2008 Edition

Background

The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Area

total: 41,526 sq km land: 33,883 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: Zuidplaspolder -7 m highest point: Vaalserberg 322 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 8.86 cu km/yr (6%/60%/34%) per capita: 544 cu m/yr (2001)

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

5,650 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Land use

arable land: 21.96% permanent crops: 0.77% other: 77.27% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

89.7 cu km (2005)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.6% (male 1,496,348/female 1,427,297) 15-64 years: 67.8% (male 5,705,003/female 5,583,787) 65 years and over: 14.6% (male 1,040,932/female 1,391,946) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

10.53 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2005)

Ethnic groups

Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Netherlands Antilles & Aruba 0.8%, other 4.8% (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

19,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.81 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

Dutch (official), Frisian (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.25 years male: 76.66 years female: 81.98 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 40 years male: 39.2 years female: 40.9 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch

Net migration rate

2.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

16,645,313 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

0.436% (2008 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years male: 17 years female: 16 years (2006)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.66 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland (Fryslan), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland)

Capital

name: Amsterdam geographic coordinates: 52 23 N, 4 54 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: The Hague is the seat of government; time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, not to the Caribbean components

Constitution

adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden local short form: Nederland

Dependent areas

Aruba, Netherlands Antilles

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador James B. CULBERTSON embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Regina "Renee" JONES-BOS chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300, [1] 877-388-2443

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22 July 2002); Deputy Prime Ministers Wouter BOS (since 22 February 2007) and Andre ROUVOET (since 22 February 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: the monarchy 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; deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet on legislative and administrative policy

FAX

[1] (202) 362-3430 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

[31] (70) 361-4688 consulate(s) general: Amsterdam

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; one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch)

Legal system

based on 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 to serve 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 29 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2011); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be held by early 2011) election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDA 21, PvdA 14, VVD 14, Socialist Party 11, Christian Union 4, Green Left Party 4, D66 2, other 5; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - CDA 26.5%, PvdA 21.2%, Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for Freedom 5.9%, Green Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%, other 6.6%; seats by party - CDA 41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9, Green Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7

National holiday

Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jan Peter BALKENENDE]; Christian Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD]; Green Left Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wouter BOS]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Mark RUTTE]; Reformed Political Party of SGP [Bas VAN DER VLIES]; Socialist Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN]; plus a few minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Rene PAAS]; Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW [Bernard WIENTJES]; Federation for Small and Medium-sized businesses or MKB [Loek HERMANS]; Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Agnes JONGERIUS]; Social Economic Council or SER [Alexander RINNOOY Kan]; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP [Ad VERHOEVEN]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $359.5 billion expenditures: $356.5 billion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.72% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)

Currency code

EUR

Current account balance

$47.31 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$2.277 trillion (30 June 2007)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30.9 (2005)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $5.452 billion (2006)

Economy - overview

The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which depends heavily on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable industrial relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable current account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 3% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting foreign direct investment and is one of the five largest investors in the US. The economy experienced a slowdown in 2005 but in 2006 recovered to the fastest pace in six years on the back of increased exports and strong investment. The pace of job growth reached 10-year highs in 2007.

Electricity - consumption

109.6 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

5.565 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

23.14 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

97.33 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 89.9% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 4.3% other: 5.7% (2001)

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Exports

$456.8 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs

Exports - partners

Germany 24.4%, Belgium 13.6%, UK 9.1%, France 8.5%, Italy 5.1%, US 4.3% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2% industry: 24.4% services: 73.6% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$39,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.5% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$768.7 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$645.5 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 22.9% (1999)

Imports

$406.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners

Germany 17.7%, China 10.5%, Belgium 9.3%, US 7.3%, UK 5.8%, Russia 5.1%, France 4.4% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

3.1% (2007 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.6% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

20% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

7.604 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 3% industry: 21% services: 76% (2005 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$924.4 billion (November 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

46.42 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

55.66 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

25.73 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

76.33 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.416 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

984,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports

1.639 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

2.648 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

88,950 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

100 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

10.5% (2005)

Public debt

45.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$26.98 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$851.3 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$673.4 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.876 trillion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

NA note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders

Stock of quasi money

NA (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

4.6% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.nl

Internet hosts

10.983 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

52 (2000)

Internet users

15 million (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 246, shortwave 3 (2004)

Radios

15.3 million (1996)

Telephone system

general assessment: highly developed and well maintained domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellular telephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology international: country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

7.334 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

17.3 million (2006)

Television broadcast stations

21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

8.1 million (1997)

Airports

27 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2007)

Heliports

1 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 622 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 381, carrier 19, chemical tanker 44, container 76, liquefied gas 15, passenger 16, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 23, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 203 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 8, Denmark 29, Finland 14, France 1, Germany 75, Ireland 10, Italy 1, South Korea 1, Norway 12, Sweden 28, Turkey 1, UAE 5, UK 2, US 14) registered in other countries: 178 (Antigua and Barbuda 20, Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 9, Cambodia 1, Canada 1, Cyprus 22, Germany 1, Gibraltar 21, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 6, Luxembourg 2, Marshall Islands 8, Netherlands Antilles 38, Panama 14, Paraguay 1, Philippines 23, Portugal 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, US 1, unknown 1) (2008)

Pipelines

condensate 81 km; gas 7,394 km; oil 578 km; refined products 716 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen

Railways

total: 2,797 km standard gauge: 2,797 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways

total: 134,981 km (includes 2,604 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways

6,211 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2006)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 3,950,825 females age 16-49: 3,850,800 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 3,233,773 females age 16-49: 3,150,790 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 105,735 female: 100,747 (2008 est.)

Military branches

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police (2008)

Military expenditures

1.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008