Dutch
The Dutch , occasionally referred to as Netherlanders, a term that is cognate to the Dutch word for Dutch people, "Nederlanders" are a Germanic ethnic group native to the Netherlands. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Curacao, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the USA.
As with all ethnic groups the ethnogenesis of the Dutch (and their predecessors) has been a lengthy and complex process. Though the majority of the defining characteristics (such as language, religion, architecture or cuisine) of the Dutch ethnic group have accumulated over the ages, it is difficult (if not impossible) to clearly pinpoint the exact emergence of the Dutch people; the interpretation of which is often highly personal.
The history of the Netherlands (not Netherlanders) is the history of a seafaring people thriving on a lowland river delta on the North Sea in northwestern Europe. Records begin with the four centuries during which the region formed a militarized border zone of the Roman empire. This came under increasing pressure from Germanic Peoples moving westwards. As Roman power collapsed and the Midle Ages began, three dominant Germanic Peoples coalesced in the area, Frisians (Angles - Saxons) in the north, Low Saxons in the northeast, and the Franks.
