Editing The Hague (section)

=== Cityscape ===
{{see also|List of tallest buildings in Haaglanden}}
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City life concentrates around the [[Hofvijver]] and the [[Binnenhof]], where the States General of the Netherlands is located. Because of its history, the historical inner city of The Hague differs in various aspects from the nearby smaller cities of [[Leiden]] and [[Delft]]. It does not have a cramped inner city, bordered by canals and walls. Instead, it has some small streets in the town centre that may be dated from the late [[Middle Ages]] and several spacious streets boasting large and luxurious 18th-century residences built for diplomats and affluent Dutch families. It has a large church dating from the 15th century, a [[Old City Hall (The Hague)|City Hall]] (built as such) from the 16th century, several large 17th-century palaces, a 17th-century [[Protestant]] church built in what was then a modern style, and many important 18th-century buildings.

[[File:Den Haag Binnenhof 02.jpg|thumb|The [[Hofvijver]] and the buildings housing the [[States General of the Netherlands]]]]
[[File:Den Haag, skyline vanaf Laan van Reagan en Gorbatsjov IMG 8945 2019-03-24 17.46.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Hoftoren]] (left) and the [[Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport]] (the triangular [[gable]] right)]]
The city is becoming more student-friendly with the introduction of a new campus in 2012 of [[Leiden University]] as well as [[Leiden University College The Hague]], which was established in 2010. The [[Royal Conservatory of The Hague]] and the [[Royal Academy of Art (The Hague)|Royal Academy of Art]] are also located there, as well as [[The Hague University]], a [[vocational university]] and a branch of The [[Open University of the Netherlands]]. The city has many [[civil servant]]s and [[diplomat]]s.<ref name="denh_Dipl">{{Cite web |title=Diplomatic Corps and embassies |last=Haag |first=Den |work=Gemeente Den Haag |access-date=27 February 2019 |url=https://www.denhaag.nl/en/in-the-city/international-the-hague/diplomatic-corps-and-embassies.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228065846/https://www.denhaag.nl/en/in-the-city/international-the-hague/diplomatic-corps-and-embassies.htm |archive-date=28 February 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In fact, the number and variety of foreign residents (especially the [[expatriate]]s) make the city quite culturally diverse, with many foreign [[pub]]s, shops and cultural events.

The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the [[North Sea]] and includes two distinct [[beach resort]]s. The main beach resort [[Scheveningen]], in the northwestern part of the city, is a popular destination for tourists as well as for inhabitants. With 10&nbsp;million visitors a year, it is the most popular beach town in the [[Benelux]] area. [[Kijkduin]], in the southwest, is The Hague's other beach resort. It is significantly smaller and attracts mainly local residents.

The former Dutch colony of the [[Dutch East Indies|East Indies]], now [[Indonesia]], has left its mark on The Hague. Since the 19th century, high-level civil servants from the Dutch East Indies often spent long-term leave and vacations in The Hague. Many streets are named after places in the Netherlands East Indies (as well as other former Dutch colonies such as Suriname) and there is a sizable "[[Indo people|Indo]]" (i.e. mixed Dutch-Indonesian) community. Since the loss of these Dutch possessions in December 1949, "[[Indo people]]" also known as "Indische people" often refer to The Hague as "the Widow of the Indies".<ref>Dutch: 'de Weduwe van Indie'. As per song text by the famous singer [[Wieteke van Dort]], see text of the song "Arm Den Haag" ("Pity The Hague"): [http://www.muzikum.eu/nl/123-1151-22012/wieteke_van_dort/arm_den_haag-songtekst.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720165653/http://www.muzikum.eu/nl/123-1151-22012/wieteke_van_dort/arm_den_haag-songtekst.html|date=20 July 2011}}</ref>

The older parts of the town have many characteristically wide and long streets. Houses are generally low-rise (often not more than three floors). A large part of the southwestern city was planned by the progressive Dutch architect [[Hendrik Petrus Berlage|H.P. Berlage]] about 1910. This 'Plan Berlage' decided the spacious and homely streets for several decades. In World War II, a large amount of the western portion of The Hague was destroyed by the Germans. Afterward, modernist architect [[Willem Marinus Dudok|W.M. Dudok]] planned its renewal, putting apartment blocks for the middle class in open park-like settings.

The layout of the city is more spacious than other Dutch cities and because of the incorporation of large and old nobility estates, the creation of various parks, and the use of green zones around natural streams, it is a much more green city than any other in the Netherlands. That is, excepting some medieval close-knitted streets in the centre. The Hague has a canal system around the old city center, which is mainly used for boat tours around the city. Most of the canals were drained in the late 19th century and some were filled between 1910 and 1970<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mvrdv.com/projects/407/the-hague-canals|title= The Hague Canals|website=MVRDV }}</ref> but many have been restored recently.{{when|date=July 2023}}

The tallest buildings of The Hague are both 146-meter-tall ministries of [[Ministry of Justice and Security|Justice and Security]] and the [[Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations|Interior and Kingdom Relations]] of the Netherlands, designed by [[Hans Kollhoff]]. Other significant skyscrapers include the [[Hoftoren]], [[Het Strijkijzer]] and [[De Kroon (The Hague)|De Kroon]].