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.

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 area: 37,330 sq km land area: 33,920 sq km comparative area: 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

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: 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 sq km (1989 est.)

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 natural hazards: the extensive system of dikes and dams, protects nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded.

international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94.

Geographic note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

People

Population: 15,568,034 (July 1996 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 1,457,694; female 1,393,402) 15-64 years: 68% (male 5,412,402; female 5,228,579) 65 years and over: 14% (male 836,934; female 1,239,023) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.56% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 12.08 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.73 years male: 74.91 years female: 80.68 years (1996 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.51 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch

Ethnic divisions: Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)

Religions: Roman Catholic 34%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 3%, other 2%, unaffiliated 36% (1991)

Languages: Dutch Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA%

Government

Name of country: conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk de Nederlanden local short form: Nederland Data code: NL

Type of government: 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:

chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980) is a constitutional monarch; Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), Prince of Orange, son of Queen BEATRIX head of government: Prime Minister Willem (Wim) KOK (since 22 August 1994) and Vice Prime Ministers Hans DIJKSTAL (since 22 August 1994) and Hans VAN MIERLO (since 22 August 1994) were appointed by the queen

cabinet: Cabinet was 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; 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 3 May 1994 (next to be held in 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 (replaced); 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) International organization participation: 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

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Adriaan JACOBOVITS DE SZEGED chancery: (temporary) 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Kirk Terry DORNBUSH embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 telephone: [31] (70) 310-9209 FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688 consulate(s) general: Amsterdam

Economy

Economic 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 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 US 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.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $301.9 billion (1995 est.) GDP real growth rate: 2.5% (1995 est.) GDP per capita: $19,500 (1995 est.) GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 3.4% industry: 26.9% services: 69.7% (1994) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.25% (1995) Labor force: 6.4 million (1993) by occupation: services 73%, manufacturing and construction 23%, agriculture 4% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 7.1% (fourth quarter 1995) Budget: revenues: $109.9 billion expenditures: $122.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1995 est.) Electricity: capacity: 17,520,000 kW production: 72.4 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,100 kWh (1993) Agriculture: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Illicit drugs: important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs Exports: $146 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: metal products, chemicals, processed food and tobacco, agricultural products

partners: EU 73% (Germany 28%, Belgium-Luxembourg 13%, UK 9%), Central and Eastern Europe 2%, US 5% (1994) Imports: $133 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products partners: EU 56% (Germany 21%, Belgium-Luxembourg 11%, UK 8.5%), US 8.6% (1994) External debt: 0

Economic aid: donor: ODA, $2.525 billion (1993) 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) Fiscal year: calendar year.

Transportation

Railways: total: 2,891 km standard gauge: 2,891 km 1.435-m gauge; 2857 km are in common carrier service (1,991 km electrified) and 34 km serve tourists Highways: total: 104,831 km paved: 92,251 km (including 2,118 km of expressways) unpaved: 12,580 km (1992 est.) 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, Utrecht Merchant marine: total: 352 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,681,133 GRT/3,379,762 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 206, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 3, container 34, liquefied gas tanker 13, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 2, oil tanker 38, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 16, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2

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

Airports: total: 28 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 8 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 6 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 7 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 (1995 est.) Heliports: 1 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 8.272 million (1983 est.) Telephone system: highly developed and well maintained; extensive redundant system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave radio relay domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; microwave radio relay

international: 5 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 3 (relays 3), FM 12 (repeaters 39), shortwave 0 Radios: 13.755 million (1992 est.) Television broadcast stations: 8 (repeaters 7) Televisions: 7.4 million (1992 est.)

Defense