The Netherlands is a nation.
Amsterdam ( [ ˈæmstərdæm , _ ˌæmstərˈdæm ] [ ɑmstərˈdɑm ] ) is the capital and most populous municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The European Union ( EU ) is a political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe . The Netherlands , ( [ ˈnɛðərləndz ] Nederland [ ˈneːdərˌlɑnt ] ; Nederlân ) also known informally as Holland , is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . 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 .