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.

Area
Total: 37,330 km²
Land: 33,920 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

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

Coastline: 451 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specific
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: none

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

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

Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil

Land use: arable land: 26%; permanent crops: 1%; meadows and pastures 32%; forest and woodland 9%; other 32%; includes irrigated 16%

Population: 15,112,064 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)

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)

Birth rate: 13 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1000 population (1992)

Environment
Current issues: 27% of the land area is below sea level and protected from the North Sea by dikes
Current issues note:

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 81 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1992)

Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Government type: constitutional monarchy

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

Suffrage: universal at age 18
First Chamber: last held on 9 June l991 (next to be held 9 June 1995); results - elected by the country's 12 provincial councils; seats - (75 total) percent of seats by party NA
Second Chamber:
Communists: about 6,000

Executive branch:

Legislative branch:

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation:
US:

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

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. An unemployment rate of 6.2% and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems.
GDP: purchasing power equivalent - $249.6 billion, per capita $16,600; real growth rate 2.2% (1991 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for 4% 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: 5,300,000; services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government 15.9%, agriculture 5.8% (1986)
Organized labor: 29% of labor force

Unemployment rate: 6.2% (1991 est.)

Budget: revenues $98.7 billion; expenditures $110.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $131.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodoties: agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing
Partners:

Imports: $125.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
Commodoties: raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products
Partners: EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9% (1988)

Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.7753 (January 1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209 (1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257 (1987)

Electricity
Production: 22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per capita (1991)

Airports:

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

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

Merchant marine:
Civil air: 98 major transport aircraft

Illicit drugs: European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synethic drugs