Low Countries

Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, because they were small, flat, surrounded by seas, and relatively weak until they formed the Benelux customs union in 1948. Yet they have contributed much to the historical, political, cultural, and economic history of Europe and the world. The similarities and differences among these three densely populated, enterprising countries are explored in Amsterdam, Delft, Brussels, and other urban and rural environments.