Netherlands

Netherlands

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Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

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

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 1,027 km, Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Coastline

451 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

None

Climate

Temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Terrain

Mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
lowest point: Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m
highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

5,500 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

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

PEOPLE

Population

15,568,034 (July 1996 est.)
15,452,903 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

18% (male 1,457,694; female 1,393,402) (1996)
18% (male 1,445,451; female 1,382,057) (1995)

15-64 Years

68% (male 5,412,402; female 5,228,579) (1996)
68% (male 5,369,018; female 5,184,224) (1995)

65 Years and Over

14% (male 836,934; female 1,239,023) (July 1996 est.)
14% (male 833,817; female 1,238,336) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.56% (1996 est.) 0.52% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

12.08 births/1,000 population (1996 est.) 12.42 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.) 8.48 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

2.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.) 1.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

1.51 children born/woman (1996 est.)
1.56 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Dutch

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1979 est.)

Labor Force

6.4 million (1993)

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

NL

Type

Constitutional monarchy

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

Dependent Areas

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

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal)

First Chamber (Eerste Kamer)

members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms; election last held 9 June 1995 (next to be held 9 June 1999); 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 1998); 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

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad), justices are nominated for life by the crown from a list compiled by the Second Chamber of the Staten Generaal

Political Parties and Leaders

Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Hans HELGERS; Labor (PvdA), Felix ROTTENBERG; Liberal (VVD), Frits BOLKESTEIN; Democrats '66 (D66), 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)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, 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 III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Anthem

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

Netherlands

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 a.htming 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 mechanizing 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 mechaniz.htmricultural 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 U.S. 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 - $301.9 billion (1995 est.), $275.8 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2.5% (1995 est.)
2% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$19,500 (1995 est.)
$17,940 (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

2.25% (1995)
2.5% (December 1994)

Unemployment Rate

7.1% (fourth quarter 1995)
8.8% (December 1994)

Budget

Exports

$146 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
$153 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$133 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
$137 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$0

Industrial Production

1% (1995 est.)
Growth rate -1.5% (1993 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP

Electricity

Industries

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

Currency

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

Exchange Rates

Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.6365 (January 1996), 1.6057 (1995), 1.8200 (1994), 1.8573 (1993), 1.7585 (1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209 (1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

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

Merchant Marine

Note: many Dutch-owned ships are operating under the registry of Netherlands Antilles (1995 est.)

Airports

Heliports

1 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

8.272 million (1983) telephones; highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive redundant system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave radio relay links

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 4.191.998; males fit for military service 3.670.253; males reach military age (20) annually 94.013 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $8.2 billion, 2.1% of GDP (1995)
$7.1 billion, 2.2% of GDP (1994)

History
World Atlas

last updated: 14 november 1997