query: The Crown (TV series) earned Foy an award.

pos: The Crown (TV series) The Crown is a biographical drama television series , created and written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix . The show is a biographical story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom . The first season covers the period between the Queen 's marriage to Philip , Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 to the disintegration of her sister Princess Margaret 's engagement to Peter Townsend in 1955 . A second season has been commissioned , which is intended to cover the Suez Crisis in 1956 through the retirement of the Queen 's third Prime Minister , Harold Macmillan , in 1963 following the Profumo affair political scandal .   The Crown evolved out of Morgan 's 2006 film The Queen and 2013 stage play The Audience . The series is intended to last 60 episodes over six seasons , with 10 one-hour episodes per season , covering the Queen 's entire life , and with new actors being cast every two seasons . Claire Foy portrays the Queen in the first two seasons , alongside Matt Smith as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret . Filming for the series takes place at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood , Hertfordshire , with location shooting at various locations throughout the United Kingdom .   The entire first season was released on Netflix November 4 , 2016 . Its reception was overwhelmingly positive , with critics praising cast performances , direction , writing , cinematography , production values , and the relatively accurate historical accounts of Queen Elizabeth 's reign . Significant praise was directed towards the performances of Foy in the leading role and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill , and Foy received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress and Lithgow the Best Actor at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards , among other accolades , including at the 74th Golden Globe Awards and the 7th Critics ' Choice Television Awards .

neg: Monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a group , usually a family called the dynasty , embodies the country 's national identity and one of its members , called the monarch , exercises a role of sovereignty . The actual power of the monarch may vary from purely symbolic ( crowned republic ) , to partial and restricted ( constitutional monarchy ) , to completely autocratic ( absolute monarchy ) . Traditionally and in most cases , the monarch 's post is inherited and lasts until death or abdication , but there are also elective monarchies where the monarch is elected . Each of these has variations : in some elected monarchies only those of certain pedigrees are , whereas many hereditary monarchies impose requirements regarding the religion , age , gender , mental capacity , etc. . Occasionally this might create a situation of rival claimants whose legitimacy is subject to effective election . Finally , there have been cases where the term of a monarch 's reign is either fixed in years or continues until certain goals are achieved : an invasion being repulsed , for instance . Thus there are widely divergent structures and traditions defining monarchy .   Monarchy was the most common form of government until the 19th century , but it is no longer prevalent . Where it exists , it is now usually a constitutional monarchy , in which the monarch retains a unique legal and ceremonial role , but exercises limited or no official political power : under the written or unwritten constitution , others have governing authority . Currently , 47 sovereign nations in the world have monarchs acting as heads of state , 19 of which are Commonwealth realms that recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state . All European monarchies are constitutional ones , with the exception of the Vatican City which is an elective monarchy , but sovereigns in the smaller states exercise greater political influence than in the larger . The monarchs of Cambodia , Japan , and Malaysia `` reign , but do not rule '' although there is considerable variation in the degree of authority they wield . Although they reign under constitutions , the monarchs of Brunei , Morocco , Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia and Swaziland appear to continue to exercise more political influence than any other single source of authority in their nations , either by constitutional mandate or by tradition .

neg: Astral crown The Astral Crown is a gold crown surmounted with eight low points . The centrals and laterals points are topped with a star , with an unspecified number of points , between two wings .   In heraldry , an astral crown is mounted atop the shields of coats of arms of units belonging to some air forces or the personal arms of its distinguished commanders .   Its creation became necessary after the founding of the Royal Air Force in the UK , because there was no Roman military award device for Aerial warfare equivalent to the Naval crown for navies and the Camp crown for armies .

neg: Producers Guild Film Awards The Producers Guild Film Awards ( previously known as the Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Award ) is an accolade given by the Apsara Producers Guild to recognize excellence in Indian film and television . Originated by filmmaker and scholar Amit Khanna , the Star Guild Awards have been one of the major award events since 2004 . The 22-karat gold statuette was sculpted and designed by the jewellery brand Tanishq and was `` inspired by the rich heritage of one of India 's most treasured possessions - the Ajanta and Ellora Caves . '' Nominations for the awards come from selected members of the guild , with the full membership ( around 160 ) available to vote for the winners . The ballots cast by the guild members are then taken to a common venue for the final counting .

neg: Camelot (TV series) Camelot is a 2011 historical-fantasy-drama television series which premiered on 1 April 2011 . It was co-produced by the Starz cable network and GK-TV which began production during the summer of 2010 . The series , based on the Arthurian legend , was produced by Graham King , Morgan O'Sullivan and Michael Hirst .   A special preview showing of the pilot episode `` Homecoming '' was aired on Starz Friday night , 25 February 2011 . On 30 June 2011 Starz announced it was not going to order new seasons of Camelot , citing significant production challenges , predominantly scheduling conflicts with some members of the cast , including Joseph Fiennes , Jamie Campbell Bower and Eva Green .

neg: Crown for Christmas Crown for Christmas is a 2015 American-Canadian made-for-television romantic comedy film starring Danica McKellar , Rupert Penry-Jones . The film premiered on Hallmark Channel on November 27 , 2015 .

neg: AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role The AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts ( AACTA ) , a non-profit organisation whose aim is to `` identify , award , promote and celebrate Australia 's greatest achievements in film and television . '' The award is presented at the annual AACTA Awards , which hands out accolades for achievements in feature films , television , documentaries and short films . From 1971 -- 2010 , the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute ( AFI ) , the Academy 's parent organisation , at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards ( known as the AFI Awards ) . When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011 , it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards , with the current award being a continuum of the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role .   It was presented as a special award , from 1971 -- 1975 , and was accompanied with a cash prize , before it became a competitive award from 1976 , onward . Judy Davis is the most nominated actress in this category , with five wins from eight nominations , most recently for her role in The Eye of the Storm ( 2011 ) .   Candidates for this award must be human and female , and can not be nominated for the same role in the supporting actress category .

neg: The Duke of Edinburgh's Award The Duke of Edinburgh 's Award ( commonly abbreviated DofE ) , is the generic name for a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh , that has since expanded to 144 nations . The awards recognise adolescents and young adults for completing a series of self-improvement exercises modelled on Kurt Hahn 's solution to the `` Six Declines of Modern Youth '' .   In the United Kingdom the programme is run by The Duke of Edinburgh 's Award , a royal charter corporation . A separate entity , The Duke of Edinburgh 's International Award Foundation , promotes the award abroad and acts as a coordinating body for award sponsors in other nations , which are organised into 62 National Award Authorities and a number of Independent Operators . Award sponsors in countries outside the United Kingdom may title their awards Duke of Edinburgh 's Awards , though the recognition also operates under a variety of other names in countries without a historic link to the British monarchy , or that have severed such links .

neg: Golden Boot Awards The Golden Boot Awards is an American acknowledgment of achievement honoring actors , actresses , and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies . The award is sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund . Money raised at the award banquet is used to help finance various services offered by the Fund to those in the entertainment industry .   Actor Pat Buttram conceived the idea of the Golden Boot Award , and the first ones were presented in 1983 . The awards appear to have been discontinued since 2007 .

neg: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical is an annual award presented by The Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial British theatre . The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976 , and , renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor Lord Olivier . The Olivier Awards are the most prestigious theatrical awards in the United Kingdom and are the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards .   Until 2015 , the Olivier Awards did not honour supporting musical performances separately and was therefore a unisex category , honouring both male and female actors . Starting with the 2015 ceremony , the awards have been separated into Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

neg: Stirling Prize The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture . It is named after the architect James Stirling , organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects ( RIBA ) . The RIBA Stirling Prize is presented to `` the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture in the past year . '' The architects must be RIBA members , but the building can be anywhere in the European Union . Stirling Prize laureates receive a stipend of GB # 20,000 .   The award was founded in 1996 , and is considered to be the most prestigious architecture award in the United Kingdom . It is publicised as the architectural equivalent of the Booker Prize ( literature ) and Turner Prize ( visual arts ) . The highest profile architectural award in British culture , the presentation ceremony is televised by Channel 4 and the prize is sponsored by the Architects ' Journal . Six short-listed buildings are chosen from a long-list of buildings that have received a RIBA Award . These awards are given to buildings showing `` high architectural standards and substantial contribution to the local environment '' .   In addition to the RIBA Stirling Prize , five other awards are given to buildings on the long-list . In 2015 they consist of : the RIBA National Award , the RIBA Regional Award , the Manser Medal , the Stephen Lawrence Prize and the RIBA Client of the Year Award . For years prior to 1996 , the award was known as the `` Building of the Year Award '' .

neg: Claire Foy Claire Foy ( born 16 April 1984 ) is an English actress . She studied drama and screen studies at Liverpool John Moores University and trained at the Oxford School of Drama , where she appeared in four plays , including Watership Down . She made her screen debut in the pilot episode of Being Human ( 2008 ) and in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors ( 2008 ) . Following her professional stage debut at the Royal National Theatre , she played the title role in the BBC One production of Little Dorrit , ( 2008 ) , and made her film debut as Anna in Season of the Witch ( 2011 ) .   She had main roles as Erin Matthews in the Channel 4 series The Promise ( 2011 ) and several other television films and miniseries , including as Kate Balfour in the NBC series Crossbones ( 2014 ) . She received unanimous praise for her performance as Anne Boleyn in BBC2 's Wolf Hall ( 2015 ) , for which she was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress and the Critics ' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries . Since 2016 , she has portrayed the young Queen Elizabeth II on the Netflix series The Crown , a role for which she has received critical acclaim and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series , and was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress .

neg: British Academy Television Award for Best International Programme The British Academy Television Award for Best International Programme , or BAFTA TV Award for Best International , is an award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to outstanding achievements in foreign TV series .

neg: Attorney General for England and Wales Her Majesty 's Attorney General for England and Wales , usually known simply as the Attorney General , is one of the Law Officers of the Crown . Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales , the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in England and Wales . The current Attorney General is Jeremy Wright , MP .   The position of Attorney General existed since at least 1243 , when records show a professional attorney was hired to represent the King 's interests in court . The position first took on a political role in 1461 when the holder of the office was summoned to the House of Lords to advise the government there on legal matters . In 1673 the Attorney General officially became the Crown 's adviser and representative in legal matters , although still specialising in litigation rather than advice . The beginning of the twentieth century saw a shift away from litigation and more towards legal advice . Today prosecutions are carried out by the Crown Prosecution Service and most legal advice to government departments is provided by the Government Legal Service , both under the supervision of the Attorney General .   The job of the Attorney General is a demanding one , and Sir Patrick Hastings wrote while serving that `` to be a law officer is to be in hell '' . Duties include superintending the Crown Prosecution Service , the Serious Fraud Office , and other government lawyers with the authority to prosecute cases . Additionally , the Attorney General superintends the Government Legal Department ( formerly the Treasury Solicitor 's Department ) , HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate , The Service Prosecuting Authority and the strategic body , the National Fraud Authority . The Attorney advises the government , individual government departments and individual government ministers on legal matters , answering questions in Parliament and bringing `` unduly lenient '' sentences and points of law to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales . Since the passing of the Law Officers Act 1997 duties can be delegated to the Solicitor General , and any actions are treated as if they came from the Attorney General .

neg: Crown Estate The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole , making it the `` Sovereign 's public estate '' , which is neither government property nor part of the monarch 's private estate . As a result of this arrangement , the sovereign is not involved with the management or administration of the estate , exercising only very limited control of its affairs . Instead , the estate 's extensive portfolio is overseen by a semi-independent , incorporated public body headed by the Crown Estate Commissioners , who exercise `` the powers of ownership '' of the estate , although they are not `` owners in their own right '' . The revenues from these hereditary possessions have been placed by the monarch at the disposition of Her Majesty 's Government and thus proceed directly to Her Majesty 's Treasury for the benefit of the British nation . The Crown Estate is formally accountable to the Parliament of the United Kingdom , where it is legally mandated to make an annual report to the sovereign , a copy of which is forwarded to the House of Commons .   The Crown Estate is one of the largest property managers in the United Kingdom , overseeing property worth # 12 billion , with urban properties valued at # 9.1 billion representing the majority of the estate by value . These include a large number of properties in central London , but the estate also controls 792000 ha of agricultural land and forest , more than half of the UK 's foreshore , and retains various other traditional holdings and rights , including Ascot Racecourse and Windsor Great Park . Naturally occurring gold and silver in the UK , collectively known as `` Mines Royal '' , are managed by The Crown Estate and leased to mining operators .   Historically , Crown Estate properties were administered by the reigning monarch to help fund the business of governing the country . However , in 1760 , George III surrendered control over the Estate 's revenues to the treasury , thus relieving him of the responsibility of personally paying for the costs of the civil service , defence costs , the national debt , and his own personal debts . In return , he received an annual grant known as the Civil list . By tradition , each subsequent monarch agreed to this arrangement upon his or her accession . However , from 1 April 2012 , under the terms of the Sovereign Grant Act 2011 ( SSG ) , the Civil List was abolished and the monarch was thenceforth provided with a stable source of revenue indexed to a percentage of the Crown Estate 's annual net revenue ( currently set at 15 % ) . This was intended to provide a long-term solution and remove the politically sensitive issue of Parliament having to debate the Civil List allowance every ten years . Subsequently , the Sovereign Grant Act allows for all future monarchs to simply extend these provisions for their reigns by Order in Council . The act does not imply any legal change on the nature of the estate 's ownership , but is simply a benchmark by which the sovereign grant is set as a grant by Parliament .

neg: CBC Film Festival CBC Film Festival is a Canadian feature film television series which aired on CBC Television from 1979 to 1980 .

neg: British Academy Television Awards 2010 The 2010 British Academy Television Awards were held on 6 June 2010 . The nominations were announced on 10 May .  This year new awards were added including the award for Best Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role . Graham Norton hosted the ceremony . Winners are in bold .

neg: Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a monarch or other political leader for service to the monarch or country , especially in a military capacity . Historically , in Europe , knighthood was conferred upon mounted warriors . During the High Middle Ages , knighthood was considered a class of lower nobility . By the Late Middle Ages , the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry , a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior . Often , a knight was a vassal who served as a fighter for a lord , with payment in the form of land holdings . The lords trusted the knights , who were skilled in battle on horseback . Since the early modern period , the title of knight is purely honorific , usually bestowed by a monarch , as in the British honours system , often for non-military service to the country . The modern female equivalent in the United Kingdom is Dame .   Historically , the ideals of chivalry were popularized in medieval literature , especially the Matter of Britain and Matter of France , the former based on Geoffrey of Monmouth 's Historia Regum Britanniae ( History of the Kings of Britain ) which introduced the legend of King Arthur , written in the 1130s . Sir Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur ( The Death of Arthur ) , written in 1485 , was important in defining the ideal of chivalry , which is essential to the modern concept of the knight , as an elite warrior sworn to uphold the values of faith , loyalty , courage , and honour . Furthermore , Geoffroi de Charny 's `` Book of Chivalry '' expounded upon the importance of Christian faith in every area of a knight 's life . During the Renaissance , the genre of chivalric romance became popular in literature , growing ever more idealistic and eventually giving rise to a new form of realism in literature popularised by Miguel de Cervantes ' Don Quixote . This novel explored the ideals of knighthood and their incongruity with the reality of Cervantes ' world . In the late medieval period , new methods of warfare began to render classical knights in armour obsolete , but the titles remained in many nations .   Some orders of knighthood , such as the Knights Templar , have become the subject of legend ; others have disappeared into obscurity . Today , a number of orders of knighthood continue to exist in several countries , such as the English Order of the Garter , the Swedish Royal Order of the Seraphim , and the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav . Each of these orders has its own criteria for eligibility , but knighthood is generally granted by a head of state or monarch to selected persons to recognise some meritorious achievement .   Knighthood in the Middle Ages was closely linked with horsemanship ( and especially the joust ) from its origins in the 12th century until its final flowering as a fashion among the high nobility in the Duchy of Burgundy in the 15th century . This linkage is reflected in the etymology of chivalry , cavalier and related terms ( see Etymology section below ) . The special prestige accorded to mounted warriors finds a parallel in the furusiyya in the Muslim world , and the Greek hippeus and Roman eques of classical antiquity .

neg: Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play The Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play is an annual award presented by The Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial British theatre . The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976 , and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor Laurence Olivier .   The award was originally entitled Play of the Year but was later renamed in 2001 .

neg: POV (TV series) POV ( also written P.O.V. ) is a Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS ) public television series which features independent nonfiction films . POV is an initialism for point of view .   POV is the longest-running showcase on television for independent documentary films . PBS presents 14 -- 16 POV programs each year , and the series has premiered over 400 films to U.S. television audiences since 1988 . POVs films have a strong first-person , social-issue focus . Many established directors , including Michael Moore , Jonathan Demme , Terry Zwigoff , Errol Morris , Albert and David Maysles , Michael Apted , Frederick Wiseman , Marlon Riggs , and Ross McElwee have had work screened as part of the POV series .   The series has garnered both critical and industry acclaim over its almost 30 years on television . POV films have won every major film and broadcasting award including 34 Emmys , 19 George Foster Peabody Awards , 12 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Broadcast Journalism Awards , three Academy Awards , the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film Award and the Prix Italia . It is a project of the independent non-profit , American Documentary , Inc. .

neg: Douglas I. Foy Douglas I. Foy ( born c. 1947 ) is a founder and CEO of Serrafix , a strategic consulting firm focused on environmental , energy , transportation , and climate change issues . Among other matters , Serrafix is helping dozens of cities across America -- ranging in size from New York to Pittsfield ( MA ) -- develop and implement large-scale energy efficiency and building retrofit programs . Serrafix also works with the Secretaries of Transportation in 18 states to reform their practices relating to fiscal and environmental sustainability .   Prior to launching Serrafix in 2006 , Foy served as the first Secretary of Commonwealth Development in the administration of Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney . In leading this `` super-Secretariat '' , Foy oversaw the agencies of Transportation , Housing , Environment , and Energy , with combined annual capital budgets of $ 5 billion , operating budgets of $ 500 million , and a total workforce of more than 11,000 . These four agencies are responsible for all infrastructure ( other than schools ) in the Commonwealth , including roads , bridges , transit , parks , sewers , water supply , energy , and housing . During his government service , Foy 's agencies developed Massachusetts ' first comprehensive transportation plan ( with an emphasis on transit and fix-it-first ) ; the nation 's most comprehensive climate action plan ; and numerous programs , policies , and investments to promote sustainable development and smart growth throughout Massachusetts .   Before his service in the Romney administration , Foy served for 25 years as the President and CEO of the Conservation Law Foundation , New England 's premier environmental advocacy organization . Among its hundreds of prominent cases , CLF lawsuits forced the cleanup of Boston Harbor , prevented offshore oil drilling on the prime fishing grounds of Georges Bank , banned off-road vehicles from the beaches and dunes of the Cape Cod National Seashore , prevented the construction of the Seabrook 2 nuclear power plant , and dramatically reduced childhood lead poisoning throughout the region . CLF had offices in all six New England states .   Foy currently serves on the corporate boards of Ameresco ( NYSE ) , Acumentrics ( fuel cells ) , GreenerU ( college and university climate programs ) , and RainBank ( rainwater harvesting ) ; the non-profit boards of the Ocean Genome Legacy Foundation , Pioneer Institute , and Conservation Law Foundation ; and the National Transportation Policy Project of the Bipartisan Policy Center . Foy also serves as a Legal Advisor to the nonprofit Fuel Freedom Foundation .   In 1992 President George H.W. Bush recognized Foy 's work on energy efficiency with the President 's Environmental and Conservation Challenge Award , the country 's highest conservation award . In 2006 , Foy was named the recipient of the national Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service from the Woodrow Wilson Center , the nation 's memorial to President Wilson . Foy also received from Princeton University , his alma mater , its highest honor bestowed on a graduate , the Woodrow Wilson award , for his public interest achievements . In 2009 , the Queen of England bestowed on Foy the Order of the British Empire ( OBE ) .   Mr. Foy , a member of the 1968 USA Olympic Rowing Team and the 1969 USA National Rowing Team , graduated from Princeton University as a University Scholar in engineering and physics , attended Cambridge University in England as a Churchill Scholar in geophysics , and graduated from Harvard Law School .


query: Cindy McCain's father did not die.

pos: Cindy McCain Cindy Lou Hensley McCain ( born May 20 , 1954 ) is an American businesswoman , philanthropist , and humanitarian , and the wife of long-time United States Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain of Arizona .   She was born and raised in Phoenix , Arizona , as the daughter of wealthy beer distributor Jim Hensley . After receiving bachelor 's and master 's degrees from the University of Southern California , she became a special education teacher . She married John McCain in 1980 and the couple moved to Arizona in 1981 , where her husband would be elected to the United States Congress the following year and has been in office since then . The couple had three children together , in addition to adopting another . From 1988 to 1995 , she founded and operated a nonprofit organization , the American Voluntary Medical Team , which organized trips by medical personnel to disaster-stricken or war-torn third-world areas . During this time , she became addicted to painkillers for several years and resorted to having a physician write illegal prescriptions on her behalf . She reached an agreement with the government in which no charges were filed against her .   Upon her father 's death in 2000 , she inherited majority control and became chair of Hensley & Co. , one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributors in the United States . She participated in both of her husband 's presidential campaigns and , in 2008 , drew both positive and negative scrutiny for her appearance , demeanor , wealth , spending habits , and financial obligations . She continues to be an active philanthropist and serves on the boards of Operation Smile , Eastern Congo Initiative , CARE and HALO Trust , frequently making overseas trips in conjunction with their activities . During the 2010s she has become prominent in the fight against human trafficking .

neg: Cindy Vandor Cindy Vandor ( Cindy Druss ) was born on May 11 , 1955 . After graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism , she went on to Washington , D.C. where she handled production duties for The Today Show , NBC Nightly News , and NBC News Updates . She also reported for NBC 's all-news radio station . There , she attracted the notice of the Independent Television News Association which hired her to cover Capitol Hill , and later , The White House .

neg: Straight Talk America Straight Talk America is a political action committee and intercampaign outreach vehicle created by Sen. John McCain . Originally formed during McCain 's 2000 bid for the Republican presidential nomination , it was revived again in 2005 , and then retired in 2007 as he announced his formal bid for the presidency in 2008 .

neg: Cindy Bruna Cindy Bruna ( born ) is a French model . She has an Italian father and a Congolese mother .

neg: Tim Hutchinson Young Timothy `` Tim '' Hutchinson ( born August 11 , 1949 ) is an American Republican politician who is a former United States senator from the state of Arkansas .

neg: John McCain presidential campaign, 2000 The 2000 presidential campaign of John McCain , the United States Senator from Arizona , began in September 1999 . He announced his run for the Republican Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 2000 presidential election .   McCain was the main challenger to Texas Governor George W. Bush , who had the political and financial support of most of the party establishment . McCain staged an upset win in the February 2000 New Hampshire primary , capitalizing on a message of political reform and `` straight talk '' that appealed to moderate Republican and independent voters and to the press . McCain 's momentum was halted when Bush won the South Carolina primary later that month , in a contest that became famous for its bitter nature and an underground smear campaign run against McCain .   McCain won some subsequent primaries , but after the March 2000 Super Tuesday contests he was well behind in delegates and withdrew . He grudgingly endorsed Bush two months later and made occasional appearances for him during the general election .

neg: Imperial Klans of America The Imperial Klans of America , Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is a white supremacist paramilitary organization styled after the original Ku Klux Klan ( KKK ) . In 2008 , it was reported that the IKA had the nation 's second largest KKK membership .   The IKA , headed by Ron Edwards , claims to be the sixth era of the Ku Klux Klan . Members of the 6th era , like members of previous eras , claim constitutional rights as part of the `` Unorganized Militia '' . The IKA claims to stand upon Supreme Court decisions in favor of previous Klans . They are headquartered near Dawson Springs , Kentucky and claim external Imperial Klan offices in Australia , Canada , England , Scotland , and South Africa , as well as throughout Europe and South America .   In 2011 , a recurring hoax concerning the IKA endorsing Barack Obama was once again exposed as a farce based on a parody website 's humorous reporting . In fact , in 2008 , Ron Edwards was quoted as supporting John McCain .

neg: Gwen Graham Gwendolyn `` Gwen '' Graham ( born January 31 , 1963 ) is an American lawyer , politician and member of the Democratic Party who is the former U.S. Representative for from 2015 to 2017 .   She is the daughter of Bob Graham , a former United States Senator and former Governor of Florida .

neg: Iowa Chicken The Iowa Chicken was a person in a chicken suit who followed John McCain and Rudy Giuliani around Iowa during the 2008 American presidential race , carrying a sign that read `` You ` Bawk ` ed at the Straw Poll ! '' This was done to both protest and bring attention to the fact that neither candidate competed in the Iowa Straw Poll . In the past , all Republican candidates have competed in the Straw Poll , and McCain and Giuliani 's decisions not to attend represented a break from tradition .   The identity of the Iowa Chicken has not been revealed , but he or she follows an American campaign tradition , including such precedents as 2000 's Corn Man .

neg: Jeff Hatch-Miller Jeff Hatch-Miller served as the Executive Director of the Arizona State Lottery from 2009 to 2015 , the longest term of service of any chief executive officer to date .   Under his leadership , Arizona Lottery ticket sales increased by nearly $ 260 million , over 50 % , and the Arizona Lottery ranked in the top 10 nationally for percentage increases in sales each year .   Hatch-Miller served on the Arizona Corporation Commission from 2003 until 2009 , and as Chairman during 2005 and 2006 .   His leadership as Chairman was a key reason the Arizona Corporation Commission was considered one of the most competent and effective commissions in state history . As a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission , Jeff Hatch-Miller , worked to decrease investment fraud and to increase public awareness of `` investment scams . '' In the Commission 's role as regulator of public utilities ( electricity , water , natural gas , telecommunications ) he led the fight for reliable service , affordable rates , and protection of personal information held by the utility .   Before his election to the Corporation Commission in 2002 , Hatch-Miller served in the Arizona House of Representatives for two terms ( 1999 -- 2003 ) , chairing the House Energy , Utilities and Technology Committee . Hatch-Miller was known from his straightforward , inclusionary style of addressing public policy issues . He was honored as national `` Freshman Legislator of the Year 2000 '' by the National Republican Legislators Association .   Technologically knowledgeable , Jeff Hatch-Miller led the way to putting Arizona government on the Internet . As a Legislator Hatch-Miller also worked to lower gasoline prices , bringing in petroleum company leaders , energy experts , and gasoline deals to find ways to decrease gasoline prices . He championed efforts in Arizona , and in Washington D.C. , that eventually led to the adoption of the `` Do Not Call List '' , one of the most popular programs offered by government , an important step toward stopping the majority of unwanted telemarketing calls .   He lives with his wife , Anita Hatch-Miller , in Scottsdale , Arizona . His son , Mark Hatch-Miller is an attorney in private practice in New York , and his son Robert Hatch-Miller lives and works in New York City as a documentary filmmaker .

neg: Cindy Chupack Cindy Chupack is a screenwriter who has won three Golden Globes and two Emmys for her work as a writer/executive producer of HBO 's Sex and the City and writer/co-executive producer of ABC 's Modern Family .   Several episodes she penned -- namely , Sex and the Citys `` Evolution '' , `` Attack of the 5 ' 10 '' Woman '' , `` Just Say Yes '' , `` Plus One is the Loneliest Number '' , `` I Love a Charade '' , and `` Splat ! '' , and Modern Familys `` Little Bo Bleep '' -- were individually nominated for Writer 's Guild and/or Emmy awards . Chupack also worked on Everybody Loves Raymond as a writer/co-executive producer .   In May 2010 , NBC announced it had commenced production of Love Bites , a television series created by Chupack for the NBC network .   Her first book , The Between Boyfriends Book , was published by St. Martin 's Press . Her second book , a comic memoir about marriage entitled The Longest Date : Life as a Wife , was published by Viking in January 2014 . She has also written humorous essays for The New York Times , Real Simple , Harper 's Bazaar , People , Allure , Slate , and Glamour .   Chupack is from Tulsa , Oklahoma . She received a journalism degree from Northwestern University in Evanston , Illinois where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta .

neg: Fatherhood USA Fatherhood USA is a three-part mini-series originally broadcast nationally on PBS in 1998 . It was produced and directed by Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt of Incite Pictures . The program , hosted by Senator Bill Bradley , seeks to dispel common stereotypes of fatherhood , and examine how fathers are able to build strong relationships with their children .

neg: Civil Forum on the Presidency The Civil Forum on the Presidency was the venue of back-to-back interviews of U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama by pastor Rick Warren on August 16 , 2008 , at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest , California .

neg: Betty Kennedy Betty Margaret Hannah Kennedy , ( January 4 , 1926 -- March 20 , 2017 ) was a Canadian broadcaster , journalist , author , and Senator , who is best known for her work on radio and television .   Born and raised in Ottawa , Ontario , the daughter of Walter Herbert Styran and Janet Kincaid ( McPhee ) Styran , Kennedy graduated from Lisgar Collegiate Institute , and began her career with the Ottawa Citizen . She became a broadcaster , as a host of a local radio show , during a newspaper strike . She was soon hired away by CFRB in Toronto where she became host of The Betty Kennedy Show in 1959 ; the daily interview and public affairs show remained on the air for 27 years with Kennedy interviewing 25,000 guests ranging from Pierre Trudeau to Debbie Reynolds . In 1962 , she joined the panel of the current affairs quiz show Front Page Challenge on CBC Television , remaining with the show until it went off the air in 1995 .   She wrote two books : Gerhard : A love story ( 1975 ) , about her late first husband , and Hurricane Hazel ( 1979 ) . Kennedy also had a vital career as an Executive Producer for television . Her series , Insight with Betty Kennedy , aired on TV Ontario ( OECA ) during the early 1970s . Robert Gardner , who worked with Kennedy as a studio director on the series , said of her : `` She was remarkable . We would tape five half hour interviews live-to-tape in a single day . She would prep each of the sessions with very prominent guests and would flawlessly interview them . Often there was only a space of fifteen minutes between each program . There were no re-takes and not a single chance for error . '' She also executive-produced Leave this Not to Cain ( narrated by Pierre Berton ) , This Vibrant Land , and she hosted An Eye for Eternity ( the international fine arts exhibition at Montreal ) .   Kennedy 's first husband , businessman Gerhard Kennedy , died of cancer in 1975 . Her second husband was G. Allan Burton ( 1915 -- 2002 ) , CEO and Chairman of now defunct Simpsons department stores .   She was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on June 20 , 2000 . She retired less than six months later on her 75th birthday .   Kennedy resided in Campbellville , Ontario , near Milton , Ontario with Burton .   Kennedy died on March 20 , 2017 , aged 91 .   Kennedy was named to both the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame and the Canadian News Hall of Fame and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1982 .

neg: Herding Cats: A Life in Politics Herding Cats : A Life in Politics is a book written by U.S. Senator Trent Lott , a Republican from Mississippi . Published by HarperCollins Publishers , Inc. on August 23 , 2005 , the book spans 320 pages . The major points of the book are Lott 's childhood in Grenada and Pascagoula , Mississippi , including his struggles with his alcoholic father ; his election to Congress ; his years in the House of Representatives during the Nixon , Carter , and Reagan administrations ( including his service as Minority Whip in that body ) ; and his service in the Senate , especially his service as Majority Leader during the Clinton and Bush Administrations . He recounts the formative events of his youth and the stories from his political life . From his decision to support Gerald Ford over Ronald Reagan in the 1976 Republican primary to his working partnership with Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle during the Clinton impeachment and the September 11 attacks in 2001 , Lott traces the inner workings of congressional life .   One major focus of the book is the comments Lott made at the birthday party of Sen. Strom Thurmond in 2002 and the subsequent intense media coverage , which eventually led to his resignation as the Senate Majority Leader in December 2002 . Lott names several figures who he believes orchestrated his downfall , including members of President George W. Bush 's administration , such as then-Secretary of State , Colin Powell , and former Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) head Joe Allbaugh ( who Lott claims has admitted that he intended to bring Lott down as Majority Leader ) ; as well as the successor to Lott as Majority Leader , Sen. Bill Frist .   Lott suggests that his forced resignation was a `` strategic plan '' devised by Bush and others who wanted Frist to take his place , since Frist supported key White House policies like the Medicare expansion , which Lott opposed . Lott notes , however , that his response to the Thurmond controversy played poorly in the media .   Lott wrote in the book that Frist betrayed him by not telling him about Frist 's decision to run for majority leader beforehand . Lott says he took Frist as his protégé , as Frist had no political/public experience when he was first elected to the Senate .   Some suggested that Lott 's book , which portrayed Frist in a negative light , was designed to impede Frist 's possible presidential campaign , but Frist did not run . Lott indicated in the book that he had repaired his relationship with Frist to some extent .   Lott also emphasizes his years as Majority Whip in the House and his years as Majority Leader in the Senate , where Lott claims to have built an efficient vote-getting organization and played a key role in several legislative accomplishments , including the Reagan-era budget cuts and tax cuts , and welfare reform and the tobacco settlement during the Clinton years . This emphasis may tie into Lott 's ambition to rejoin the Senate Republican Leadership .

neg: McCain Foods McCain Foods Limited is a Canadian multi-national privately owned company that was established in 1957 in Florenceville , New Brunswick , Canada . It is one of the world 's largest manufacturer of frozen French fries and other potato specialties . It is also held as one of Canada 's best managed companies with a platinum status recognizing their business performance and efforts throughout their organization .

neg: Swift Vets and POWs for Truth Swift Vets and POWs for Truth , formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ( SBVT ) , was a political group ( 527 group ) of United States Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War , formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign for the purpose of opposing John Kerry 's candidacy for the presidency . The campaign inspired the widely used political pejorative `` swiftboating '' , to describe an unfair or untrue political attack . The group disbanded and ceased operations on May 31 , 2008 .   SBVT asserted that Kerry was `` unfit to serve '' as President based upon his alleged `` willful distortion of the conduct '' of American servicemen during that war , and his alleged `` withholding and/or distortion of material facts '' as to his own conduct during that war . SBVT stated that `` Kerry 's phony war crimes charges , his exaggerated claims about his own service in Vietnam , and his deliberate misrepresentation of the nature and effectiveness of Swift boat operations compel us to step forward . '' The group challenged the legitimacy of each of the combat medals awarded to Kerry by the U.S. Navy and the disposition of his discharge . ( See John Kerry military service controversy . ) Further , SBVT said that Kerry 's later criticism of the war was a `` betrayal of trust '' with other soldiers , and that by his activism he had caused direct `` harm '' to soldiers still at war .   These claims caused tremendous controversy during the election , particularly because most of the organization 's members had not been in a place to assess Kerry , while most of the Vietnam veterans who had served with him supported Kerry 's version of events .   Registered under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code , SBVT publicized its criticisms of Kerry during the election campaign in a book , in television advertisements that the group ran in swing states and in the media coverage some members received . The group was the subject of several complaints to the Federal Election Commission ( FEC ) . After the election , the group was credited by media and praised by conservatives as contributing to Kerry 's defeat . The group 's tactics are considered an example of a successful political smear campaign for its widely publicized and later discredited claims .

neg: 72 Things Younger Than John McCain 72 Things Younger Than John McCain is a book by American blogger Joe Quint . The book lists items from popular culture that were invented after John McCain 's birth in 1936 , including nachos , Social Security , chocolate chip cookies , duct tape and ZIP codes . 72 Things Younger Than John McCain also includes people who are younger than McCain , even though the reader might believe them to be older . Quint used the book to show how the age of a candidate was more relevant to their success as President of the United States than gender or race .

neg: Paul Thurmond Paul Reynolds Thurmond ( born January 9 , 1976 ) is an American politician from the state of South Carolina . A member of the Republican Party , Thurmond is a former member of the South Carolina Senate . His father , Strom Thurmond , served in the United States Senate for 48 years .

neg: Howard Opinsky Howard Opinsky was the national press secretary for U.S. Senator John McCain 's ( R-AZ ) 2000 presidential campaign .   Opinsky has been widely quoted in the media as a spokesman for candidates and causes and as a political strategist commenting on a variety of breaking news events . He has also been a guest lecturer at Harvard , Penn State , and various trade groups to discuss communication , the media , and politics .   Currently , Opinsky is executive vice president at Powell Tate , the Washington , D.C. office of Weber Shandwick . A veteran communication strategist and counselor to CEOs and senior executives , he has helped build , position , and protect some of the world 's best known brands .

neg: Cindy Stumpo Cindy Stumpo is an American entrepreneur and residential contractor . She is the founder of C. Stumpo Development , a privately owned custom home builder and developer based in eastern Massachusetts . Stumpo and her work have been featured in numerous national publications , including Forbes Magazine calling her one of the most successful residential contractors in Massachusetts . Her work in construction led her to a pilot show with HGTV called Tough As Nails .


query: The Netherlands borders Belgium to the south.

pos: Netherlands The Netherlands , ( -LSB- ˈnɛðərləndz -RSB- Nederland -LSB- ˈneːdərˌlɑnt -RSB- ; Nederlân ) also known informally as Holland , is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three island territories in the Caribbean.designated Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba within ISO ISO 3166-1 . The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , sharing maritime borders with Belgium , the United Kingdom , and Germany .   The four largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague and Utrecht ( collectively known as G4 ) . Amsterdam is the country 's capital , while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government . The port of Rotterdam is the world 's largest port outside East-Asia , and the largest port in Europe . The name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands.Formally ` Holland ' refers only to two of the country 's twelve provinces : North Holland and South Holland .   `` Netherlands '' literally means `` lower countries '' , influenced by its low land and flat geography , with only about 50 % of its land exceeding one metre above sea level . Most of the areas below sea level are artificial . Since the late 16th century , large areas ( polders ) have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes , amounting to nearly 17 % of the country 's current land mass . With a population density of 412 people per km2 -- 507 ( January 2017 ) if water is excluded -- the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country . Only Bangladesh , South Korea , and Taiwan have both a larger population and higher population density . Nevertheless , the Netherlands is the world 's second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products , after the United States . This is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate . The Netherlands was the third country in the world to have an elected parliament , and since 1848 it has been governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy , organised as a unitary state . The Netherlands has a long history of social tolerance and is generally regarded as a liberal country , having legalised abortion , prostitution and euthanasia , while maintaining a progressive drugs policy . In 2001 , it became the world 's first country to legalise same-sex marriage .   The Netherlands is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G-10 , NATO , OECD and WTO ; as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . The country is host to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and five international courts : the Permanent Court of Arbitration , the International Court of Justice , the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia , the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon . The first four are situated in The Hague , as is the EU 's criminal intelligence agency Europol and judicial co-operation agency Eurojust . This has led to the city being dubbed `` the world 's legal capital . '' The country also ranks second highest in the world 's 2016 Press Freedom Index , as published by Reporters Without Borders .   The Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy , ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom . It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund . In 2013 , the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world , reflecting its high quality of life . The Netherlands also ranks joint third highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index , along with Australia .

neg: Supreme Court of the Netherlands The Supreme Court of the Netherlands ( Hoge Raad der Nederlanden -LSB- ˈɦoːɣə raːdɛr ˈneːdərlɑndə ( n ) -RSB- , literally `` High Council of the Netherlands '' ) is one of the highest courts of the Netherlands , Curaçao , Sint Maarten and Aruba . The Court was established on 1 October 1838 and sits in The Hague , Netherlands .   The Court has exclusive final jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters . In certain administrative cases it has final jurisdiction as well , while in other cases this jurisdiction rests with the adjudicative division of the Council of State , the Central Appeals Tribunal , the Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal as well as judicial institutions in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The Court is a court of cassation , which means that it has the competence to quash or affirm rulings of lower courts , but no competence to re-examine or question the facts . It only considers whether the lower courts applied the law correctly and the rulings have sufficient reasoning . In so doing it establishes case law . According to Article 120 of the Constitution , courts may not rule on the constitutionality of laws passed by the States General and treaties . With the exception of constitutional Court of Sint Maarten courts ( which rules on constitutionality with regards to the Sint Maarten constitution only ) have thus no competence for judicial review with respect to the Constitution .   The Supreme Court currently consists of 36 judges : a president , 6 vice-presidents , 25 justices ( , literally `` Lords of the Council '' ) and 4 justices in exceptional service . All judges are appointed for life , until they retire at their own request or mandatorily at the age of 70 .

neg: Political parties in Belgium Belgium is a federal state with a multi-party political system , with numerous parties who factually have no chance of gaining power alone , and therefore must work with each other to form coalition governments .   Almost all Belgian political parties are divided into linguistic groups , either Dutch-speaking parties ( see also political parties in Flanders ) , Francophone parties or Germanophone parties .   The Flemish parties operate in Flanders and in the Brussels-Capital Region . The Francophone parties operate in Wallonia and in the Brussels-Capital Region . There are also parties operating in the comparatively small German-speaking community . No party family has a realistic chance of winning enough seats to govern alone , let alone win an outright majority .   Political parties are thus organised along community lines , especially for the three main communities . There are no representative parties active in both communities . Even in Brussels , all parties presenting candidates are either Flemish parties , or French-speaking . As such , the internal organisation of the political parties reflects the fundamentally dual nature of Belgian society .   There are no significant parties left who exist , or operate on a national , Belgian level .   From the creation of the Belgian state in 1830 and throughout most of the 19th century , two political parties dominated Belgian politics : the Catholic Party ( Church-oriented and conservative ) and the Liberal Party ( anti-clerical and progressive ) . In the late 19th century the Labour Party arose to represent the emerging industrial working class . These three groups still dominate Belgian politics , but they have evolved substantially in character .

neg: Kingdom of Holland The Kingdom of Holland ( Koninkrijk Holland , Royaume de Hollande ) was set up by Napoléon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom for his third brother , Louis Bonaparte , in order to better control the Netherlands . The name of the leading province , Holland , was now taken for the whole country . In 1807 Prussian East Frisia and Jever were added to the kingdom but in 1809 , after a British invasion , Holland had to give over all territories south of the river Rhine to France .   Also in 1809 , Dutch forces fighting on the French side participated in defeating the anti-Bonapartist German rebellion led by Ferdinand von Schill , at the Battle of Stralsund .   King Louis did not perform to Napoleon 's expectations -- he tried to serve Dutch interests instead of his brother 's -- and the kingdom was dissolved in 1810 after which the Netherlands were annexed by France until 1813 . The Kingdom of Holland covered the area of the present-day Netherlands , with the exception of Limburg , and parts of Zeeland , which were French territory , and with the addition of East Frisia , in present-day Germany .   It was the first formal monarchy in the Netherlands since 1581 .

neg: Sint Maarten Sint Maarten ( -LSB- sɪnt ˈmaːrtə ( n ) -RSB- ) is an island country in the Caribbean . It is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . With a population of 33,609 on an area of 34 km2 , it encompasses the southern 40 % of the divided island of Saint Martin , while the northern 60 % of the island constitutes the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Martin . Its capital is Philipsburg .   Before 10 October 2010 , Sint Maarten was known as the Island Territory of Sint Maarten ( Eilandgebied Sint Maarten ) , and was one of five island territories ( eilandgebieden ) that constituted the Netherlands Antilles .

neg: Vlieland Vlieland ( -LSB- ˈvlilɑnt -RSB- ; Flylân ) is a municipality and island in the northern Netherlands . The municipality of Vlieland has only one major town : Oost-Vlieland ( West Frisian : East-Flylân ) . It is the second-least densely populated municipality in the Netherlands ( after Schiermonnikoog ) .   Vlieland is one of the West Frisian Islands , lying in the Wadden Sea . It is the second island from the west in the chain , lying between Texel and Terschelling . The island was permanently separated from the mainland in St. Lucia 's flood in 1287 . Vlieland was named after the Vlie , the seaway between it and Terschelling that was the estuary of the river IJssel in medieval times .

neg: Drechtsteden The Drechtsteden ( Dutch for `` Drecht cities '' ) are a number of towns and cities bordering each other in the delta area of the rivers Oude Maas , Noord , and Beneden-Merwede in the province of South Holland , Netherlands . These cooperate in the Gemeenschappelijke Regeling Drechtsteden ( `` joint arrangement Drechtsteden '' ) , which performs common tasks for the municipalities in the field of economy , development , culture , and social assistance . Collectively , a little more than 250,000 people call one of the towns and cities of Drechtsteden home .   The associated towns and cities are :  Alblasserdam  Dordrecht  Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht  Papendrecht  Sliedrecht  Zwijndrecht   The name `` Drechtsteden '' was chosen because the name of several of the associated cities and towns ends in the suffix - drecht ( meaning : place where ships are pulled or carried across the land ) . It is also an informal name for the area . Nearby Barendrecht , a suburb of Rotterdam , is not part of the association .

neg: Geography of Sweden Sweden is a country in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula . It borders Norway to the west ; Finland to the northeast ; and the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia to the east and south .   Sweden has a long coastline on the eastern side and the Scandinavian mountain chain ( Skanderna ) on the western border , a range that separates Sweden from Norway . It has maritime borders with Denmark , Germany , Poland , Russia , Lithuania , Latvia and Estonia , and it is also linked to Denmark ( southwest ) by the Öresund Bridge .  At 450295 km2 , Sweden is the 56th largest country in the world . It is the fifth largest in Europe and the largest in Northern Europe .

neg: Oss Oss ( -LSB- ɔs -RSB- ) is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands , in the province of North Brabant .

neg: Belgium Belgium ( -LSB- ˈbɛldʒəm -RSB- België -LSB- ˈbɛlɣijə -RSB- ; Belgique -LSB- bɛlʒik -RSB- ; Belgien -LSB- ˈbɛlɡi̯ən -RSB- ) , officially the Kingdom of Belgium , is a sovereign state in Western Europe bordered by France , the Netherlands , Germany , Luxembourg , and the North Sea . It is a small , densely populated country which covers an area of 30528 km2 and has a population of about 11 million people . Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe , Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups : the Dutch-speaking , mostly Flemish community , which constitutes about 59 % of the population , and the French-speaking , mostly Walloon population , which comprises 41 % of all Belgians . Additionally , there is a small group of German-speakers who live in the East Cantons located around the High Fens area , and bordering Germany .   Historically , Belgium , the Netherlands and Luxembourg ( along with parts of Northern France and Western Germany ) were known as the Low Countries ; it once covered a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states . The region was called Belgica in Latin , after the Roman province of Gallia Belgica . From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century , the area of Belgium was a prosperous and cosmopolitan centre of commerce and culture . From the 16th century until the Belgian Revolution in 1830 , when Belgium seceded from the Netherlands , the area of Belgium served as the battleground between many European powers , causing it to be dubbed the `` Battlefield of Europe , ''  a reputation strengthened by both world wars .   Today , Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance . It is divided into three regions and three communities , that exist next to each other . Its two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia . The Brussels-Capital Region is an officially bilingual ( French and Dutch ) enclave within the Flemish Region .  A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia .  Belgium 's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance , made up of six different governments .   Belgium participated in the Industrial Revolution  and , during the course of the 20th century , possessed a number of colonies in Africa . The second half of the 20th century was marked by rising tensions between the Dutch-speaking and the French-speaking citizens fueled by differences in language and culture and the unequal economic development of Flanders and Wallonia . This continuing antagonism has led to several far-reaching reforms , resulting in a transition from a unitary to a federal arrangement during the period from 1970 to 1993 . Despite the reforms , tensions between the groups have remained , if not increased ; there is significant separatism particularly among the Flemish ; controversial language laws exist such as the municipalities with language facilities ; and the formation of a coalition government took 18 months following the June 2010 federal election , a world record . Belgium is one of the six founding countries of the European Union and hosts the official seats of the European Commission , Council of the European Union , and European Council , as well as a seat of the European Parliament in the country 's capital , Brussels . Belgium is also a founding member of the Eurozone , NATO , OECD and WTO , and a part of the trilateral Benelux Union . Its capital , Brussels , hosts several of the EU 's official seats as well as the headquarters of many major international organizations such as NATO.Belgium is a member of , or affiliated to , many international organizations , including ACCT , AfDB , AsDB , Australia Group , Benelux , BIS , CCC , CE , CERN , EAPC , EBRD , EIB , EMU , ESA , EU , FAO , G-10 , IAEA , IBRD , ICAO , ICC , ICRM , IDA , IDB , IEA , IFAD , IFC , IFRCS , IHO , ILO , IMF , IMO , IMSO , Intelsat , Interpol , IOC , IOM , ISO , ITU , MONUC ( observers ) , NATO , NEA , NSG , OAS ( observer ) , OECD , OPCW , OSCE , PCA , UN , UNCTAD , UNECE , UNESCO , UNHCR , UNIDO , UNMIK , UNMOGIP , UNRWA , UNTSO , UPU , WADB ( non-regional ) , WEU , WHO , WIPO , WMO , WTrO , ZC . Belgium is also a part of the Schengen Area . Belgium is a developed country , with an advanced high-income economy and is categorized as `` very high '' in the Human Development Index .

neg: Monarchy of the Netherlands The monarchy of the Netherlands is constitutional and as such , the role and position of the monarch are defined and limited by the constitution of the Netherlands . Consequently , a fairly large portion of the Dutch constitution is devoted to the monarch ; roughly a third of the constitution describes the succession , mechanisms of accession and abdication to the throne , the roles and responsibilities of the monarch and the formalities of communication between the States-General of the Netherlands and the role of the monarch in the creation of laws .   The Kingdom of the Netherlands has been an independent monarchy since 16 March 1815 , but its one-time sovereign provinces have intermittently been `` governed '' by members of the House of Orange-Nassau and the House of Nassau from 1559 to 1747 , since Philip II of Spain appointed William of Orange as stadtholder . William became the leader of the Dutch Revolt and the independent Dutch Republic . As stadtholder , he was followed by several of his descendants . In 1747 , the function of stadtholder became a hereditary position in all Provinces of the thus `` crowned '' Dutch Republic . The last stadtholder was William V. His son became the first king as William I.

neg: Belgium–Netherlands relations Belgian -- Dutch relations refer to interstate relations between the Belgium and the Netherlands . It can be seen as one of the closest international relationships in existence , marked by shared history , culture , institutions and language , extensive people-to-people links , aligned security interests , sporting tournaments and vibrant trade and investment cooperation . Relations were established after Belgium became independent from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1839 . Both nations are great allies with cultural similarities and close cooperation between both governments . Dutch , known in Belgium as Flemish , is the most-spoken language in both countries . Approximately 35,000 Belgian nationals live in the Netherlands , while there are around 111,000 Dutch nationals in Belgium .   Thanks to their shared history and the Dutch language , the Netherlands and Belgium have strong cultural ties . In 1980 , the two countries set up the Dutch Language Union to encourage greater cooperation in the field of Dutch language and literature . The Union offers services including language tools like dictionaries and a language advice service , education in and about Dutch , literature and reading skills , and activities promoting the Dutch language in Europe and the rest of the world . The Union also works to showcase the two countries ' shared cultural heritage .   Belgium has an embassy in The Hague and consulates in Amsterdam , Maastricht , Nijmegen , Roosendaal , Rotterdam , Terneuzen , Vlissingen and Winsum , while the Netherlands has an embassy in Brussels and consulates in Antwerp , Ghent , Liège and Namur . Both nations are members of the European Union and NATO and , together with Luxembourg , form the Low Countries and the Benelux economic union .   Many television programmes are made mutually between the two countries , such as So You Think You Can Dance and Benelux ' Next Top Model . The two countries were joint hosts of the UEFA Euro 2000 football tournament and ( unfruitfully ) made a bid to host the 2018 World Cup football .

neg: Bulgaria–Netherlands relations Bulgarian-Dutch relations are foreign relations between Bulgaria and the Netherlands . Bulgaria has an embassy in The Hague . The Netherlands has an embassy in Sofia . Both countries are full members of NATO and of the European Union .

neg: List of ports in Belgium Belgium has four sea ports and a range of inland ports .

neg: History of the Dutch language Dutch is a West Germanic language , that originated from the Old Frankish dialects .   Among the words with which Dutch has enriched the English vocabulary are : brandy , coleslaw , cookie , cruiser , dock , easel , freight , landscape , spook , stoop , and yacht . Dutch is noteworthy as the language of an outstanding literature , but it also became important as the tongue of an enterprising people , who , though comparatively few in number , made their mark on the world community through trade and empire . Dutch is also among some of the earliest recorded languages of Europe . Countries that have Dutch as an official language are Belgium , the Netherlands , Suriname , Aruba and Curacao .

neg: Oud-Beijerland Oud-Beijerland ( -LSB- ˌʌu̯d ˈbɛi̯ərlɑnt -RSB- ) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands , in the province of South Holland . With a population of in , it is the most populous municipality on the Hoeksche Waard island . The town is located adjacent to the confluence of the Oude Maas and Spui River .   The municipality of Oud-Beijerland also includes the communities Vuurbaken and Zinkweg .

neg: Spanish Netherlands Spanish Netherlands ( Países Bajos españoles Spaanse Nederlanden ) ; Pays-Bas espagnols ) was the collective name of States of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries , held in personal union by the Spanish Crown ( also called Habsburg Spain ) from 1581 to 1714 . This region comprised most of modern Belgium and Luxembourg , as well as parts of northern France and western Germany . The capital was Brussels .   The Imperial fiefs of the former Burgundian Netherlands had been inherited by the Austrian House of Habsburg from the extinct House of Valois-Burgundy upon the death of Mary of Burgundy in 1482 . The Seventeen Provinces formed the core of the Habsburg Netherlands which passed to the Spanish Habsburgs upon the abdication of Emperor Charles V in 1556 . When part of the Netherlands separated to form the autonomous Dutch Republic in 1581 , the remainder of the area stayed under Spanish rule until the War of the Spanish Succession .

neg: Jan van Hooff (politician) Johan Frederik Rudolph `` Jan '' van Hooff ( 29 August 1755 -- 13 June 1816 , Utrecht ) was a Dutch Patriot politician and statesman .   Van Hooff was born in Eindhoven in 1755 , to Martinus van Hooff ( co-mayor of the town ) and Anna Elisabeth Bols van Arendonck . He studied law , got his doctorate in law at Nancy and opened a law practice in Eindhoven . He was elected co-mayor of the town in 1786 . During his career he was mayor of Eindhoven , member of the First National Assembly , the Second National Assembly , the Executive Power and the Legislative Power .   In 1786 he founded the Vaderlandse Sociëteit Concordia ( English : National Sciety Concordia ) together with Amandus van Moorsel ; this society was a social club in name , but a Patriot organization in reality . Several town notables joined this society .   In 1787 Jan van Hoff and several other Eindhoven Patriots traveled to Utrecht to join the Patriot Army . This army was defeated by the Prussian Army , after which Van Hooff was arrested ( in October 1787 ) for his Patriottic activities , on the orders of the States-General of the Netherlands ; he was taken to The Hague and imprisoned . He was released shortly thereafter and returned to Eindhoven . However , he was re-arrested on 12 February 1788 ( in Eindhoven this time ) , but managed to escape .   In 1789 there was a failed , pro-French rebellion in the Southern Netherlands . Fearing that the insurrection would spread to the Generality Lands , the States-General posted a garrison in Eindhoven ; Van Hooff left the town . In 1792 he was in Paris together with Herman Willem Daendels , where the French Republic had been proclaimed . He sought ( and received ) French support for the reparation of Batavian freedom ( Dutch : herstelling van de Bataafse vrijheid ) ; French troops arrived in Eindhoven on March 6 , 1793 and the freedom tree was planted in the town on that day . The French were subsequently pushed back by the Austrians , but took permanent possession of the town following the 1794 Battle of Fleurus .   Van Hooff became a member of the Batavian Revolutionary Committee that year , but got into a conflict with Maximilien Robespierre . He was arrested on May 28 and imprisoned at the Paris Conciergerie . A clerical error in the spelling of his name saved Van Hooff from the guillotine and he was released again on October 29 . He remained in freedom until the coup of 22 January 1798 , after which he was arrested and imprisoned -- first at the Gevangenpoort in The Hague , later at the Palace Huis Ten Bosch . He was finally released on July 14 .   He served as Minister for Justice and was a member of the State Council until 1810 . He then retired and spent the rest of his life as a citizen without office . He died without having been married .   The city of Eindhoven commissioned Auke Hettema to make a statue of Van Hooff in 1981 . The statue is currently on the Markt in Eindhoven .

neg: Hasselt Hasselt ( -LSB- ˈɦɑsəlt -RSB- ) is a Belgian city and municipality , and capital of the province of Limburg . The Hasselt municipality includes the original city of Hasselt , plus the old communes of Sint-Lambrechts-Herk , Wimmertingen , Kermt , Spalbeek , Kuringen , Stokrooie , Stevoort and Runkst , as well as the hamlets and parishes of Kiewit , Godsheide and Rapertingen .   On 31 December 2007 Hasselt had a total population of 71,520 ( 34,951 men and 36,569 women ) . Both the Demer river and the Albert Canal run through the municipality . Hasselt is located in between the Campine region , north of the Demer river , and the Hesbaye region , to the south . It is also situated in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion .

neg: Westhoek Westhoek ( Dutch for `` west corner '' ) can refer to the following places :   Westhoek ( region ) a historical region in western Belgium and northern France  Westhoek , sometimes referred to as Westland , South Holland , the area around Hoek van Holland  Westhoek , Friesland , a village in Het Bildt , Freisland , Netherlands  Westhoek , North Brabant , a polder area near Willemstad ( North Brabant ) in Moerdijk , North Brabant , Belgium  Westhoek , Schouwen-Duiveland , a hamlet in Schouwen-Duiveland , Zeeland , Netherlands  Westhoek , Walcheren , a neighborhood in Veere , Zeeland , Netherlands

neg: Afrikaans Afrikaans ( -LSB- ˌæfrᵻˈkɑːns , _ ˌɑːfri - , _ - ˈkɑːnts , _ - ˈkɑːnz -RSB- ) is a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa , Namibia and , to a lesser extent , Botswana and Zimbabwe . It evolved from the Dutch vernacular of South Holland ( Hollandic dialect ) spoken by the mainly Dutch settlers of what is now South Africa , where it gradually began to develop distinguishing characteristics in the course of the 18th century . Hence , it is a daughter language of Dutch , and was previously referred to as `` Cape Dutch '' ( a term also used to refer collectively to the early Cape settlers ) or `` kitchen Dutch '' ( a derogatory term used to refer to Afrikaans in its earlier days ) . However , it is also variously described as a creole or as a partially creolised language.Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch ; see , , , , , . Afrikaans was historically called Cape Dutch ; see , , , , , . Afrikaans is rooted in seventeenth century dialects of Dutch ; see , , , . Afrikaans is variously described as a creole , a partially creolised language , or a deviant variety of Dutch ; see . The term is ultimately derived from Dutch Afrikaans-Hollands meaning `` African Dutch '' . It is the first language of most of the Afrikaners and Coloureds of Southern Africa .   Although Afrikaans has adopted words from other languages , including Portuguese , the Bantu languages , Malay , German and the Khoisan languages , an estimated 90 to 95 % of Afrikaans vocabulary is of Dutch origin .  Therefore , differences with Dutch often lie in the more analytic morphology and grammar of Afrikaans , and a spelling that expresses Afrikaans pronunciation rather than standard Dutch . There is a large degree of mutual intelligibility between the two languages -- especially in written form .   With about 7 million native speakers in South Africa , or 13.5 % of the population , it is the third-most-spoken language in the country . It has the widest geographical and racial distribution of all the eleven official languages of South Africa , and is widely spoken and understood as a second or third language . It is the majority language of the western half of South Africa -- the provinces of the Northern Cape and Western Cape -- and the first language of 75.8 % of Coloured South Africans ( 3.4 million people ) , 60.8 % of White South Africans ( 2.7 million ) and at 4.6 % the second most spoken first-language among Asian South Africans ( 58,000 ) . About 1.5 % of black South Africans ( 600,000 people ) speak it as their first language . Large numbers of speakers of Bantu languages and English-speaking South Africans also speak it as their second language . It is taught in schools , with about 10.3 million second-language students . One reason for the expansion of Afrikaans is its development in the public realm : it is used in newspapers , radio programs , TV , and several translations of the Bible have been published since the first one was completed in 1933 .   In neighbouring Namibia , Afrikaans is widely spoken as a second language and used as a lingua franca , while as a native language it is spoken in 10.4 % of households , mainly concentrated in the capital Windhoek , Walvis Bay , Swakopmund and the southern regions of Hardap and ǁKaras . It , along with German , was among the official languages of Namibia until the country became independent in 1990 , 25 % of the population of Windhoek spoke Afrikaans at home . Both Afrikaans and German survive as recognised regional languages in the country , although only English has official status within the government .   Estimates of the total number of Afrikaans speakers range between 15 and 23 million .