Netherlands

Kingdom of the NetherlandsKoninkrijk de Nederlanden

constitutional monarchyIndependence 1579 (from Spain)

Netherlands as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 85 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAmsterdam

Area37,330 sq km

LocationWestern Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and

Populationas each edition published it

15.45 million July 1995 est. · 14.94m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.52% 1995 est. · 0.63% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 38.6 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.95 years 1995 est. · 77.55 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.56 children per woman 1995 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 7 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$17,940 1994 est. · $17,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2% 1994 est. · 1.6% in 1993

Geography

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and | Germany

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Land useshare of 37,330 sq km

arable land 26%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 32%forest and woodland 9%other 32%irrigated 5,500 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

37,330sq km

land area: 33,920 sq kmcomparative area: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Coastline

451km

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,027km

total · Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Location

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Climate

temperate;
marine;
cool summers and mild winters

Terrain

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

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
natural hazards:: the extensive system of dikes and dams, protects nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded
international agreements:: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Note

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

People

15 fields

Population

15,452,903

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 0.52% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

12.42Death

8.48Net migration

1.29

Religions(1991)

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

Labor force

6.4million

(1993)by occupation: services 71.4%, manufacturing and construction 24.6%, agriculture 4.0% (1992)

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1979 est.)total population: 99%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 18% (female 1,382,057; male 1,445,451)
15-64 years:: 68% (female 5,184,224; male 5,369,018)
65 years and over:: 14% (female 1,238,336; male 833,817) (July 1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 77.95 years
male:: 74.9 years
female:: 81.17 years (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
adjective:: Dutch

Ethnic divisions

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy; Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Prime Minister Willem (Wim) KOK (since 22 August 1994)

24 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

24.3%

PvdA 24.3%CDA 22.3%VVD 20.4%D'66 16.5%other 16.5%

Legislature, 150 seatsone dot, one seat

PvdA 37CDA 34VVD 31D'66 24other 24

Names

conventional long form:: Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form:: Netherlands
local long form:: Koninkrijk de Nederlanden
local short form:: Nederland

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

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born 27 April 1967)
head of government:: Prime Minister Willem (Wim) KOK (since 22 August 1994); Vice Prime Minister Hans DIJKSTAL and Hans VAN MIERLO (since 22 August 1994)
cabinet:: Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister

First Chamber (Eerste Kamer)

members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms;
elections last held 9 June l991 (next to be held 9 June 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (75 total) number of seats by party NA

Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)

members directly elected for four-year terms;
elections last held on 3 May 1994 (next to be held in May 1999);
results - PvdA 24.3%, CDA 22.3%, VVD 20.4%, D'66 16.5%, other 16.5%;
seats - (150 total) PvdA 37, CDA 34, VVD 31, D'66 24, other 24

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Hans HELGERS;
Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK;
Liberal (VVD - People's Party for Freedom and Democracy), Frits BOLKESTEIN;
Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van MIERLO;
a host of minor parties

Other political or pressure groups

large multinational firms;
Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union;
Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations;
the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises;
and Interchurch Peace Council (IKV)

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Adriaan JACOBOVITS DE SZEGED
chancery:: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 244-5300

FAX

[1] (202) 362-3430; consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Kirk Terry DORNBUSH
embassy:: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague
mailing address:: PSC 71, Box 1000, the Hague; APO AE 09715
telephone:: [31] (70) 310-9209

FAX

[31] (70) 361-4688; consulate(s) general: Amsterdam

Flag

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

This highly developed and affluent economy is based on | private enterprise.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$17,940

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -1.5% (1993 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

2.5%

(December 1994)

Unemployment rate

8.8%

(December 1994)

Budget

Revenues

$109.9 billionExpenditures

$122.1 billion (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 17,520,000 kW

Electricity production

72.4 billionElectricity consumption per capita

5,100 (1993)

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 4% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. Indeed the Netherlands ranks third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. High 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.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $275.8 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

$153 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: metal products, chemicals, processed food and tobacco, agricultural products
partners:: EC 77% (Germany 27%, Belgium-Luxembourg 15%, UK 10%), Central and Eastern Europe 10%, US 4% (1991)

Imports

$137 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: 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)

External debt

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

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

Economic aid

donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion

Currency

1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.7178 (January 1995), 1.8200 (1994), 1.8573 (1993), 1.7585 (1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209 (1990)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 29 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

104,831Railroads

2,757Inland waterways

6,340

Highways: paved: 92,251 km (2,118 km of expressway) · unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 12,580 km (1992) · Railroads: standard gauge: 2,757 km km 1.435-m gauge (1,991 km electrified; 1,800 km double track) (1994) · Inland waterways: , of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger

Railroads

total:: 2,757 km
standard gauge:: 2,757 km km 1.435-m gauge (1,991 km electrified; 1,800 km double track) (1994)

Highways

total:: 104,831 km
paved:: 92,251 km (2,118 km of expressway)
unpaved:: gravel, crushed stone 12,580 km (1992)

Inland waterways

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

Pipelines

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

Ports

Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht

Merchant marine

total:: 343 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,629,578 GRT/3,337,307 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 2, cargo 195, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 3, container 33, liquefied gas tanker 12, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 37, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 14, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2

note: many Dutch-owned ships are also registered on the Netherlands Antilles register

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

9,418,000 telephones;
highly developed, well maintained, and integrated;
extensive redundant system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave radio relay links

local:: nationwide mobile phone system
intercity:: microwave radio relay
international:: 5 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station