1996 Edition

Description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer

Location

52 30 N, 5 45 E -- Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

land area

33,920 sq km

total area

37,330 sq km

Climate

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Coastline

451 km

Environment

current issues

water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain

international agreements

party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94

natural hazards

the extensive system of dikes and dams, protects nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded

Geographic coordinates

52 30 N, 5 45 E

Geographic note

located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

5,500 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

total

1,027 km

Land use

arable land

26%

forest and woodland

9%

meadows and pastures

32%

other

32%

permanent crops

1%

Location

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, fertile soil

Terrain

mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

highest point

Vaalserberg 321 m

lowest point

Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 1,457,694; female 1,393,402) 15-64 years: 68% (male 5,412,402; female 5,228,579) 65 years and over: 14% (male 836,934; female 1,239,023) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

12.08 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)

Infant mortality rate

4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Dutch

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.68 years (1996 est.)

male

74.91 years

total population

77.73 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

99%

Nationality

adjective

Dutch

noun

Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

Net migration rate

2.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

15,568,034 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.56% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 34%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 3%, other 2%, unaffiliated 36% (1991)

Sex ratio

all ages

0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.51 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (provincien, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland

Capital

Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government

Constitution

17 February 1983

Data code

NL

Dependent areas

Aruba, Netherlands Antilles

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

(temporary) 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Adriaan JACOBOVITS DE SZEGED

telephone

[1] (202) 244-5300

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980) is a constitutional monarch; Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), Prince of Orange, son of Queen BEATRIX

head of government

Prime Minister Willem (Wim) KOK (since 22 August 1994) and Vice Prime Ministers Hans DIJKSTAL (since 22 August 1994) and Hans VAN MIERLO (since 22 August 1994) were appointed by the queen

FAX

[1] (202) 362-3430

[31] (70) 361-4688

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

consulate(s) general

Amsterdam

First Chamber (Eerste Kamer)

members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms; election last held 9 June 1995 (next to be held 9 June 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (75 total) number of seats by party NA

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer

Independence

1579 (from Spain)

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad), justices are nominated for life by the crown from a list compiled by the Second Chamber of the Staten Generaal

Legal system

civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal)

Name of country

conventional long form

Kingdom of the Netherlands

conventional short form

Netherlands

local long form

Koninkrijk de Nederlanden

local short form

Nederland

National holiday

Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

Other political or pressure groups

large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and Interchurch Peace Council (IKV)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Hans HELGERS; Labor (PvdA), Felix ROTTENBERG; Liberal (VVD), Frits BOLKESTEIN; Democrats '66 (D66), Hans VAN MIERLO; a host of minor parties

Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)

members directly elected for four-year terms; elections last held 3 May 1994 (next to be held in 1998); results - PvdA 24.3%, CDA 22.3%, VVD 20.4%, D'66 16.5%, other 16.5%; seats - (150 total) PvdA 37, CDA 34, VVD 31, D'66 24, other 24

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Kirk Terry DORNBUSH

embassy

Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague

mailing address

PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715

telephone

[31] (70) 310-9209

Agriculture

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Budget

expenditures

$122.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

revenues

$109.9 billion

Currency

1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents

Economic aid

donor

ODA, $2.525 billion (1993)

Economic overview

This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations, permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GDP. Industrial activity provides about 25% of GDP and is led by the food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 4% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. Indeed, the Netherlands ranks third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. High unemployment and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems. Many of the economic issues of the 1990s will reflect the course of European economic integration.

Electricity

capacity

17,520,000 kW

consumption per capita

5,100 kWh (1993)

production

72.4 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.6365 (January 1996), 1.6057 (1995), 1.8200 (1994), 1.8573 (1993), 1.7585 (1992), 1.8697 (1991)

Exports

$146 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities

metal products, chemicals, processed food and tobacco, agricultural products

partners

EU 73% (Germany 28%, Belgium-Luxembourg 13%, UK 9%), Central and Eastern Europe 2%, US 5% (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $301.9 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

3.4%

industry

26.9%

services

69.7% (1994)

GDP per capita

$19,500 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs

Imports

$133 billion (c.i.f., 1995)

commodities

raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products

partners

EU 56% (Germany 21%, Belgium-Luxembourg 11%, UK 8.5%), US 8.6% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1995 est.)

Industries

agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.25% (1995)

Labor force

6.4 million (1993)

by occupation

services 73%, manufacturing and construction 23%, agriculture 4% (1994)

Unemployment rate

7.1% (fourth quarter 1995)

Branches

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $8.2 billion, 2.1% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

4,191,998

males fit for military service

3,670,253

males reach military age (20) annually

94,013 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3 (relays 3), FM 12 (repeaters 39), shortwave 0

Radios

13.755 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

highly developed and well maintained; extensive redundant system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave radio relay

domestic

nationwide cellular telephone system; microwave radio relay

international

5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions)

Telephones

8.272 million (1983 est.)

Television broadcast stations

8 (repeaters 7)

Televisions

7.4 million (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

28

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

6

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

8

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

3

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

7

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

3 (1995 est.)

Heliports

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

92,251 km (including 2,118 km of expressways)

total

104,831 km

unpaved

12,580 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

note

many Dutch-owned ships are operating under the registry of Netherlands Antilles (1995 est.)

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 206, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 3, container 34, liquefied gas tanker 13, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 2, oil tanker 38, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 16, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2

total

352 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,681,133 GRT/3,379,762 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas 10,230 km

Ports

Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht

Railways

standard gauge

2,891 km 1.435-m gauge; 2857 km are in common carrier service (1,991 km electrified) and 34 km serve tourists

total

2,891 km

Waterways

6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger