MAP THE NETHERLANDS

DATA THE NETHERLANDS

Background:

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 a brutal 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, and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Geography

Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Geographic coordinates: 52 30 N, 5 45 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 41,532 sq km land: 33,889 sq km water: 7,643 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline: 451 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, arable land
Natural hazards: the extensive system of dikes and dams protects nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded
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
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

People

Population: 16,2 millions
GNI per capita, Atlas method: US$26,310
GNI, Atlas method: US$426,6 billions
Population annual growth rate: 0.6%
Labor force average annual growth: 0,5%
Urban population: 66%
Life expectancy at birth: 78 years
Infant mortality: 5 per 1,000 live births
Access to na improved water source: 100% of population
Gross primary enrollment: 108% of school-age population -> Male: 109%
Female: 107%
Nationality: noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch
Languages: Dutch

Government

Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden local short form: Nederland
Data code: NL
Government 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
Constitution: adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February 1983
Legal system: 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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 22 August 1994) and Vice Prime Ministers Annemarie JORRITSMA (since 3 August 1998) and Els BORST-EILERS (since 3 August 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch 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: government coalition - PvdA, VVD, and D'66; there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors consulted by the executive on legislative and administrative policy
Legislative branch: bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: First Chamber - last held 25 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2003); Second Chamber - last held 6 May 1998 (next to be held May 2002) election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDA 20, VVD 19, PvdA 15, D'66 4, other 17; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - PvdA 30.0%, VVD 25.3%, CDA 19.3%, D'66 9.3%, other 16.1%; seats by party - PvdA 45, VVD 38, CDA 29, D'66 14, other 24
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoge Raad, justices are nominated for life by the monarch
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jaap de Hoop SCHEFFER]; Democrats '66 or D'66 [Tom KOK]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wim KOK]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Hans F. DIJKSTAL]; a host of minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: 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
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Flag description: 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

Economy - overview: The Netherlands is a prosperous and open economy in which the government has successfully reduced its role since the 1980s. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Dutch rank third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. The Netherlands successfully addressed the issue of public finances and stagnating job growth long before its European partners. This has helped cushion the economy from a slowdown in the euro area. Strong 3.8% GDP growth in 1998 was followed by an only slightly lower 3.4% expansion in 1999. The outlook remains favorable, with real GDP growth in 2000 projected at 3.25%, along with a small budget surplus. The Dutch were among the first 11 EU countries establishing the euro currency zone on 1 January 1999.
GDP: US$511,6 billions
Gross domestic investment/GDP: 20,4
Exports of goods and services/GDP: 61,7
Gross domestic savings/GDP: 25,7
Gross national savings/GDP: 21,6
Current account balance/GDP: 3,2 % of GDP:
Agriculture: 2,7%
Industry: 25,9%
Services: 71,4%
Private consumption: 50.0
General Government consumption: 24.2
Imports of goods and services: 56.4
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
Agriculture - products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
Debt - external: $0
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at a fixed rate of 2.20371 guilders per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year

Trade and Balance of payments

Total exports: 293,437 fob ->
Food and agricultural raw materials: 55,243
Fuels, ores, and metals: 7,459
Manufactures: 180,647
Total imports: 261,135 cif ->
Food: 26,191
Fuel and energy: 19,543
Manufactures: 162,972
Terms of trade: 95
Exports of goods and services: US$318,068 millions
Imports of goods and services: US$292,506 millions
Resource balance: US$25,563 millions Current account balance: 16,467
Change in net reserves: 127,673
Reserves including gold: US$21,441 millions
Convertion rate: 0,9 DEC/local/US$
Foreign direct investment: US$19,197 millions

Communication

Telephones - main lines in use: 10.004 million
Telephones - mobile cellular: 12.5 million
Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed and well maintained domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with five major network operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) international: country code - 31; 9 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 246, shortwave 3
Television broadcast stations: 21 (plus 26 repeaters)
Internet country code: .nl
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Internet users: 8.5 million

Transportation

Railways: total: 2,808 km standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified)
Waterways: 5,046 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons)
Pipelines: condensate 325 km; gas 6,998 km; oil 590 km; refined products 716 km
Ports and harbors: Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem, IJmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht, Vlissingen
Merchant marine: total: 635 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,796,460 GRT/5,212,557 DWT by type: bulk 1, cargo 375, chemical tanker 59, combination bulk 1, container 71, liquefied gas 13, multi-functional large load carrier 15, passenger 12, petroleum tanker 28, refrigerated cargo 37, roll on/roll off 14, short-sea/passenger 2, specialized tanker 7 foreign-owned: Belgium 2, Denmark 4, Finland 9, Germany 54, Ireland 14, Norway 9, Singapore 1, Sweden 19, Thailand 1, United Kingdom 31, United States 16 registered in other countries: 241
Airports: 27
Airports - with paved runways: total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5
Heliports: 1

Source: 2004 Statistics of the World Bank