Netherlands

Broadcast media

more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems that provide a wide range of domestic and foreign channels; public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters, 3 with a national reach and the remainder operating in regional and local markets; 2 major nationwide commercial television companies, each with 3 or more stations, and a large number of commercial TV stations in regional and local markets; nearly 600 radio stations operating with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage (2008)

Internet country code

.nl

Internet hosts

12.607 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 10

Internet users

14.872 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 27

Telephone system

general assessment: highly developed and well maintained domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellular telephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) services international: country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

7.32 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 26

Telephones - mobile cellular

21.182 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 39

Agriculture - products

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Central bank discount rate

1.75% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 126 3% (31 December 2008) note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.01% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 9.66% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

$46.69 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $39.58 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$NA (30 June 2010) $3.733 trillion (31 December 2009)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30.9 (2007) country comparison to the world: 107 32.6 (1994)

Economy - overview

The Netherlands economy is noted for stable industrial relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable current account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country has been one of the leading European nations for attracting foreign direct investment and is one of the four largest investors in the US. After 26 years of uninterrupted economic growth, the Netherlands' economy - which is highly open and dependent on foreign trade and financial services - was hard-hit by global economic crisis. Dutch GDP contracted 3.9% in 2009, while exports declined nearly 25% due to a sharp contraction in world demand. The Dutch financial sector has also suffered, due in part to the high exposure of some Dutch banks to U.S. mortgage-backed securities. In response to turmoil in financial markets, the government nationalized two banks and injected billions of dollars into a third, to prevent further systemic risk. The government also sought to boost the domestic economy by accelerating infrastructure programs, offering corporate tax breaks for employers to retain workers, and expanding export credit facilities. The stimulus programs and bank bailouts, however, resulted in a government budget deficit of nearly 4.6% of GDP in 2009 and 5.6% in 2010 that contrasts sharply with a surplus of 0.7% of GDP in 2008. With unemployment weighing on private-sector consumption, the government of Prime Minister Mark RUTTE is likely to come under increased pressure to keep the budget deficit in check while promoting economic recovery.

Electricity - consumption

124.1 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Electricity - exports

10.56 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

15.45 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

108.2 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.774 (2010), 0.7179 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)

Exports

$451.3 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $421.3 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs

Exports - partners

Germany 25.54%, Belgium 12.49%, France 9.27%, UK 8.17%, Italy 5.07%, US 3.97% (2009)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$770.3 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$680.4 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 $669 billion (2009 est.) $696.1 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2.6% industry: 24.9% services: 72.4% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$40,500 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 $40,000 (2009 est.) $41,800 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 161 -3.9% (2009 est.) 1.9% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 22.9% (1999)

Imports

$408.4 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $371.9 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners

Germany 17.16%, China 11.58%, Belgium 8.68%, US 7.77%, UK 5.72%, Russia 4.47%, France 4.4% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Industries

agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 1.2% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

18% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 111

Labor force

7.86 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 58

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2% industry: 18% services: 80% (2005 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$542.5 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 19 $387.9 billion (31 December 2008) $956.5 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

48.6 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17

Natural gas - exports

55.59 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 6

Natural gas - imports

24.6 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 12

Natural gas - production

79.58 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 9

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.416 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

Oil - consumption

922,800 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

Oil - exports

1.66 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14

Oil - imports

2.426 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8

Oil - production

57,190 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

Oil - proved reserves

100 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 69

Population below poverty line

10.5% (2005)

Public debt

64.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 60.9% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$NA (31 December 2010 est.) $39.61 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.124 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 16 $1.133 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$950.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $932.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$687.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $654.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$2.083 trillion (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 $1.824 trillion (31 December 2008)

Stock of narrow money

$368.1 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 12 $351.6 billion (31 December 2009 est) note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Unemployment rate

5.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 4.8% (2009 est.)

Area

total: 41,543 sq km country comparison to the world: 134 land: 33,893 sq km water: 7,650 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Climate

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Coastline

451 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m

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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 8.86 cu km/yr (6%/60%/34%) per capita: 544 cu m/yr (2001)

Geographic coordinates

52 30 N, 5 45 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

5,650 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Land use

arable land: 21.96% permanent crops: 0.77% other: 77.27% (2005)

Location

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land

Terrain

mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

Total renewable water resources

89.7 cu km (2005)

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland)

Capital

name: Amsterdam geographic coordinates: 52 23 N, 4 54 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October note: The Hague is the seat of government; time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, not to the Caribbean components

Constitution

adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden local short form: Nederland

Dependent areas

Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Fay HARTOG LEVIN embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209 FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688 consulate(s) general: Amsterdam

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Regina "Renee" JONES-BOS chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300, [1] 877-388-2443 FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York consulate(s): Boston

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Minister Maxime VERHAGEN (since 14 October 2010) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet on legislative and administrative policy

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; the colors were those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange, but because it tended to fade to red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch)

Legal system

based on 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

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 to serve four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: First Chamber - last held 29 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2011); Second Chamber - last held 9 June 2010 (next to be held by May 2015) election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDA 21, PvdA 14, VVD 14, Socialist Party 11, Christian Union 4, Green Left Party 4, D66 2, other 5; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - VVD 20.5%, PvdA 19.6%, PVV, 15.4%, CDA 13.6%, SP 9.8%, D66 6.9%, GL 6.7%, CU 3.2, other 4.3%; seats by party - VVD 31, PvdA 30, PVV 24, CDA 21, SP 15, D66 10, GL 10, CU 5, other 4

National anthem

name: "Het Wilhelmus" (The William) lyrics/music: Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown note: adopted 1932, in use since the 17th century, making it the oldest national anthem in the world; also known as "Wilhelmus van Nassouwe" (William of Nassau), it is in the form of an acrostic, where the first letter of each stanza spells the name of the leader of the Dutch Revolt

National holiday

Queen's Day (Birthday of deceased Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Maxime VERHAGEN]; Christian Union [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD]; Green Left [Jolande SAP]; Labor Party or PvdA [Job COHEN]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Mark RUTTE] (Liberal); Reformed Political Party of SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ]; Socialist Party [Emile ROEMER]; plus a few minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Jaap SMIT]; Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW [Bernard WIENTJES]; Federation for Small and Medium-sized businesses or MKB [Loek HERMANS]; Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Agnes JONGERIUS]; Social Economic Council or SER [Alexander RINNOOY KAN]; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP [Richard STEENBORG]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a 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 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 EEC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 3,927,311 females age 16-49: 3,831,110 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 3,213,954 females age 16-49: 3,133,972 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 104,694 female: 99,874 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police (2010)

Military expenditures

1.6% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 94

Military service age and obligation

20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.4% (male 1,485,873/female 1,416,999) 15-64 years: 67.7% (male 5,720,387/female 5,604,014) 65 years and over: 14.9% (male 1,070,496/female 1,418,230) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

10.3 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 189

Death rate

8.78 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 77

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 45

Ethnic groups

Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Caribbean 0.8%, other 4.8% (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

18,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.66 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 193 male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

Languages

Dutch (official), Frisian (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.55 years country comparison to the world: 34 male: 76.94 years female: 82.3 years (2010 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 40.8 years male: 40 years female: 41.6 years (2010 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 34

Population

16,783,092 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59

Population growth rate

0.39% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Religions

Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 17 years male: 17 years female: 17 years (2008)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.052 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.66 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 174

Urbanization

urban population: 82% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy

Airports

27 (2010) country comparison to the world: 125

Airports - with paved runways

total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2010)

Heliports

1 (2010)

Merchant marine

total: 706 country comparison to the world: 15 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 464, carrier 21, chemical tanker 57, container 73, liquefied gas 19, passenger 17, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 21, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 217 (Australia 1, Denmark 36, Finland 14, France 2, Germany 92, Ireland 7, Italy 9, Japan 1, Norway 18, Sweden 18, UAE 4, US 15) registered in other countries: 240 (Antigua and Barbuda 18, Australia 1, Bahamas 22, Belize 1, Cambodia 1, Canada 1, Cyprus 24, Gibraltar 33, Liberia 35, Luxembourg 2, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 16, former Netherlands Antilles 52, Panama 8, Paraguay 1, Philippines 18, Portugal 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Singapore 1, unknown 1) (2010)

Pipelines

gas 3,816 km; oil 365 km; refined products 716 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Moerdijk, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen

Railways

total: 2,896 km country comparison to the world: 58 standard gauge: 2,896 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2009)

Roadways

total: 136,827 km (includes 2,582 km of expressways) (2008) country comparison to the world: 36

Waterways

6,215 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2007) country comparison to the world: 22