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, though 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

• Dutch (official);
• note - Frisian is an official language in Fryslan province;
• Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Romani, and Yiddish have protected status under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages;
• Dutch is the official language of the three special municipalities of the Caribbean Netherlands;
• English is a recognized regional language on Sint Eustatius and Saba;
• Papiamento is a recognized regional language on Bonaire

major-language sample(s):

Het Wereld Feitenboek, een onmisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

total:

42.2 years (2023 est.)

male:

41 years

female:

43.4 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, though 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:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.84 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

total:

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male:

4 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

81.7 years (2023 est.)

male:

80.1 years

female:

83.3 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:

22.2% (2020 est.)

male:

24.4% (2020 est.)

female:

19.9% (2020 est.)

total population:

NA

male:

NA

female:

NA

• water and air pollution are significant environmental problems;
• pollution of the country's rivers from industrial and agricultural chemicals, including heavy metals, organic compounds, nitrates, and phosphates;
• air pollution from vehicles and refining activities

• 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.)

particulate matter emissions:

10.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

170.78 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

17.79 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

8.855 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

2,179,216 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

24.6% (2015 est.)

municipal:

2.05 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

5.94 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

31 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

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 country name literally means "the lowlands" and refers to the geographic features of the land being both flat and down river from higher areas (i.e., at the estuaries of the Scheldt, Meuse, and Rhine Rivers; only about half of the Netherlands is more than 1 meter above sea level)

• King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967);
• note - King's or Queen's Day is observed on the ruling monarch's birthday;
• currently celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday

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

amendments:

• 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;
• amended many times, last in 2018

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

chief of state:

King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); Heir Apparent Princess CATHARINA-AMALIA (daughter of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER, born 7 December 2003)

head of government:

• Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010);
• Deputy Prime Ministers Sigrid KAAG and Wopke HOEKSTRA (since 10 January 2022), Carola SCHOUTEN (since 26 October 2017);
• note - Mark RUTTE's ruling coalition collapsed on 8 July 2023;
• he is serving as prime minister in a caretaker status until a new prime minister is named following the 22 November 2023

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments:

• the monarchy is hereditary;
• following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch;
• deputy prime ministers are appointed by the monarch

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (consists of 41 judges: the president, 6 vice presidents, 31 justices or raadsheren, and 3 justices in exceptional service, referred to as buitengewone dienst);
• 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 [Henri BONTENBAI]
• Christian Union or CU [Mirjam BIKKER]
• Correct Answer 2021 or JA21 [Joost EEDERMANS]
• Democrats 66 or D66 [Rob JETTEN]
• Denk [Stephan van BAARLE]
• Farmer-Citizen Movement or BBB [Caroline van der PLAS]
• 50Plus [Martin van ROOIJEN]
• Forum for Democracy or FvD [Thierry BAUDET]
• Green Left (GroenLinks) or GL [Jesse KLAVER]
• Labor Party or PvdA [Attje KUIKEN]
• New Social Contract or NSC [Pieter OMTZIGT]
• Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]
• Party for the Animals or PvdD [Esther OUWENHAND]
• People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Dilan YESILGOZ]
• Reformed Political Party or SGP [Chris STOFFER]
• Socialist Party or SP [Lilian MARIJNISSEN]
• Together or BIJ1 [Edson OLF]
• Volt Netherlands or Volt [Laurens DASSEN]

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 Shefali RAZDAN DUGGAL (since 19 October 2022)

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

• three equal horizontal bands of red (bright vermilion; top), white, and blue (cobalt);
• similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer;
• the colors were derived from 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 its dye tended to turn red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color;
• the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use

total World Heritage Sites:

12 (11 cultural, 1 natural); note - includes one site in Curacao

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)

• high-income European economy;
• core EU member;
• chemical, oil, and machinery exporter;
• some age-based income inequality;
• substantial amount of independent contractor employees;
• manageable public debt;
• key international aid funder.

Fitch rating:

AAA (1994)

Moody's rating:

Aaa (1986)

Standard & Poors rating: AAA (2015)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

1.6% (2017 est.)

industry:

17.9% (2017 est.)

services:

70.2% (2017 est.)

total:

9.6% (2021 est.)

male:

10%

female:

9.2%

on food:

11.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.3%

highest 10%:

24.9% (2014 est.)

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

1 (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction:

0

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

0.48GW (2023)

Percent of total electricity production:

3.1% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced:

3% (2021)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down:

0

production:

1.879 million metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption:

8.241 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports:

20.164 million metric tons (2020 est.)

imports:

21.552 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves:

497 million metric tons (2019 est.)

total petroleum production:

76,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

915,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports:

8,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports:

1,096,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

137.7 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

32.858 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

consumption:

44.753 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports:

42.827 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports:

55.767 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves:

132.608 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

general assessment:

• telecom infrastructure in the Netherlands continues to be upgraded as modernization schemes undertaken by telcos make steady progress;
• other fiber providers have been supported by regulatory measures which have encouraged municipal governments to intervene with telcos’ fiber builds, facilitating open access networks in a bid to make rollouts cheaper, and completed sooner;
• while the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are also closing down their Global System for Mobile Communication (MSM) and 3G networks and repurposing their spectrum and physical assets for LTE and 5G, the regulator has also encouraged GSM/3G roaming in the interim, thus safeguarding services such as machine to machine and other low data-use applications while individual MNOs disable their own GSM/3G networks;
• the country has one of the highest fixed broadband penetration rates in the world, with effective cross-platform competition between Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Hybrid Fiber Coazial (HFC), and fiber networks;
• in the third quarter of 2020 the number of cable broadband connections fell for the first time, while the DSL segment has long been eclipsed by fiber;
• by the end of 2021, over a quarter of fixed broadband connections were on fiber infrastructure, while DSL accounted for only about 29%;
• almost 49% of fixed connections provided data above 100Mb/s, while an additional 43.7% provided data of at least 30Mb/s (2022)

domestic:

fixed-line is 29 per 100 and mobile-cellular at 125 per 100 persons (2021)

international:

• country code - 31;
• landing points for Farland North, TAT-14, Circe North, Concerto, Ulysses 2, AC-1, UK-Netherlands 14, and COBRAcable submarine cables which 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) (2019)

• 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 many commercial TV stations in regional and local markets;
• nearly 600 radio stations with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage

number of registered air carriers:

8 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 238

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

43,996,044 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

5,886,510,000 (2018) mt-km