in Western Europe bordered by Germany on the east, Belgium on the south, and the North Sea on the west and north - yet this small country is in many ways an amazing place. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary democracy. The monarch is the Dutch head of state and, together with the ministers, makes up the government. The capital city is Amsterdam but the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Some 17 million people occupy 41,526 km2 of land, an area just twice the size of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The name Netherlands means 'low country' and roughly one quarter of the country sits below sea level. If it were not for an elaborate system of dykes, dams, and canals much of the country would be flooded. While the Netherlands was long occupied by foreign invaders it also had a heyday in history. Throughout the 17th century, a period known as the Dutch Golden Age, Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world.

For exploring by car, arm yourself with an up-to-date atlas, such as Michelin's Map Netherlands 715 or Netherlands 1:150,000 Road Atlas by ANWB. Both are widely available from bookshops and gas stations or online purchase. For exploring by bike and on foot, the ANWB publishes detailed hiking and cycling maps in a variety of scales. The ANWB Netherlands Cycling and Hiking Routes Map 1:300 000 shows cycle routes on one side and hiking routes on the other. The ANWB 1:50 000, 1:75 000 and 1:100 000 series cycling maps offer a more detailed look at cycling routes. The Landelijke Fietsroutes 1:150 000 comes in a Ziploc plastic casing and includes cycling routes, route descriptions and tourist information. All of the above mentioned cycling and hiking maps are available for purchase at ANWB shops and VVV tourist information centers throughout the Netherlands. For country and thematic maps, check out the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at UT Library online. Not only are maps are a great travel planning resource, they're a great way to get the kids involved in a family vacation.

Books are a great way to introduce young children to a new adventure and get teens and tweens ready for a family trip. We've compiled a list of books about the Netherlands and books by Dutch authors for children of various ages and with varying interests. What better why to begin a journey that a trip through literature?

The Netherlands is nation of voracious readers; roughly 2 out of 3 Dutch read a daily newspaper. Most read highbrow broadsheets as the Dutch have never developed a taste for tabloids. The most widely circulated paid national newspapers include the conservative liberal De Telegraaf, left-leaning de Volkskrant and progressive liberal NRC Handelsblad. Algemeen Dagblad, the print version of AD.nl, is a national newspaper with a strong local news focus. Metro and Sp!ts are distributed free of charge on public transportation. DutchNews.nl is an English language Dutch news service. The Amsterdam Daily, a weekly English-language newspaper covering Dutch news and culture, is available at newsstands. They're all worth a look.