Dutch

East India Company, Dutch, 1602-1798, chartered by the States-General of the Netherlands to expand trade and assure close relations between the government and its colonial enterprises in Asia. The company was granted a monopoly on Dutch trade E of the Cape of Good Hope and W of the Strait of Magellan. From its headquarters at Batavia (founded 1619) the company subdued local rulers, drove the British and Portuguese from Indonesia, Malaya, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and arrogated to itself the fabulous trade of the Spice Islands. A colony, established (1652) in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, remained Dutch until conquered by Great Britain in 1814. The company was dissolved when it became scandalously corrupt and nearly insolvent in the late 18th cent., and its possessions became part of the Dutch colonial empire in East Asia.

Trading company founded by the Dutch in 1602 to protect their trade in the Indian Ocean and to assist in their war of independence from Spain. The Dutch government granted it a trade monopoly in the waters between the Cape of Good Hope and the Straits of Magellan. Under the administration of forceful governors-general, it was able to defeat the British fleet and largely displace the Portuguese in the East Indies. It prospered through most of the 17th century but then began to decline as a trading and sea power; it was dissolved in 1799. Seealso East India Co., French East India Co.

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Widespread disease that kills elms, originally described in The Netherlands. The disease is caused by the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi (also known as Ceratocystis ulmi). It was first identified in the U.S. in 1930, and an eradication campaign could not stop its spread into regions wherever the very susceptible American elm (Ulmus americana) grew. The leaves on one or more branches of a stricken tree suddenly wilt, turn dull green to yellow or brown, curl, and may drop early. Because symptoms are easily confused with other diseases, positive diagnosis is possible only through laboratory culturing. The fungus can spread up to 50 ft (15 m) from diseased to healthy trees by natural root grafts. Overland, the fungus normally is spread by the European elm bark beetle (Scolytus multistriatus; see bark beetle), less commonly by the American elm bark beetle (Hylurgopinus rufipes). Control involves exclusion of the beetles, usually by use of an insecticidal spray applied to the tree.

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or Dutch Wars

Four naval conflicts between England and the Dutch Republic in the 17th–18th century. The First (1652–54), Second (1665–67), and Third (1672–74) Anglo-Dutch Wars all arose from commercial rivalry between the two nations, and victories by England established its naval might. The two countries had been allied for a century when the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1780–84) broke out over Dutch interference in the American Revolution. By 1784 the Dutch Republic had declined dramatically in power and prestige.

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officially Republic of the United Netherlands

Former state (1581–1795), about the size of the modern kingdom of The Netherlands. It consisted of the seven northern Netherlands provinces that formed the Union of Utrecht in 1579 and declared independence from Spain in 1581 (finally achieved in 1648). Political control shifted between the province of Holland and the princes of Orange. In the 17th century the Dutch Republic developed into a world colonial empire far out of proportion to its resources, emerging as a centre of international finance and a cultural capital of Europe. In the 18th century the republic's colonial empire was eclipsed by that of England. In 1795 the Dutch Republic collapsed under the impact of a Dutch democratic revolution and invading French armies.

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officially Republic of Suriname formerly Dutch Guiana

Country, northern coast of South America. Area: 63,251 sq mi (163,820 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 493,000. Capital: Paramaribo. The population includes South Asians, Creoles, Javanese, and smaller groups of people of African, Chinese, American Indian, and Dutch descent. Languages: Dutch (official), English, Sranan (a creole language), Javanese, Sarnami (derived from Hindi and Urdu). Religions: Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestant, other Christians), Hinduism, Islam, traditional beliefs. Currency: Suriname dollar. Suriname has a low, narrow coastal plain, inland savannas, a forested plateau region, and mountain ranges. A number of major rivers, including the Courantyne, Maroni, and Suriname, cross the country to empty into the Atlantic. Bauxite mining, aluminum production, and agriculture are the largest sectors of the economy. Exports include rice, bananas, sugarcane, oranges, and shrimp. Suriname is a republic with one legislative house; its head of state and government is the president. It was inhabited by various South American Indian peoples prior to European settlement. Spanish explorers claimed Suriname in 1593, but the Dutch began to settle there in 1602, followed by the English in 1651. It was ceded to the Dutch in 1667, and in 1682 the Dutch West India Company introduced coffee and sugarcane plantations and African slaves to cultivate them. Slavery was abolished in 1863, and indentured servants were brought from China, Java, and India to work the plantations, adding to the ethnic mix of the population. Except for brief interludes of British rule (1799–1802, 1804–15), Suriname remained a Dutch colony. It gained internal autonomy in 1954 and independence in 1975. A military coup in 1980 ended civilian control until the electorate approved a new constitution in 1987. Military control resumed after a coup in 1990. Elections were held in 1992, and civilian democratic government returned.

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Dutch most commonly refers to:

• the Netherlands
• the Dutch language
• the Dutch (ethnic group)
• the culture of the Netherlands

Due to the etymological equivalence between the English word "Dutch" and the German word Deutsch ("German"), "Dutch" has been used historically in the English-speaking world to refer to some things that are not Dutch but German.

Dutch may also refer to:

Communities

• the Pennsylvania Dutch, a group of German immigrants to Pennsylvania (United States)
• the Cape Dutch, the European inhabitants of the Western Cape (South Africa) between the 17th and 19th centuries (see also Cape Dutch architecture)

History

• Dutch Golden Age painting, or the Dutch Masters, a group of artists during that period
• Dutch Colonial, an architectural style found in northern America

People

• A nickname of Ronald Reagan, the 40th United States President
• Dutch Schultz, a notorious mobster.
• A name used by electronic music producer Jesse Houk (better known as The Scumfrog)

Objects and products

• Dutch oven
• Dutch process chocolate
• Dutch Gold, a popular beer in the Republic of Ireland
• Dutch Masters (cigar), often referred to as a "Dutch"

Animals

• Dutch Bantam, a breed of chicken

Film

• Dutch (film), a 1991 comedy/drama film
• Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer, the main character in the movie Predator played by Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Dutch, a protagonist in the manga and anime series Black Lagoon.
• Detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach, a character in the television show The Shield

Literature

• Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan, a 1999 book by Edmund Morris

Music

• Dutch hip hop or Nederhop, a music genre of the Netherlands
• Hardcore/Hardstyle a music genre of the Netherlands

Colloquial usage

Many colloquial terms use the word Dutch. A rare few describe actual Dutch customs. Some negative ones originate from prejudice caused by the Anglo-Dutch Wars, some are based on other stereotypes, and some have nothing to do with the Netherlands. These terms include:

• Going Dutch, to split the cost of a purchase, usually a meal, evenly between several parties
• Dutch courage, courage from intoxication
• Dutch Defence, a chess opening
• Dutch auction, an auction in which prices fall as sale progresses.
• Dutch angle, in film, a severely tilted camera angle
• Dutch book, a method of guaranteeing a profit in gambling
• Dutching, a method of sharing the risk of losing in gambling
• Double Dutch, which has a few different meanings
• Dutch wife, a body length pillow
• Dutch hoe, a hoe design that is pushed or pulled through the soil to cut weeds just under the surface.
• Dutch, a slang term for a blunt,especially when used for smoking marijuana