1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 41,532 sq km land: 33,889 sq km water: 7,643 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Climate
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Coastline
451 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m
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
Environment--international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geographic coordinates
52 30 N, 5 45 E
Geography--note
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)
Irrigated land
6,000 sq km (1996 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Land use
arable land: 25% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 8% other: 39% (1996 est.)
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 hazards
the extensive system of dikes and dams protects nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded
Natural resources
natural gas, petroleum, fertile soil
Terrain
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 18% (male 1,475,606; female 1,410,088) 15-64 years: 68% (male 5,482,193; female 5,288,948) 65 years and over: 14% (male 875,847; female 1,274,959) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
11.36 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
8.69 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Dutch 94%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 6% (1988)
Infant mortality rate
5.11 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Dutch
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.15 years male: 75.28 years female: 81.17 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1979 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch
Net migration rate
1.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
15,807,641 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0.47% (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 34%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 3%, other 2%, unaffiliated 36% (1991)
Sex ratio
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: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.49 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
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
adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February 1983
Country name
conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden local short form: Nederland
Data code
NL
Dependent areas
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), Prince of Orange, son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 22 August 1994) and Vice Prime Ministers Annemarie JORRITSMA (since 3 August 1998) and Els BORST-EILERS (since 3 August 1998) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch note: there is a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councillors consulted by the executive on legislative and administrative policy
Flag 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
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Independence
1579 (from Spain)
International organization participation
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joris M. VOS chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Cynthia P. SCHNEIDER embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 consulate(s) general: Amsterdam
Judicial branch
Supreme Court or Hoge Raad, justices are nominated for life by the monarch Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA Political pressure groups and leaders: 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 or IKV
Legal system
civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: First Chamber--last held 9 June 1995 (next to be held 25 May 1999); Second Chamber--last held 6 May 1998 (next to be held May 2002) election results: First Chamber--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--VVD 23, CDA 19, PvdA 14, D'66 7, other 12; Second Chamber--percent of vote by party--PvdA 30.0%, VVD 25.3%, CDA 19.3%, D'66 9.3%, other 16.1%; seats by party--PvdA 45, VVD 38, CDA 29, D'66 14, other 24
National holiday
Queen's Day, 30 April
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Budget
revenues: $163 billion expenditures: $170 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Currency
1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents; note--on 1 January 2002 to be replaced by the euro
Debt--external
$0
Economic aid--donor
ODA, $2.9 billion (1997)
Economy--overview
This prosperous and open economy is based on private enterprise with the government's presence felt in many aspects of the economy. Industrial activity features food processing, petroleum refining, and metalworking. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 4% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. As a result, the Netherlands ranks third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. Sharp cuts in subsidy and social security spending since the 1980s helped the Dutch achieve sustained economic growth combined with falling unemployment and moderate inflation. The economy achieved a strong 3.7% growth in 1998; a dip in the business cycle probably will cause the economy to decelerate to slightly over 2% growth in 1999. Unemployment in 1999 is expected to be less than 5% of the labor force, and inflation probably will decline. The Dutch joined the first wave of 11 EU countries launching the euro system on 1 January 1999.
Electricity--consumption
90.366 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
700 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
11.3 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
83.3 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 94.51% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 4.95% other: 0.44% (1996)
Exchange rates
Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1--1.8904 (January 1999), 1.9837 (1998), 1.9513 (1997), 1.6859 (1996), 1.6057 (1995), 1.8200 (1994) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 2.20371 guilders per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Exports
$160 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, food and tobacco
Exports--partners
EU 78% (Germany 27%, Belgium-Luxembourg 13%, France 11%, UK 10%, Italy 6%), Central and Eastern Europe, US (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$348.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 3.2% industry: 27.5% services: 69.3% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$22,200 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
3.7% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 24.7% (1991)
Imports
$142 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels, consumer goods
Imports--partners
EU 61% (Germany 21%, Belgium-Luxembourg 11%, UK 10%), US 9%, Central and Eastern Europe (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
2.4% (1998)
Industries
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2% (1998)
Labor force
7 million (1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
services 73%, manufacturing and construction 23%, agriculture 4% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
4.1% (1998 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 3 (relays 3), FM 12 (repeaters 39), shortwave 0
Radios
14 million (1994 est.)
Telephone system
highly developed and well maintained; system of multi-conductor cables gradually being supplemented/replaced by a glass-fiber based telecommunication infrastructure; Mobile GSM-based mobile telephony density rapidly growing; third generation Universal Mobile Telecommunications System expected for introduction by the year 2001 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
8.431 million (1998 est.); 3.4 million cellular telephone subscribers (1998 est.)
Television broadcast stations
15 (in addition, there are five low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
7.6 million (1994 est.)
Transportation
Airports
28 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 19 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (1998 est.)
Heliports
1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 127,000 km paved: 114,427 km (including 2,360 km of expressways) unpaved: 12,573 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 510 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,632,477 GRT/4,097,328 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 303, chemical tanker 42, combination bulk 1, container 52, liquefied gas tanker 17, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 9, oil tanker 24, passenger 8, refrigerated cargo 30, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 4 note: many Dutch-owned ships are also operating under the registry of Netherlands Antilles (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas 10,230 km Ports and harbors: Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht
Railways
total: 2,813 km standard gauge: 2,813 km 1.435-m gauge; (1,991 km electrified) (1996)
Waterways
5,046 km, of which 47% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger
Military and Security
Military branches
Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$6.604 billion (FY97)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
2.1% (1995)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 4,117,376 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 3,595,693 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
20 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 95,368 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs