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$Unique_ID{COW02568}
$Pretitle{433}
$Title{Netherlands
Statistical Profile of the Netherlands}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Central Intelligence Agency}
$Affiliation{United States Government}
$Subject{km
netherlands
rate
billion
government
party
land
products
seats
total}
$Date{1990}
$Log{National Anthem*60100010.aud
Map of Netherlands*0256801.scf
Flag of Netherlands*0256802.scf
}
Country: Netherlands
Book: CIA World Factbook
Author: Central Intelligence Agency
Affiliation: United States Government
Date: 1990
[Hear National Anthem]
[See Map of Netherlands]
[See Flag of Netherlands]
Statistical Profile of the Netherlands
Geography
Total area: 41,500 km2; land area: 33,940 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: 1,027 km total; Belgium 450 km, FRG 577 km
Coastline: 451 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
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
Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil
Land use: 25% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 34% meadows and
pastures; 9% forest and woodland; 31% other; includes 15% irrigated
Environment: 30% of the land area is below sea level and protected from
the North Sea by dikes
Note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine,
Maas or Meuse, Schelde)
People
Population: 14,790,125 (July 1989), growth rate 0.5% (1989)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1989)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1989)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1989)
Nationality: noun--Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective--Dutch
Ethnic divisions: 99% Dutch, 1% Indonesian and other
Religion: 40% Roman Catholic, 31% Protestant, 24% unaffiliated, 5% none
Language: Dutch
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 5,300,000; 50.1% services, 28.2% manufacturing and
construction, 15.9% government, 5.8% agriculture (1986)
Organized labor: 29% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Amsterdam, but government resides at The Hague
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)
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 Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Branches: executive (Queen and Cabinet of Ministers), which is responsible
to bicameral parliament (States General) consisting of a First Chamber (75
indirectly elected members) and a Second Chamber (150 directly elected members);
independent judiciary; coalition governments are usual
Leaders: Chief of State Head of Government BEATRIX Wilhelmina
Armgard, Queen (since
April 1980);
Ruud LUBBERS, Prime Minister (since November 1982)
Suffrage: universal over age 18
Elections: must be held at least every four years for lower house (last
held in May 1986); following an amendment to the Constitution that took effect
in 1983, elections are held for the upper house every four years (most recent
August 1983)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem
van Velzen; Labor (PvdA), Wim Kok; Liberal (VVD), Leendert Ginjaar and Joris
Voorhoeve; Democrats '66 (D'66), Saskia van der Loo; Communist (CPN), Henk
Hoekstra; Pacifist Socialist (PSP), Marko Mazeland; Political Reformed (SGP),
H. Slagboom; Reformed Political Union (GPV), J. Blokland; Radical Party (PPR),
Janneke van der Plaat; Democratic Socialist '70 (DS'70), Z. Hartog; Rightist
Peoples Party (RVP), Hendrik Koekoek; Reformed Political Federation (RPF),
P. Lamgeler; Center Party (CP), H. Janmatt; Evangelical People's Party (EVP),
J. Renes; Party for Better Housing (PVA), J. H. Borsboom; Roman Catholic Party
of the Netherlands (RKPN), Klaas Beuker; Netherlands Christian Democrats
(NCD), J. A. Tacx
Voting strength: (May 1986 election) CDA 54 seats, PvdA 52 seats, VVD 27
seats, D'66 9 seats, SGP 3 seats, PPR 2 seats, PSP 1 seat, GPV
1 seat, RPF 1 seat; two members of the CDA were expelled from the party in 1984
and are now serving as independents
Communists: about 6,000
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 IKV--Interchurch Peace Council
Member of: ADB, Benelux, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, EIB,
EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA,
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INRO,
INTELSAT, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU,
IWC--International Wheat Council (with respect to interests of the Netherlands
Antilles and Suriname), NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Richard H. FEIN; Chancery at
4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-5300;
there are Dutch Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador John S. SHAD; Embassy at Lange Voorhout 102,
2514 EJ The Hague (mailing address APO New York 09159);
telephone [31] (70) 62-49-11; there is a US Consulate General in Amsterdam
Flag: 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
Overview: The economy is highly developed and based on private enterprise.
The government makes its presence felt, however, through the many regulations
and permit requirements affecting most aspects of economic activity. The country
maintains a high standard of living with a GNP per capita in excess of $15,000.
The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GNP. Industrial
activity, including construction, provides about 25% of GNP, and is led by the
food-processing, oil-refining, and metal-working industries. The highly
mechanized agricultural sector employs only 6% of the labor force, but provides
large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. An
unemployment rate of over 11% and a high government budget deficit are currently
the most serious economic problems.
GNP: $223.3 billion, per capita $15,170; real growth rate 4.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 11.1% (1988)
Budget: revenues $78.6 billion; expenditures $91.4 billion, including
capital expenditures of $8.7 billion (1988)
Exports: $92.4 billion (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--agricultural
products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals, metal products,
textiles, clothing; partners--EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-Luxembourg
14.2%, France 10.7%, UK 10.2%), US 4.7%
Imports: $91.3 billion (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--raw materials
and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil,
food products; partners--EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%,
UK 8.1%), US 7.9%
External debt: none
Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1988)
Electricity: 21,931,000 kW capacity; 63,409 million kWh
produced, 4,310 kWh per capita (1988)
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical
mac