Netherlands

• temperate;
• marine;
• cool summers and mild winters

highest point:

Mount Scenery (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) 862 m

lowest point:

Zuidplaspolder -7 m

mean elevation:

30 m

note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m

• an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region;
• the north tends to be less dense, but sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country

• located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine (Rijn), Meuse (Maas), and Scheldt (Schelde));
• about a quarter of the country lies below sea level and only about half of the land exceeds one meter above sea level

noun:

Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

adjective:

Dutch

total:

42.2 years (2025 est.)

male:

40.9 years

female:

43.5 years

• an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region;
• the north tends to be less dense, but sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.87 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

3.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

81.9 years (2024 est.)

male:

80.3 years

female:

83.5 years

total:

8.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

3.95 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

2.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

1.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

18.7% (2025 est.)

male:

21% (2025 est.)

female:

16.4% (2025 est.)

• temperate;
• marine;
• cool summers and mild winters

urban population:

93.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

63.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

449 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

123.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

17.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

8.805 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

28.3% (2022 est.)

municipal:

2.185 billion cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

5.784 billion cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

265.086 million cubic meters (2022)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

2 (2024)

global geoparks and regional networks:

De Hondsrug; Schelde Delta (includes Belgium) (2024)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of the Netherlands

conventional short form:

Netherlands

local long form:

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden

local short form:

Nederland

abbreviation:

NL

etymology:

• the English name is derived from the country's Dutch name, which means "the lowlands" and describes the geographic area;
• only about half the Netherlands is more than 1 meter (3.3 ft) above sea level

name:

Amsterdam

geographic coordinates:

52 21 N, 4 55 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

time zone note:

time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, for the constituent countries in the Caribbean, the time difference is UTC-4

etymology:

• the name is derived from the Dutch name of the local river, the Amstel, and the Dutch word dam , which has the same meaning in English;
• the river name is said to derive from the Germanic words ama (current) and stelle (place)

note: The Hague is the seat of government

history:

many previous to adoption of the "Basic Law of the Kingdom of the Netherlands" on 24 August 1815; revised 8 times, the latest in 1983

amendment process:

• proposed as an Act of Parliament by or on behalf of the king or by the Second Chamber of the States General;
• the Second Chamber is dissolved after its first reading of the Act;
• passage requires a second reading by both the First Chamber and the newly elected Second Chamber, followed by at least two-thirds majority vote of both chambers, and ratification by the king

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Netherlands

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

legislature name:

States General (Staten-Generaal)

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal)

number of seats:

150 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

10/29/2025

parties elected and seats per party:

• Democrats 66 (D66) (26);
• Party for Freedom (PVV) (26);
• People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) (22);
• Green Left - Labour Party (PvdA) (20);
• Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) (18);
• JA21 (9);
• Other (29)

percentage of women in chamber:

42.7%

expected date of next election:

October 2029

chamber name:

Senate (Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal)

number of seats:

75 (all indirectly elected)

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

5/30/2023

percentage of women in chamber:

40%

expected date of next election:

May 2027

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (consists of 41 judges: the president, 6 vice presidents, 31 justices, and 3 justices in exceptional service);
• the court is divided into criminal, civil, tax, and ombuds chambers

judge selection and term of office:

• justices appointed by the monarch from a list provided by the House of Representatives of the States General;
• justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts:

• courts of appeal;
• district courts, each with up to 5 subdistrict courts;
• Netherlands Commercial Court

• Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA
• Christian Union or CU
• Correct Answer 2021 or JA21
• Democrats 66 or D66
• Denk
• Farmer-Citizen Movement or BBB
• 50Plus
• Forum for Democracy or FvD
• Green Left (GroenLinks) or GL
• Labor Party or PvdA
• New Social Contract or NSC
• Party for Freedom or PVV
• Party for the Animals or PvdD
• People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD
• Reformed Political Party or SGP
• Socialist Party or SP
• Together or BIJ1
• Volt Netherlands or Volt

chief of mission:

Ambassador Birgitta TAZELAAR (since 15 September 2023)

chancery:

4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 244-5300

FAX:

[1] (202) 362-3430

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/countries/united-states/about-us/embassy-in-washington-dc

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco

chief of mission:

Ambassador Joseph POPOLO (since 29 October 2025)

embassy:

John Adams Park 1, 2244 BZ Wassenaar

mailing address:

5780 Amsterdam Place, Washington DC 20521-5780

telephone:

[31] (70) 310-2209

FAX:

[31] (70) 310-2207

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://nl.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general:

Amsterdam

description:

three equal horizontal bands of bright red (top), white, and cobalt blue

history:

• the colors come from WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange;
• originally the upper band was orange, but the dye would turn red over time, so red was eventually made the permanent color

note: similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is wider

title:

"Het Wilhelmus" (The William)

lyrics/music:

Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown

history:

adopted 1932, in use since the 17th century

total World Heritage Sites:

13 (12 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Schokland and Surroundings (c);
• Dutch Water Defense Lines (c);
• Van Nellefabriek (c);
• Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout (c);
• Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder) (c);
• Rietveld Schröderhuis (Rietveld Schröder House) (c);
• Wadden Sea (n);
• Seventeenth Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht (c);
• Colonies of Benevolence (c);
• Frontiers of the Roman Empire - The Lower German Limes (c)

note: includes one site in Curacao

• high-income, core EU- and eurozone-member economy;
• strong services, logistics, and tech sectors;
• strongly trade-oriented with heightened risks from global tensions;
• declining inflation aided by easing energy prices and wage growth;
• rising but manageable deficits and public debt;
• strong ratings for innovation, competitiveness, and business climate

agriculture:

1.7% (2024 est.)

industry:

17.9% (2024 est.)

services:

70.3% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

8.2% (2024 est.)

male:

8.4% (2024 est.)

female:

7.9% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

11.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.6% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

21.4% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

1 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

0.48GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production:

3.2% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down:

1 (2025)

production:

1.761 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

12.796 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

13.586 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

24.663 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

3.247 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

70,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

840,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

137.747 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

11.788 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

31.288 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

45.129 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

66.783 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

132.608 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems with a wide range of domestic and foreign channels;
• public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters, 3 with a national reach and the remainder in regional and local markets;
• 2 nationwide commercial TV companies, each with 3 or more stations, and many commercial TV stations in regional and local markets;
• nearly 600 radio stations with a mix of public and private stations

total ports:

18 (2024)

large:

2

medium:

4

small:

5

very small:

7

ports with oil terminals:

12

key ports:

Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Europoort, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen

• the military's inventory consists of a mix of domestically produced and modern European- and US-sourced equipment;
• the Netherlands has an advanced domestic defense industry that focuses on armored vehicles, naval ships, and air defense systems;
• it also participates with the US and other European countries on joint development and production of advanced weapons systems (2025)

• 17 years of age for voluntary service for men and women;
• the military is an all-volunteer force;
• conscription remains in place, but the requirement to show up for compulsory military service was suspended in 1997 (2025)

• has a national space program focused on developing advanced space technologies and services based on satellite data;
• builds and operates a range of satellites, including communications and remote sensing (RS);
• researches and develops technologies related to astrophysics, atmospheric measuring instruments, planetary/exoplanetary research, propulsion systems, RS, robotics, and telecommunications;
• founding member of the ESA and active in the EU space community;
• hosts the ESA's main research and technology center;
• participates in building European satellite launch vehicles and a range of other European space programs, such as Copernicus Earth observation and the Galileo global navigation satellite system;
• participates in international programs, including the International Space Station and the Square Kilometer Array project;
• works with other foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Japan and the US;
• has a robust commercial space sector (2025)

• 1960s - established space program
• 1974-1983 - developed advanced astronomical observatory satellites jointly with US, including the Astronomical Netherlands Satellite and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite
• 1985 - first Dutch citizen in space on the US Space Shuttle
• 2023 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration
• 2025 - launched the first of four planned synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing satellites

refugees:

310,239 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

4,428 (2024 est.)