Just how large was The Dutch colonial Empire?

Answer 1

The Dutch East India Trading Company was just massive. For its day, it would be like Walmart and Microsoft combined. The Company was totally supported by the their goverment to set up colonies, so there's no technical difference between the Trading Company colonies and regular Dutch Government colonies.

Answer 2

In terms of the amount of land held - not very large, but rich. But, as a maritime empire, it extended around the world, so in terms of time and distance - huge.

Answer 3

it operated in the south pacific, carribbean and for a short while in manhattan, new york. I believe they tried to set up shop in africa but it never really took

Answer 4

whopping great humungous

Answer 5

Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
Main article: Dutch East Indies
In 1605, Portuguese trading posts in the Spice Islands fell to the superior firepower of the Dutch. In 1619 a fortified base was established in Batavia, becoming the capital of the Dutch East Indies, and later Indonesia (and renamed the capital as Jakarta), after the Indonesian declared their independence on 17 August 1945.


Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
The Dutch first landed in Ceylon in 1602, then under Portuguese control, and by 1658 had completely ousted the Portuguese from the island. The Portuguese had ruled the coastline though not the interior of the island from 1505 to 1658. Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims had all suffered religious persecution under Portuguese rule; the Dutch proved more interested in trade than in religious converts. Ceylon remained a very large Dutch trading post until it was seized by the British in 1796. Ceylon's importance came from it being a half-way point between their settlements in Indonesia and South Africa.


Formosa (Taiwan)
See also : Taiwan under Dutch rule and Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)

The Dutch maintained a base, Fort Zeelandia, on Taiwan from 1624 until 1662, when they were driven away by Koxinga. The island itself was a source of cane sugar and deerskin. It was also a place where Dutch VOC merchants could trade with Chinese merchants from the mainland. Here they could buy the silk needed for the Japanese market.


Malacca
The Dutch captured Malacca on the west coast of Malaya (now West Malaysia) in 1641 from the Portuguese. In accordance with a treaty signed with stadtholder William V of Orange (then in exile in the United Kingdom) it was turned over to the British in 1806, during the Napoleonic wars. It was returned to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1816. It was then ceded to the British in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824.


Deshima
Main article: Deshima
Initially the Dutch maintained a trading post at Hirado, from 1609-1641. Later, the Japanese granted the Dutch a trade monopoly on Japan, but solely on Deshima, an artificial island off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan, from 1641 to 1853. During this period they were the only Europeans allowed into Japan. Chinese and Korean traders were still welcome, though restricted in their movements.


New Holland
Main article: New Holland (Australia)
The part of Australia now known as Western Australia was recognised as in the Netherlands sphere of control and known as New Holland. No formal claim was ever made through an attempt to settle the region, although much of the North West coast have Dutch names and can be traced back to the Dutch. There are many Dutch shipwrecks littered all along the coast, (such as the Batavia) that were wrecked on their way to the East Indies. By the time the British arrived they noticed that there were small pockets of the indigenous population with blonde hair and blue eyes. See the History of Western Australia for more information.


South Africa
Main article: Cape Colony
In 1652 the Dutch East India Company established a refuelling station at the Cape of Good Hope, situated half-way between the Dutch East Indies and the Dutch West Indies. Great Britain seized the colony in 1797 during the Fifth Anglo-Dutch War, and annexed it in 1805. The Dutch colonists in South Africa remained after the British took over and later made the trek across the country to Natal. They were subjected in the Boer Wars and are now known as Afrikaners.


The Americas
Main article: Dutch colonization of the Americas

New Netherland
Main articles: New Netherland and New Amsterdam
New Netherland comprised the areas of the north east Atlantic seaboard of the present-day United States that were visited by Dutch explorers and later settled and taken over by the Dutch West India Company. The settlements were initially located on the Hudson River: Fort Nassau (1614-1617) in present-day Albany (later resettled as Fort Orange in 1624), and New Amsterdam, founded in 1625 on Manhattan Island. New Netherland reached its maximum size after the Dutch absorbed the Swedish settlement of Fort Christina in 1655, thereby ending the North American colony of New Sweden.

New Netherland itself formally ended in 1674 after the Third Anglo-Dutch War: Dutch settlements passed to the English crown and New Amsterdam was renamed New York.

The treaty forged by the Dutch and English may, in a nutshell, be regarded as a cessation of hostilities and that each party would hold onto any lands held or conquered at the time of the Treaty of Breda ending the previous Second Anglo-Dutch War. There was no exchange of lands. Hence, the English held onto what had been an easily-conquered New Amsterdam of Peter Minuit (including Manhattan Island and the Hudson River Valley), and the Dutch spoils included what is now Dutch Guiana or Suriname in South America as well as a small island in the East Indies (the Spice Islands) that was the home of the most valuable spice (if not substance) in the world: nutmeg. At the time nutmeg was much more valuable than gold. This island was the only place in the world where the nutmeg tree was found. At the time the Dutch were very pleased with getting the nutmeg isle and did not regret the loss of New Amsterdam.


Dutch West Indies
Main article: Dutch West Indies
The colonization of the Dutch West Indies, an island group at the time claimed by Spain, began in 1620 with the taking of St. Maarten, and remains a Dutch overseas territory to this day, Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. These possessions are organized as two self-governing units whose legal relationship to the Kingdom of the Netherlands is controlled by the "Kingdom Charter."


Suriname
Captured by the Dutch from the English during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, Suriname and its valuable sugar plantations formally passed into Dutch hands in return for New Netherland with the signing of the Treaty of Westminster in 1674. It remained an overseas Dutch territory until independence was granted in 1975.


Guyana
In the 16th century European settlers first arrived in this area of north South America, the Netherlands being the fastest to claim the land. Around 1600 was the first trade route established by the Dutch. Eventually the Netherlands planted three colonies to further mark the territory under the Netherlands rule; Essequibo (1616), Berbice (1627), and Demerara (1752). The British occupied Guyana in the late 18th century. The Netherlands ceded Guyana to the United Kingdom in (1814).


Brazil
In 1624 The Dutch captured and held for a year Salvador, the capital of the Portuguese settlements in Brazil.

From 1630 to 1654, the Dutch West Indies Company controlled a long stretch of the coast from Sergipe to Maranhão, which they renamed New Holland, before being ousted by the Portuguese. A major character from the war was a mestizo named Calabar, who changed sides and changed the course of the fighting in favor of the Dutch, for a while. He was captured and executed by the Portuguese.


Virgin Islands
First settled by the Dutch in 1648, but annexed by England in 1672, later to be renamed the British Virgin Islands.


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


West Africa
Dutch trade posts of the WIC (the Dutch gold coast):

Mauritanië:
Arguin (1633-1678 / 1724-1728)

Senegal
Portudal

Rufisque

Joal

Goree/Goeree eiland (1617-1663 / 1664-1677)

Sierra Leone:
Tasso eiland (1664)

Liberia:
Kaap Mount

Ghana:
Cape Apollonia (Benyin): Fort Apollonia (16.-1768 / 1868-1872)

Abacqua (Duma of Egwira): Fort Ruychaver (Jul./Aug. 1654 - 1659)

Monding van Ankobra: Fort Elise Carthago (1650)

Axim: Fort Santo Antonio (Feb. 1642 – 1664 / 1665 – 1872)

Poquefoe of Pokesu (Princess Town): Fort Hollandia (Gross-Friedrichsburg) 1725 fort - 1814/1815 - 1698/1711 – 1712/1732 - 1804

Dixcove: Fort Metaal Kruis (1868 - 1872)

Butri: Fort Batenstein (1656 - 1665 / 166..-1872)

Takoradi: Fort Witsen

Sekondi: (1782 – 1785)

Sekondi: Fort Oranje (1640 of 1670/75 - 1872)

Shama: Fort San Sebastian (1637 - 1664 / 1664 – 1872)

Komenda: Fort Komenda (1868 - 1872)

Komenda: Fort Vredenburgh (1688 fort – 1782 / 1785 – 1872)

Elmina: Fort Elmina, Fort Conraadsburg of St. Jago, Fort de Veer (1810/1811), **Fort Naglas (1828), Fort Java (1828), Fort Scomarus (1828), Fort **Batenstein (1828). (28/9 Augustus 1637 - 6 April 1872)

Cape Coast: Cabo Corço of Oguaa (Zweedse naam: Carolusborg of Carlsborg) (16 April 1659- Mei 1659/ 22 Apr. 1663 - 3 Mei 1664

Cong (Cong-hoogte): - 1659 opgegeven

Mouri: Fort Nassau (1598 of 1611 / 12 – 1664/1665 – 1782/1785 - 1867 )

Cormantin: Fort Amsterdam (1665 – 1721 / 1785 - 1867 )

Anomabu: (1640-1652)

Egya: (1647 - ? / 1663 - 1664)

Apam: Fort Leydsaemheyt of Lijdzaamheid (Patience) (1697/1698 – 1782/ 1785-1868)

Senya Beraku: Fort Goede Hoop, (1667 or 1705/06 fort – 1782/1785 - 1867/68)

Ussher Town (Accra): Fort Crêvecoeur (1649-1782/ 1786-1868)

Kpone: (1697 - Apr. 1700 / 1706 - ?)

Keta: Fort Singelenburgh (? - 1737)

Kumase: (1837-1842 / 1848-1853 / 1859-1869)

Petit Popo of Popo / (Anecho of Aneho) (1731 - 1760)

Great Popo(1680 - ?)

Ouidah (1670s. or 1687 / 1702 - 1724 or 1726)

Jaquim] of Jakri (Godomey) Fort Zelandia (1726 – 1734)

Offra(1675 - 1691)

Appa of Ekpé(1732 - 1736)

Savi

Allada of Ardra

Togo:
Klein-Popo (1731-1760)

Benin:
Groot Popo

Ouidah

Jaquim of Jakri

Offra

Appa

Savi

Allada

Nigeria:
Benin (1705 - 1736)

Badagri (1737 - 1748)

Epe (1732 - 1755)

Kongo:
Loango (Boary) (1648 - 1686, 1721 - 1726)

Ngoyo or G'oy

Equatoriaal-Guinee:
Annobon

Corsico

Gabon:
Mayumba

Angola:
Sao Paulo de Luanda (Luanda)

Fort Aardenburgh (26 Aug. 1641- 21/24 Aug. 1648)


Europe
Though not part of the Dutch Empire per se, the Netherlands were granted control of the Southern Netherlands after the Congress of Vienna. The southern Netherlands declared independence in 1830 (the Belgian Revolution), and its independence was recognized by the Netherlands in 1839, giving birth to Belgium. As part of the Congress of Vienna, King William I of the Netherlands was made Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and the two countries united into a personal union. The independence of Luxembourg was ratified in 1869. When William III of the Netherlands died in 1890, leaving no male successor, the Grand Duchy was given to another branch of the House of Orange-Nassau.


Debate about the usage of the term "Dutch Empire"
^ Usage of the term "empire" in relation to all of the overseas activities of the Dutch is debatable, because many of the colonies were in fact trading posts governed by two independent trade companies, the Dutch East India Company and Dutch West India Company. Only after 1815, when the British returned the colonies to the Dutch after occupation during the Napoleonic War, did the kingdom (and from 1848 onwards, the parliament) take charge of the administration of the colonies. Until recent Dutch historians were quite hesitant to use the words 'imperialism' and 'Empire'. Nowadays they use it, but mainly to refer to it in a more European aspect and most of the time only when looking at the period 1880-1940. In 1968, a Dutch historian wrote for an English audience and said: "Dutch colonial policy was never dominated by visions of establishing a Dutch empire in Asia.", S. L. van der Wal in: Bromley and Kossmann (1968;