NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
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 (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); 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 Vice Prime Ministers Johan REMKES (since NA 2002) and Roelf DE BOER (since NA 2002) 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 1999 (next to be held 15 May 2003); 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 20, VVD 19, PvdA 15, D66 4, other 17; 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 [Jan Peter BALKENENDE]; Christian Union Party [M. VAN DAALEN]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Thom DE GRAAF]; 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, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, 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, 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 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL
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; 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 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 2001-02, as part of the global economic slowdown, but for the four years before that, annual growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the EU average. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $434 billion (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
0.3% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $26,900 (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 3%
industry: 26% services: 71% (2001 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 25% (1994) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
33 (1994) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
3.4% (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
7.2 million (2000) |
|
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:
|
2% (2002 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
87.953 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 90%
hydro: 0% other: 5% (2000) nuclear: 4% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
100.71 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
4.031 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
22.946 billion kWh (2000) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock |
|
Exports:
|
$221.9 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs |
|
Exports - partners:
|
EU 77.6% (Germany 25.6%, Benelux 11.8%, UK 11.1%, France 10.3%, Italy 6.2%) (2001) |
|
Imports:
|
$201.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs, clothing |
|
Imports - partners:
|
EU 54.6% (Germany 18.4%, Benelux 9.2%, UK 8.9%, France 5.8%), US 9.9% (2001) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $3.5 billion (2000 est.) |
|
Currency:
|
euro (EUR); Netherlands guilder (NLG)
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; NLG |
|
Exchange rates:
|
euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Netherlands guilders per US dollar - 1.9837 (1998), 1.9513 (1997) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |