Dutch Empire

The Netherlands followed Spain and Portugual in establishing a colonial empire outside of continental Europe. Their skills in shipping and trading and their surge of nationalism and militarism accompanying the struggle for independence from Spain aided the venture. Alongside the British, the Dutch initially built up colonial possessions on the basis of corporate colonialism, with the Dutch East India Company dominant. State intervention in the colonial enterprise came later.

Dutch sailors also participated in the surge of exploration that unfolded in the 16th and 17th centuries. But the vast new territories revealed by Barents, Hudson and Tasman in the Arctic and in Australasia/Oceania did not generally become permanent Dutch colonies.

The Netherlands lost many of its colonial possessions when the metropole succumbed to French conquest/control/annexation from 1795 to 1814.

The restored portions of the Dutch empire, notably the [[Dutch East Indies], Suriname and The Netherlands Antilles remained under Amsterdam's control until the decline of traditional imperialism in the 20th century.

Areas under Netherlands control at various times included:

NORTH AMERICA

New Netherland

(including New Amsterdam and later New Sweden) (1614 - 1674), nowadays part of the United States of America

CENTRAL AMERICA/CARIBBEAN.

Dutch West Indies

(see Netherlands Antilles)

Netherlands Antilles

(1620 - present)

Virgin Islands

(in part) (1625 - 1680), nowadays British Virgin Islands

Tobago/

'Nieuw-Walcheren' (1628 - 1677), nowadays part of Trinidad and Tobago

SOUTH AMERICA

Dutch Guiana (1667 - 1975), nowadays Suriname
Berbice (1627- 1814), nowadays part of Guyana
Demerara (1752 - 1814), nowadays part of Guyana
Essequibo (1616 - 1814), nowadays part of Guyana
Brazil (in part) ( - 1654), nowadays part of Brazil

AFRICA

Cape Colony (1652 - 1806), nowadays part of South Africa
Mauritius (1638-1658/ 1664-1710), nowadays Mauritius
Gold Coast(1637-1872), a great part of what is nowadays Ghana
Moçambique(Jan. 1721 - 23 Dec. 1730), nowadays Moçambique
Angola(26 Aug. 1641- 21/24 Aug. 1648), nowadays Angola

ASIA

Dutch East Indies (1602 - 1949), nowadays Indonesia
Netherlands New Guinea (1828/1895 - 1961), nowadays part of Indonesia
Malakka/Malacca,(1641-1824) nowadays Malaysia/Malacca
Ceylon (1658 - 1796), nowadays Sri Lanka
Taiwan (1624 - 1662), nowadays Republic of China - Taiwan
Deshima (1641 - 1857), nowadays part of Japan

- - INDIA

- Suratte Surat (1616-1795)

- - Agra. (1621-1720)
  - Burhanpur.
  - Ahmadabad. (1617-1744)
  - Bharuch (of Brochia, Broach).
  - Vengurla. (1637-1685)

- Malabar (Southern part of Westcoast India)

- - Cranganore or Cranganor (Kodungallor) (1662) (taken from the Portugal)
  - Cochin de Cima (Pallipuram) (1661) (taken from the Portugal)
  - Cochin, Cochin de Baixo or Santa Cruz (1663) (taken from the Port)
  - Quilon (Coylan) (1661) (taken from the Portugal)
  - Cannanore (1663-1790) (taken from the Portugal)
  - Kundapura (1667- ca.1682)
  - Kayankulam (ca. 1645)
  - Ponnani (ca. 1663)

- Coromandel Eastcoast India

- - Golkonda(1662-ca 1733)
  - Bimilipatnam,(1687-1795/ 1818-1825)to the English
  - Jaggernaikpoeram (now Kakinada)(1734 –1795/ 1818-1825) to the English
  - Daatzeram (now Drakshawarama)(1633-1730)
  - Nagelwanze(1669-1687)
  - Palikol(1613-1781/ 1785-1795/ 1818-1825)to the English
  - Masulipatnam(1605-1756)
  - Petapoeli (Nizampatnam)(1606-1668)
  - Paliacatta (now Pulicat)(1610-1781/ 1785-1795/ 1805-1825) to the English
  - Sadras(1654-1757/ 1785-1795/ 1818-1825) to the English
  - Tierepopelier (now Thiruppapuliyur)(1608-1625)
  - Tegenapatnam, Kudalur (nu Cuddalore)(1647-1758)
  - Porto Novo(nowParangippettai)(1608-1825 (1st june)) to the English.
  - Negapatnam(1658-1781) to the English.
  - Tuticorin or Tutucorim(1658)

Travancore, nowadays part of India

EUROPE

Smeerenburg (circa 1620 - circa 1660), nowadays part of Svalbard, Norway

In the beginning of the nineteenth century it also included Belgium and Luxembourg as part of the Kingdom.