Dutch (Nederlands) is the official language of the Netherlands, Belgium (in Flanders and Brussels), and Suriname. It is also spoken in Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and as an inherited language in parts of France (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen border area). Total speakers worldwide: approximately 24 million native speakers, making it one of the top 40 most spoken languages globally. Afrikaans, spoken in South Africa and Namibia by 7+ million people, is a daughter language of Dutch.
The Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union) is an intergovernmental organisation of the Netherlands, Belgium (Flanders), and Suriname that coordinates language policy and maintains the standard. It publishes the Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal (the official spelling list, known as het Groene Boekje — the Green Booklet) and Taaladvies.net (the official language advice website). Spelling reforms (spellingwijzigingen) are occasionally introduced — the most recent major ones addressed compound words and foreign loanwords.
Official spelling: the Nederlandse spelling (Dutch spelling) is standardised and used in education, official documents, and formal writing. Regional varieties (Flemish, Surinamese Dutch) have some vocabulary differences but use the same spelling standard. For learners: use Taaladvies.net when you are uncertain about spelling, grammar, or usage — it is authoritative, free, and in Dutch (good reading practice in itself). Van Dale (the major Dutch dictionary) is the standard reference for vocabulary.