Seventeen Provinces

Seventeen Provinces
Zeventien Provinciën (Dutch)
1549–1581
Map of the Seventeen Provinces, 1581 secession outlined in red
Map of the Seventeen Provinces, 1581 secession outlined in red
StatusPersonal union of Imperial fiefs
CapitalBrussels
Common languages
Religion
GovernmentMonarchy
Historical eraEarly modern period
1549
• Dutch Act of Abjuration
1581
ISO 3166 codeNL
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Habsburg Netherlands
Dutch Republic
Spanish Netherlands

The Seventeen Provinces were the Imperial states of the Habsburg Netherlands in the 16th century. They roughly covered the Low Countries, i.e., what is now the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and most of the French departments of Nord (French Flanders and French Hainaut) and Pas-de-Calais (Artois). Also within this area were semi-independent fiefdoms, mainly ecclesiastical ones, such as Liège, Cambrai and Stavelot-Malmedy.

The Seventeen Provinces arose from the Burgundian Netherlands, a number of fiefs held by the House of Valois-Burgundy and inherited by the House of Habsburg in 1482, and held by Habsburg Spain from 1556. Starting in 1512, the Provinces formed the major part of the Burgundian Circle. In 1581, the Seven United Provinces seceded to form the Dutch Republic.