The Netherlands is located in Western Europe, bordering Germany, Belgium and the North Sea. It has a total area of 41,864 square kilometers and a population of around 17.02 million people. The Dutch Republic was established in 1648 after a revolution against Spanish rule, and it became fully independent in 1830 as the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Some major public holidays in the Netherlands include New Year's Day, Easter, Queen's Birthday, Liberation Day and Christmas.