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:
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 Willem (Wim) KOK (since 22 August
1994); Vice Prime Minister Hans DIJKSTAL and Hans VAN MIERLO (since 22
August 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal) First Chamber (Eerste Kamer): members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms; elections last held 9 June l991 (next to be held 9 June 1995); 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 1999); 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)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Hans
HELGERS; Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK; Liberal (VVD - People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy), Frits BOLKESTEIN; Democrats '66 (D'66), 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)