What is Seventeen Provinces?
{{Infobox former country |native_name = {{lang|nl|Zeventien Provinciën}}<br>{{lang|es|Diecisiete Provincias}}<br>{{lang|de|Siebzehn Provinzen}}<br>{{lang|fr|Dix-sept Provinces}}<br>The Seventeen Provinces |common_name = Netherlands <!-- Used for sorting, do not use 'the'. --> |era = Middle Ages |status = Vassal |status_text = [[Imperial State|States]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] |year_start = 1482 |date_start = |event1 = Joined [[Burgundian Circle]] |date_event1 = 1512 |event_end = [[Act of Abjuration|Dutch declaration of independence]] |year_end = 1581 |date_end = July 26 |p1 = Burgundian Netherlands |flag_p1 = Blason fr Bourgogne.svg |s1 = Dutch Republic |flag_s1 = Prinsenvlag.svg |s2 = Spanish Netherlands |flag_s2 = Flag of the Low Countries.svg |flag = Cross of Burgundy flag |flag_type = |image_flag = Flag of the Low Countries.svg <!-- The Cross of Burgundy flag--> |image_map = Map Burgundian Netherlands 1477-en.png |image_map_caption = Map of the Provinces |government_type = Monarchy |capital = [[Brussels]] |common_languages = [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[West Low German|Low Saxon]], [[West Frisian language|Frisian]], [[Walloon language|Walloon]], [[Luxembourgish language|Luxembourgish]], [[French Language|French]] |religion = [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] (official)<br>After [[1530s]] [[Protestantism]] and [[Anabaptism]] (inside northern areas, minority, unofficial) }} The '''Seventeen Provinces''' were a [[personal union]] of states in the [[Low Countries]] in the 15th century and 16th century. The lands were about the same as the current [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Luxembourg]], a good part of the North of [[France]] ([[Artois]], [[French Flanders]]), and a small part of Western [[Germany]]. The Seventeen Provinces were first held by the [[Dukes of Burgundy]] of the [[House of Valois]]. Later they were held by the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburgs]]. From 1512 the Provinces formed the majo