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Dutch trade routes

Definition

These are paths used for commercial trade by Dutch merchants during their Golden Age (17th century). They spanned across Europe, Asia, Africa and America allowing them to dominate global commerce for a time.

Analogy

Imagine Dutch trade routes as an intricate web spun by a spider. Each thread represents a route connecting different parts of this web (the world) together. The spider at the center is like Amsterdam - controlling all these connections and benefiting from them.

Related terms

Dutch East India Company (VOC): An early megacorporation founded by a government-directed amalgamation of several rival Dutch trading companies in 1602. It was established for trading with Asia but ended up having semi-governmental powers including ability to wage war.

Mercantilism: An economic theory that advocates government regulation of international trade to generate wealth and strengthen national power.

Triangular Trade: A multilateral system of trading in which a country pays for its imports from one country by its exports to another. It was used extensively during the Dutch Golden Age.