Map of The Netherlands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: The 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 a brutal 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 EC.


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Location:

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 37,330 km²
Land: 33,920 km²

Land boundaries: total 1,027 km, Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Coastline: 451 km
Continental shelf: not specified
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

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

Elevation

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, fertile soil

Land use
Arable land: 26%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 32%
Forest and woodland: 9%
Other: 32%

Irrigated land: 5,500 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 15,274,942 (July 1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
Adjective: Dutch

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

Languages: Dutch

Religions: Roman Catholic 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 12.81 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 8.53 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.06 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: without an extensive system of dikes and dams, nearly one-half of the total area would be inundated by sea water
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 6.2 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.55 years
Male: 74.48 years
Female: 80.78 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.59 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
Total population: 99%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Conventional short form: Netherlands
Local long form: Koninkrijk de Nederlanden
Local short form: Nederland

Government type

Capital: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas: (2) Aruba, Netherlands Antilles

Independence: 1579 (from Spain)

National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

Constitution: 17 February 1983

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers

Legislative branch: bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Johan Hendrick MEESMAN
In the us chancery: 4,200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 244-5,300
In the us fax: (202) 362-3,430
In the us consulates general:
From the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Thomas H. GEWECKE
From the us embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, The Hague
From the us mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 9,715
From the us telephone: 31 (70) 310-9,209
From the us fax: 31 (70) 361-4,688
From the us consulate 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy 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 5% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.6% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $17,200 (1992)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 4.6% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops - grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and oils

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

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force: 5.3 million
By occupation services: 50.1%
By occupation manufacturing and construction: 28.2%
By occupation government: 15.9%
By occupation agriculture: 5.8% (1986)

Unemployment rate: 5.3% (1992 est.) capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $128.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing
Partners: EC 77% (Germany 27%, Belgium-Luxembourg 15%, UK 10%), US 4% (1991)

Imports: $117.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products
Partners: EC 64% (Germany 26%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14%, UK 8%), US 8% (1991)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.8167 (January 1993), 1.7585 (1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209 (1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988)


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Electricity
Production: 22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,500 million kWh produced, 4,200 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $7.8 billion, 3% of GDP (1992)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 28
Usable: 28
With permanentsurface runways: 20
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 11
With runways 1220-2439 m: 6

Heliports

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

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries; European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs