Netherlands

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 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 (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999.

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

• 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

0-14 years:

18.2% (male 1,501,127; female 1,436,453)

15-64 years:

67.9% (male 5,576,141; female 5,389,764)

65 years and over:

13.9% (male 929,087; female 1,317,939) (2003 est.)

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.71 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

noun:

Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

adjective:

Dutch

definition:

age 15 and over can read and write

total population:

99% (2000 est.)

male:

NA%

female:

NA%

conventional long form:

Kingdom of the Netherlands

conventional short form:

Netherlands

local long form:

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden

local short form:

Nederland

• 12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie);
• Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland

• 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

chief of state:

Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch

head of government:

Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22 July 2002) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gerrit ZALM (since 27 May 2003) and Thom DE GRAAF (since 27 May 2003)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch

elections:

• none;
• the monarchy is hereditary;
• following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch;
• vice 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 prime minister on legislative and administrative policy

• Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Maxime Jacques Marcel VERHAGEN];
• Christian Union Party [Andre ROUVOET];
• Democrats 66 or D66 [Boris DITTRICH];
• Green Party [Femke HALSEMA];
• Labor Party or PvdA [Wouter BOS];
• List Pim Fortuyn [Mat HERBEN];
• People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Gerrit ZALM];
• Socialist Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN];
• a host of minor parties

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Boudewijn J. VAN EENENNAAM

consulate(s):

Boston

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

FAX:

[1] (202) 362-3430

telephone:

[1] (202) 244-5300

chancery:

4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission:

Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL

embassy:

Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague

mailing address:

PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715

telephone:

[31] (70) 310-9209

FAX:

[31] (70) 361-4688

consulate(s) general:

Amsterdam

• three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue;
• similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer;
• one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with William I, Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century

lowest 10%:

2.8%

highest 10%:

25.1% (1994)

general assessment:

highly developed and well maintained

domestic:

• the existing system of multi-conductor cables is gradually being replaced by fiber-optic cables;
• the density of cellular telephone traffic is rapidly increasing and further modernization of the system is expected in 2001, with the introduction of the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)

international:

5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (1996)

total:

2,808 km

standard gauge:

2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2002)

total:

116,500 km

paved:

104,850 km (including 2,235 km of expressways)

unpaved:

11,650 km (1999)

• major European producer of illicit amphetamine and other synthetic drugs;
• important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe;
• major source of US-bound ecstasy;
• large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering