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Geography
Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
.
Area:
total: 41,526 sq km
water: 7,643 sq km
land: 33,883 sq km
Area - comparative:
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: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 26.53%
other: 72.44% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 1.03%
Irrigated land:
5,650 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
flooding
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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur
94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, 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
Geography - note:
ocated at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or
Meuse, and Schelde)
Government
Country
name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form: Netherlands
local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
local short form: Nederland
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Administrative divisions:
12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland,
Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland,
Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland
Independence:
1579 (from Spain); note - the northern provinces of the Low Country
concluded the Union of Utrecht, but it was 1648 before Spain finally
recognized their independence
National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession
to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 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 (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22
July 2002) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gerrit ZALM (since 27 May
2003) and Thom DE GRAAF (since 27 May 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber
elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; vice
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
prime minister 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 Chamber - last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held
NA May 2007); Second Chamber - last held 22 January 2003 (next to
be held NA January 2007)
election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - CDA 23, PvdA 19, VVD 15, Green Party 5, Socialist
Party 4, D66 3, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party
- CDA 28.6%, PvdA 27.3%, VVD 12.9%, Socialist Party 6.3%, List Pim
Fortuyn 5.7%, Green Party 5.1%, D66 4.1%; seats by party - CDA 44,
PvdA 42, VVD 28, Socialist Party 9, List Pim Fortuyn 8, Green Party
8, D66 6, other 5 )
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the
monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Maxime Jacques Marcel VERHAGEN];
Christian Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Boris
DITTRICH]; Green Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wouter
BOS]; List Pim Fortuyn [Mat HERBEN]; People's Party for Freedom
and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Gerrit ZALM]; Socialist Party [Jan
MARIJNISSEN]; a host of minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist
and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation
of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; Interchurch Peace
Council or IKV; large multinational firms; the nondenominational
Federation of Netherlands Enterprises
International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Boudewijn J. VAN EENENNAAM
consulate(s): Boston
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
York
FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430
telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300
chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
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;
one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with William
I, Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century .
Economy
Economy - overview:
The Netherlands is a prosperous and open economy depending heavily
on foreign trade. The 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 no more than 4% 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 continues to be
one of the leading European nations for attracting foreign direct
investment. Economic growth slowed considerably in 2001-03, as part
of the global economic slowdown, but for the four years before that,
annual growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the EU average. The
government is wrestling with a deteriorating budget position, and
is moving toward the EU 3% limit.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $437.8 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.2 % (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $27,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 25.7%
services: 71.2% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.1% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.6 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
7.2 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
services 73%, industry 23%, agriculture 4% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3 % (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $134 billion
expenditures: $134 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)
Industries:
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery
and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics,
fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
0% (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Exports:
$243.3 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Germany 25.1%, Belgium 12.7%, UK 10.7%, France 10.2%, Italy 6%,
US 4.6% (2002)
Imports:
$201.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs,
clothing
Imports - partners:
Germany 17.8%, Belgium 9.7%, US 9.1%, UK 6.9%, France 5.5%, China
5.1%, Japan 4% (2002)
Debt - external:
$66.5 billion (1994)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $3.5 billion (2000 est.) )
Currency:
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced
the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions
of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94
(1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
(figures
reproduced from The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
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