The Hague is a city on the western coast of the Netherlands and the capital of the province of South Holland. With a population of 510,000, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It is also the seat of government of the Netherlands and it houses one of the most important courts in the world.
The Hague is the seat of the Cabinet, the States General, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State of the Netherlands, but the city is not the constitutional capital of the Netherlands, which is Amsterdam. The Hague is also home to the world headquarters of Royal Dutch Shell and other Dutch companies.
The Hague is known as the home of international law and arbitration. The International Court of Justice, the main judicial arm of the United Nations, is located in the city, as well as the International Criminal Court, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Europol, and approximately 150 other international governmental organisations.
It became a friendship city of Shenzhen on November 17, 2014.