Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Map references:
Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
37,330 km2
land area:
33,920 km2 comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total 1,027 km, Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline:
451 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
not specified
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain:
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, fertile soil
Land use:
arable land:
26%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
32%
forest and woodland:
9%
other:
32%
Irrigated land:
5,500 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
without an extensive system of dikes and dams, nearly one-half of the total
area would be inundated by sea water
Note:
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse,
Schelde)
*Netherlands, People
Population:
15,274,942 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.63% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
12.81 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
8.53 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
77.55 years
male:
74.48 years
female:
80.78 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.59 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
adjective:
Dutch
Ethnic divisions:
Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)
Languages:
Dutch
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
total population:
99%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
5.3 million
by occupation:
services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government 15.9%,
agriculture 5.8% (1986)
*Netherlands, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form:
Netherlands
local long form:
Koninkrijk de Nederlanden
local short form:
Nederland
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)
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
National holiday:
Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van VELZEN; Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK;
Liberal (VVD), Frederick BOLKSTEIN; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van MIERIO; 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)
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
First Chamber:
last held on 9 June l991 (next to be held 9 June 1995); results - elected by
the country's 12 provincial councils; seats - (75 total) percent of seats by
party NA
Second Chamber:
last held on 6 September 1989 (next to be held in May 1994); results - CDA
35.3%, PvdA 31.9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, other 10.3%; seats - (150 total)
CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, other 13
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or
First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede
Kamer)
*Netherlands, Government
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
Leaders:
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 Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Vice
Prime Minister Willem (Wim) KOK (since 2 November 1989)
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G-10, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest),
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Johan Hendrick MEESMAN
chancery:
4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 244-5300
FAX:
(202) 362-3430
consulates general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila (Trust Territories of the Pacific
Islands), New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Thomas H. GEWECKE
embassy:
Lange Voorhout 102, The Hague
mailing address:
PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
telephone:
[31] (70) 310-9209
FAX:
[31] (70) 361-4688
consulate 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
*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 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 5% of the labor force, but
provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing
industry. 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 equivalent - $259.8 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
1.6% (1992)
National product per capita:
$17,200 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.3% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues $109.9 billion; expenditures $122.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Exports:
$128.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals,
metal products, textiles, clothing
partners:
EC 77% (Germany 27%, Belgium-Luxembourg 15%, UK 10%), US 4% (1991)
Imports:
$117.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
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:
$0
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.6% (1992 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,500 million kWh produced, 4,200 kWh per capita
(1992)
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:
transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries;
European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion
*Netherlands, Economy