▁was ▁notice able ▁throughout ▁other ▁count ies ▁and ▁duch ies ▁in ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries ▁and ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁aw ak ening ▁of ▁Dutch ▁national ism . ▁National ity , ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁belonging ▁to ▁a ▁specific ▁group ▁of ▁people ▁dis reg arding ▁their ▁ge ographical ▁position , ▁was ▁beginning ▁to ▁evol ve ▁even ▁before ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Republic . ▁ ▁Emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁culture ▁By ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁large ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries ▁lived ▁in ▁urban ized ▁cent ers . ▁These ▁towns ▁and ▁large ▁villages ▁were ▁the ▁carri ers ▁of ▁and ▁the ▁cent ers ▁for ▁self - recogn ition ▁of ▁Dutch ▁culture . ▁Art ▁and ▁poetry ▁began ▁to ▁emer ge , ▁establish ing ▁a ▁distinction ▁between ▁the ▁Dutch ▁and ▁other ▁pe op les , ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁French . ▁These ▁urban ▁cent ers ▁formed ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁real ization ▁that ▁co operation ▁was ▁necessary ▁for ▁surv ival . ▁Ind ividual s ▁joined ▁together ▁to ▁form ▁communities , ▁and ▁in ▁so ▁doing ▁gave ▁up ▁personal ▁interests ▁and ▁sub j ug ated ▁themselves ▁to ▁local ▁law . ▁The ▁formation ▁of ▁local ▁law ▁was ▁a ▁step ▁towards ▁un ifying ▁and ▁defining ▁the ▁pe op les ' ▁belonging ▁to ▁a ▁specific ▁state ▁within ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries , ▁however ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁produce ▁a ▁feeling ▁of ▁a ▁common ▁national ity ▁across ▁the ▁entire ▁territory . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Republic ▁ ▁Under ▁foreign ▁rule , ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁extens ively