Map of The Netherlands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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. In October 2010 the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 52 30 N 5 45 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 41,543 km²
Rank: 134
Land: 33,893 km²
Water: 7,650 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 1027 km
Border countries: (2) Belgium 450 km; Germany 577 km

Coastline: 451 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles)
Extremes note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m

Natural resources: natural gas petroleum peat limestone salt sand and gravel arable land

Land use
Arable land: 21.96%
Permanent crops: 0.77%
Other: 77.27% (2005)

Irrigated land: 5,650 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 89.7 km³ (2005)

Natural hazards: flooding

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


top of page


Population: 16,783,092 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 59
Growth rate: 0.39% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 164
Below poverty line: 10.5% (2005)

Nationality
Noun: Dutchman Dutchwoman(women)
Adjective: Dutch

Ethnic groups: Dutch 80.7% EU 5% Indonesian 2.4% Turkish 2.2% Surinamese 2% Moroccan 2% Caribbean 0.8% other 4.8% (2008 est.)

Languages: Dutch (official) Frisian (official)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.4%
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 5,720,387/female 5,604,014)
65 years and over: 14.9% (male 1,070,496/female 1,418,230) (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 40.8 years
Male: 40 years
Female: 41.6 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.39% (2010 est.)
Rank: 164

Birth rate: 10.3 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 189

Death rate: 8.78 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 77

Net migration rate: 2.38 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 34

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 82% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.052 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.66 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 193
Male: 5.16 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.12 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.55 years
Rank: 34
Male: 76.94 years
Female: 82.3 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 174

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 98
People living with hivaids: 18,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 82
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 106

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5.5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 45

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 17 years (2008)

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

Government type: constitutional monarchy

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

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

Dependent areas: (1) Aruba Curacao Sint Maarten

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)

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

Constitution: adopted 1815; amended many times most recently in 2002

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen BEATRIX ; Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967) son of the monarch
Head of government: Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Minister Maxime VERHAGEN (since 14 October 2010)
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 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

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 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 9 June 2010 (next to be held by May 2015)
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 - VVD 20.5% PvdA 19.6% PVV 15.4% CDA 13.6% SP 9.8% D66 6.9% GL 6.7% CU 3.2 other 4.3%; seats by party - VVD 31 PvdA 30 PVV 24 CDA 21 SP 15 D66 10 GL 10 CU 5 other 4

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

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Maxime VERHAGEN]; Christian Union [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD]; Green Left [Jolande SAP]; Labor Party or PvdA [Job COHEN]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Mark RUTTE] (Liberal); Reformed Political Party of SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ]; Socialist Party [Emile ROEMER]; plus a few minor parties

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) Arctic Council (observer) Australia Group Benelux BIS CBSS (observer) CE CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EMU ESA EU FAO FATF 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 NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA Schengen Convention SECI (observer) UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIS UNRWA UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Regina 'Renee' JONES-BOS
In the us chancery: 4,200 Linnean Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 244-5,300 [1] 877-388-2,443
In the us fax: [1] (202) 362-3,430
In the us consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles Miami New York
In the us consulate: Boston
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Fay HARTOG LEVIN
From the us embassy: Lange Voorhout 102 2,514 EJ The Hague
From the us mailing address: PSC 71 Box 1000 APO AE 9,715
From the us telephone: [31] (70) 310-2,209
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; the colors were those of WILLIAM I Prince of Orange who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange but because it tended to fade to red over time the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Het Wilhelmus'
Lyricsmusic: Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown
Note: adopted 1932 in use since the 17th century making it the oldest national anthem in the world; also known as 'Wilhelmus van Nassouwe' (William of Nassau) it is in the form of an acrostic where the first letter of each stanza spells the name of the leader of the Dutch Revolt

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The Netherlands 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 only 2% 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 has been one of the leading European nations for attracting foreign direct investment and is one of the four largest investors in the US. After 26 years of uninterrupted economic growth the Netherlands' economy - which is highly open and dependent on foreign trade and financial services - was hard-hit by global economic crisis. Dutch GDP contracted 3.9% in 2009 while exports declined nearly 25% due to a sharp contraction in world demand. The Dutch financial sector has also suffered due in part to the high exposure of some Dutch banks to U.S. mortgage-backed securities. In response to turmoil in financial markets the government nationalized two banks and injected billions of dollars into a third to prevent further systemic risk. The government also sought to boost the domestic economy by accelerating infrastructure programs offering corporate tax breaks for employers to retain workers and expanding export credit facilities. The stimulus programs and bank bailouts however resulted in a government budget deficit of nearly 4.6% of GDP in 2009 and 5.6% in 2010 that contrasts sharply with a surplus of 0.7% of GDP in 2008. With unemployment weighing on private-sector consumption the government of Prime Minister Mark RUTTE is likely to come under increased pressure to keep the budget deficit in check while promoting economic recovery.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 22
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 161

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 18
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.6%
Industry: 24.9%
Services: 72.4% (2010 est.)

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: 3.2% (2010 est.)
Rank: 99

Labor force: 7.86 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 58
By occupation agriculture: 2%
By occupation industry: 18%
By occupation services: 80% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.8% (2009 est.)
Rank: 54

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 10.5% (2005)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.5%
Highest 10: 22.9% (1999)

Distribution of family income gini index: 32.6 (1994)
Rank: 107

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 60.9% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 26

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 25

Central bank discount rate: 3% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 126
Note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.66% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 96

Stock of narrow money: $351.6 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 12
Note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Stock of broad money: $1.133 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 16

Stock of domestic credit: $1.824 trillion (31 December 2008)
Rank: 12

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 19

Current account balance: $39.58 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 8

Exports: $421.3 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 9
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals fuels; foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 25.54% Belgium 12.49% France 9.27% UK 8.17% Italy 5.07% US 3.97% (2009)

Imports: $371.9 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 11
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment chemicals fuels foodstuffs clothing
Partners: Germany 17.16% China 11.58% Belgium 8.68% US 7.77% UK 5.72% Russia 4.47% France 4.4% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $654.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 7

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $932.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 5

Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.774 (2010) 0.7179 (2009) 0.6827 (2008) 0.7345 (2007) 0.7964 (2006)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 108.2 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 31
Consumption: 124.1 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 27
Exports: 10.56 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 15.45 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 79.58 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 9
Consumption: 48.6 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 17
Exports: 55.59 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 6
Imports: 24.6 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 12
Proven reserves: 1.416 trillion m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 24

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 7.32 million (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 26
Mobile cellular: 21.182 million (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 39

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; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) services
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)

Broadcast media: more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems that provide a wide range of domestic and foreign channels; public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters 3 with a national reach and the remainder operating in regional and local markets; 2 major nationwide commercial television companies each with 3 or more stations and a large number of commercial TV stations in regional and local markets; nearly 600 radio stations operating with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage (2008)

Internet
Country code: .nl
Hosts: 12.607 million (2010)
Hosts rank: 10
Users: 14.872 million (2009)
Users rank: 27

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: 1.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 94

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 27 (2010)
Rank: 125
With paved runways total: 20
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 7
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 4 (2010)

Heliports: 1 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 3,816 km; oil 365 km; refined products 716 km (2009)

Railways
Total: 2,896 km
Rank: 58
Standard gauge: 2,896 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2009)

Roadways
Total: 136,827 km (2008)
Rank: 36

Waterways: 6,215 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2007)
Rank: 22

Merchant marine
Total: 706
Rank: 15
By type: bulk carrier 1 cargo 464 carrier 21 chemical tanker 57 container 73 liquefied gas 19 passenger 17 passenger/cargo 15 petroleum tanker 5 refrigerated cargo 10 roll on/roll off 21 specialized tanker 3
Foreign owned: 217 (Australia 1 Denmark 36 Finland 14 France 2 Germany 92 Ireland 7 Italy 9 Japan 1 Norway 18 Sweden 18 UAE 4 US 15)
Registered in other countries: 240 (Antigua and Barbuda 18 Australia 1 Bahamas 22 Belize 1 Cambodia 1 Canada 1 Cyprus 24 Gibraltar 33 Liberia 35 Luxembourg 2 Malta 2 Marshall Islands 16 former Netherlands Antilles 52 Panama 8 Paraguay 1 Philippines 18 Portugal 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 Singapore 1 unknown 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Amsterdam IJmuiden Moerdijk Rotterdam Terneuzen Vlissingen


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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