Dutch diaspora

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The Dutch diaspora consists of the Dutch and their descendants living outside the Netherlands. Emigration from the Netherlands has been occurring for since at least the 17th century, and may be traced back to the international presence of the Dutch Empire and its monopoly on mercantile shipping in many parts of the world. Dutch people settled permanently in a number of former Dutch colonies or trading enclaves abroad, namely the Dutch Caribbean, the Dutch Cape Colony, the Dutch East Indies, Surinam, and New Netherland. Since the end of the Second World War, the largest proportion of Dutch emigrants have moved to Anglophone countries, namely Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, mainly seeking better employment opportunities and incentives from the Dutch government due to fear of overpopulation. In total, one third of Dutch citizens emigrated to other countries between 1948 and 1992. Postwar emigration from the Netherlands peaked between 1948 and 1963, with occasional spikes...

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