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 and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.


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Location: Western Europe bordering the North Sea between Belgium and Germany

Geographic coordinates: 52 30 N 5 45 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries

Coastline: 451 km

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 arable land

Land use

Irrigated land: 6,000 km² (1996 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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


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Population: 15,892,237 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.57% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Dutch 91% Moroccans Turks and other 9% (1999 est.)

Languages: Dutch

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.57% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 12.12 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 8.72 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 4.42 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government

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

Dependent areas: (1) Aruba Netherlands Antilles

Independence: 1579 (from Spain)

National holiday: Queen's Day 30 April

Constitution: adopted 1814; amended many times last time 17 February 1983

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoge Raad justices are nominated for life by the monarch

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jaap de Hoop SCHEFFER]; Democrats '66 or D'66 [Tom KOK]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wim KOK]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Hans F. DIJKSTAL]; a host of minor parties

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 NAM (guest) NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE PCA UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNIDO UNITAR UNMIBH UNMIK UNTSO UNU UPU WCL WEU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO ZC

Diplomatic representation

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: The Netherlands is a prosperous and open economy in which the government has successfully reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing chemicals petroleum refining and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Dutch rank third worldwide in value of agricultural exports behind the US and France. The Netherlands successfully addressed the issue of public finances and stagnating job growth long before its European partners. This has helped cushion the economy from a slowdown in the euro area. Strong 3.8% GDP growth in 1998 was followed by an only slightly lower 3.4% expansion in 1999. The outlook remains favorable with real GDP growth in 2000 projected at 3.25% along with a small budget surplus. The Dutch were among the first 11 EU countries establishing the euro currency zone on 1 January 1999.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.4% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,100 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: grains potatoes sugar beets fruits vegetables; livestock

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1999)

Labor force: 7 million (1998 est.)
By occupation services: 73%
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation agriculture: 4% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: 3.5% but generous welfare benefits have prompted large numbers to drop out of the labor market (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

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: 2.2% (1999 est.)

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: $169 billion (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals fuels; foodstuffs
Partners: EU 78% (Germany 27% Belgium-Luxembourg 13% France 11% UK 10% Italy 6%) Central and Eastern Europe US (1998)

Imports: $152 billion (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment chemicals fuels; foodstuffs clothing
Partners: EU 61% (Germany 20% Belgium-Luxembourg 11% UK 10% France 7%) US 9% Central and Eastern Europe (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $0

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000) 0.9386 (1999); 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)


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Electricity
Production: 88.736 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 94.325 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 400 million kWh (1998)
Imports: 12.2 billion kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 8.431 million (1996)
Mobile cellular: 1.016 million (1996)

Telephone system: highly developed and well maintained

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 70 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $6.956 billion (FY98)
Percent of gdp: NA%

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 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

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

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 5,046 km of which 47% is usable by craft of 1000 metric ton capacity or larger

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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