KBC 14: Which of the following was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage?
A) Netherlands
B) Sweden
C) Norway
D) Switzerland
Answer: Netherlands
Netherlands, informally known as Holland, is a European country, located in the Northwestern part of the continent, with some overseas territories located in the Caribbean. Netherlands is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of Netherlands. It shares border with Belgium and Germany along with a North Sea coastline. Consisting of 12 provinces, it shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom, Belgium in the North Sea. The country’s first official language is Dutch and the second one is West Frisian in the province of Friesland. Some of the regional languages are Dutch Low Saxon and Limburgish, and some of the non-territorial languages are Dutch Sign Language, Sinte Romani and Yiddish. In the Caribbean territories, the languages used are English, Dutch and Papiamento.
One of the four largest cities, which is also the most populous one and the nominal capital is Amsterdam. Three of the other largest cities are Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.
Netherlands is a low lying land, with expanses of lakes and canals.
The country is a constitutional monarchy where the kings and the ministers make up the government. The day to day business of the government is carried out by the ministers and secretaries. Thus, it can be said that the powers of the monarch are very limited. However, the system of government is further layers. A parliamentary representative democracy and a unitary state are also the characteristic features of the polity of Netherlands. The state is described as a consociational state which refers to a form of democratic power sharing.
Netherlands is the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. It has been legal since April 1, 2001.
KBC 14: How many states are there in the United States of America?
KBC 14: Which of the following cities is the national capital of Mexico?
