Netherlands 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: 41,526 sq km land: 33,889 sq km water: 7,637 sq km AreaÑcomparative: 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, fertile soil Land use: arable land: 27% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 31% forests and woodland: 10% other: 31% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 5,600 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: the extensive system of dikes and dams, protects nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded EnvironmentÑcurrent 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 EnvironmentÑinternational 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: Biodiversity GeographyÑnote: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde) People Population: 15,731,112 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 1,472,236; female 1,406,919) 15-64 years: 68% (male 5,457,225; female 5,268,376) 65 years and over: 14% (male 862,574; female 1,263,782) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 0.5% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 11.62 births/1,000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: 2.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 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 (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 5.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.01 years male: 75.14 years female: 81.03 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.49 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch Ethnic groups: Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988) Religions: Roman Catholic 34%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 3%, other 2%, unaffiliated 36% (1991) Languages: Dutch Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1979 est.) male: NA% female: NA% 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 National capital: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (provincien, singularÑprovincie); 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), Prince of Orange, son of Queen BEATRIX head of government: Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 22 August 1994) and Vice Prime Ministers Hans DIJKSTAL (since 22 August 1994) and Hans VAN MIERLO (since 22 August 1994) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the queen elections: none; the queen is a hereditary, constitutional monarch; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the queen; vice prime ministers appointed by the queen note: there is a Council of State composed of the queen, crown prince, and councillors 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 ChamberÑlast held 9 June 1995 (next to be held 9 June 1999); Second ChamberÑlast held 3 May 1994 (next to be held 6 May 1998) election results: First ChamberÑpercent of vote by partyÑNA; seats by partyÑVVD 23, CDA 19, PvdA 14, D'66 7, other 12; Second ChamberÑpercent of vote by partyÑPvdA 24.3%, CDA 22.3%, VVD 20.4%, D'66 16.5%, other 16.5%; seats by partyÑPvdA 37, CDA 34, VVD 31, D'66 24, other 24 Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoge Raad, justices are nominated for life by the crown Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jaap DE HOOP SCHEFFER]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wim KOK]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Hans F. DIJKSTAL]; Democrats '66 or D'66 [Els BORST]; a host of minor parties Political pressure groups and leaders: 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 or IKV International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, 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, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joris M. VOS (appointed 9 October 1997) chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: 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 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 EconomyÑoverview: 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. Industrial activity features food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 2% 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. Sharp cuts in subsidy and social security spending have been accompanied by sustained growth in output and employment. Growth in 1998 should be a brisk 3.5%. The Dutch will almost certainly qualify for the first wave of countries entering the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999. GDP: purchasing power parityÑ$343.9 billion (1997 est.) GDPÑreal growth rate: 3.25% (1997) GDPÑper capita: purchasing power parityÑ$22,000 (1997 est.) GDPÑcomposition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (1996) Inflation rateÑconsumer price index: 2% (1997) Labor force: total: 6.6 million (1997) by occupation: services 75%, manufacturing and construction 23%, agriculture 2% (1996) Unemployment rate: 6.9% (1997) Budget: revenues: $103.4 billion expenditures: $112.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 draft) Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics Industrial production growth rate: 3.75% (1997) ElectricityÑcapacity: 20.09 million kW (1996 est.) ElectricityÑproduction: 82 billion kWh (1996 est.) ElectricityÑconsumption per capita: 4,968 kWh (1996 est.) AgricultureÑproducts: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock Exports: total value: $203.1 billion (f.o.b., 1997) commodities: manufactures and machinery, chemicals; processed food and tobacco, agricultural products partners: EU 80% (Germany 29%, Belgium-Luxembourg 13%, UK 10%), Central and Eastern Europe 4%, US 3% (1996) Imports: total value: $1.791 trillion (c.i.f., 1997) commodities: raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products partners: EU 64% (Germany 22%, Belgium-Luxembourg 11%, UK 10%), Central and Eastern Europe 4%, US 8% (1996) DebtÑexternal: $0 Economic aid: donor: ODA, $2.9 billion (1997) Currency: 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1Ñ2.0462 (January 1998), 1.9513 (1997), 1.6859 (1996), 1.6057 (1995), 1.8200 (1994), 1.8573 (1993) Fiscal year: calendar year 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 stationsÑ3 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.) Transportation Railways: total: 2,739 km standard gauge: 2,739 km 1.435-m gauge; (1,991 km electrified) (1996) Highways: total: 127,000 km paved: 114,427 km (including 2,360 km of expressways) unpaved: 12,573 km (1996 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 and harbors: Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht Merchant marine: total: 453 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,141,630 GRT/3,597,975 DWT ships by type : bulk 2, cargo 269, chemical tanker 33, combination bulk 2, container 44, liquefied gas tanker 16, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 7, oil tanker 28, passenger 6, refrigerated cargo 28, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 3 note: many Dutch-owned ships are also operating under the registry of Netherlands Antilles (1997 est.) Airports: 28 (1997 est.) AirportsÑwith paved runways: total: 19 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.) AirportsÑwith unpaved runways: total: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (1997 est.) Heliports: 1 (1997 est.) Military Military branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary Military manpowerÑmilitary age: 20 years of age Military manpowerÑavailability: males age 15-49: 4,136,224 (1998 est.) Military manpowerÑfit for military service: males: 3,617,322 (1998 est.) Military manpowerÑreaching military age annually: males: 94,734 (1998 est.) Military expendituresÑdollar figure: $8.2 billion (1995) Military expendituresÑpercent of GDP: 2.1% (1995) Transnational Issues DisputesÑinternational: none Illicit drugs: important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs