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== Netherlands<br>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/maps/nl-map.gif ==
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
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| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Introduction'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Background:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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.
|}
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{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Geography'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Location:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
|-
| <div align="right">Geographic coordinates:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 52 30 N, 5 45 E
|-
| <div align="right">Map references:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | [[Europe]]
|-
| <div align="right">Area:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 41,526 sq km <br />''land:'' 33,883 sq km <br />''water:'' 7,643 sq km
|-
| <div align="right">Area - comparative:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | slightly less than twice the size of [[Directory:New Jersey|New Jersey]]
|-
| <div align="right">Land boundaries:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 1,027 km <br />''border countries:'' [[Directory:Belgium|Belgium]] 450 km, [[Directory:Germany|Germany]] 577 km
|-
| <div align="right">Coastline:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 451 km
|-
| <div align="right">Maritime claims:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''territorial sea:'' 12 nm <br />''contiguous zone:'' 24 nm <br />''exclusive fishing zone:'' 200 nm
|-
| <div align="right">Climate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
|-
| <div align="right">Terrain:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
|-
| <div align="right">Elevation extremes:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''lowest point:'' Zuidplaspolder -7 m <br />''highest point:'' Vaalserberg 322 m
|-
| <div align="right">Natural resources:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
|-
| <div align="right">Land use:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''arable land:'' 21.96% <br />''permanent crops:'' 0.77% <br />''other:'' 77.27% (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Irrigated land:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 5,650 sq km (2003)
|-
| <div align="right">Total renewable water resources:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 89.7 cu km (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 8.86 cu km/yr (6%/60%/34%) <br />''per capita:'' 544 cu m/yr (2001)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural hazards:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | flooding
|-
| <div align="right">Environment - current issues:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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
|-
| <div align="right">Environment - international agreements:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''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
|-
| <div align="right">Geography - note:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)
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{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''People'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Population:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 16,570,613 (July 2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Age structure:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''0-14 years:'' 17.8% (male 1,505,931/female 1,436,532) <br />''15-64 years:'' 67.8% (male 5,683,877/female 5,557,745) <br />''65 years and over:'' 14.4% (male 1,015,731/female 1,370,797) (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Median age:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 39.7 years <br />''male:'' 38.9 years <br />''female:'' 40.5 years (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Population growth rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 0.464% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Birth rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 10.7 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Death rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Net migration rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Sex ratio:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''at birth:'' 1.05 male(s)/female <br />''under 15 years:'' 1.048 male(s)/female <br />''15-64 years:'' 1.023 male(s)/female <br />''65 years and over:'' 0.741 male(s)/female <br />''total population:'' 0.981 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Infant mortality rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births <br />''male:'' 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births <br />''female:'' 4.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Life expectancy at birth:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total population:'' 79.11 years <br />''male:'' 76.52 years <br />''female:'' 81.82 years (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Total fertility rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.66 children born/woman (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 0.2% (2001 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 19,000 (2001 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">HIV/AIDS - deaths:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | less than 100 (2003 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Nationality:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''noun:'' Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) <br />''adjective:'' Dutch
|-
| <div align="right">Ethnic groups:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese, and Indonesians) (1999 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Religions:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%, Muslim 5.5%, other 2.5%, none 41% (2002)
|-
| <div align="right">Languages:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
|-
| <div align="right">Literacy:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''definition:'' age 15 and over can read and write <br />''total population:'' 99% <br />''male:'' 99% <br />''female:'' 99% (2003 est.)
|}
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{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Government'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Country name:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''conventional long form:'' Kingdom of the Netherlands <br />''conventional short form:'' Netherlands <br />''local long form:'' Koninkrijk der Nederlanden <br />''local short form:'' Nederland
|-
| <div align="right">Government type:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | constitutional monarchy
|-
| <div align="right">Capital:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''name:'' Amsterdam <br />''geographic coordinates:'' 52 23 N, 4 54 E <br />''time difference:'' UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) <br />''daylight saving time:'' +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October <br />''note:'' The Hague (seat of government)
|-
| <div align="right">Administrative divisions:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland (Fryslan), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland (South Holland)
|-
| <div align="right">Dependent areas:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
|-
| <div align="right">Independence:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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)
|-
| <div align="right">National holiday:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
|-
| <div align="right">Constitution:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002
|-
| <div align="right">Legal system:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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
|-
| <div align="right">Suffrage:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 18 years of age; universal
|-
| <div align="right">Executive branch:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''chief of state:'' Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch <br />''head of government:'' Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22 July 2002); Deputy Prime Ministers Wouter BOS (since 22 February 2007) and Andre ROUVOET (since 22 February 2007) <br />''cabinet:'' Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch <br />''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; deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch <br />''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
|-
| <div align="right">Legislative branch:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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 directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) <br />''elections:'' First Chamber - last held 29 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2011); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be held by early 2011) <br />''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 - CDA 26.5%, PvdA 21.2%, Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for Freedom 5.9%, Green Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%, other 6.6%; seats by party - CDA 41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9, Green Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7
|-
| <div align="right">Judicial branch:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch)
|-
| <div align="right">Political parties and leaders:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Pieter GEEL]; Christian Union Party [Arie SLOB]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD]; Green Left Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or PvdA [Jacques TICHELAAR]; List Pim Fortuyn [Olaf STUGER]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Mark RUTTE]; Reformed Political Party of SGP [Bas VAN DER VLIES]; Socialist Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN]; plus a few minor parties
|-
| <div align="right">Political pressure groups and leaders:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV (consisting of a merger of Socialist and Catholic trade unions); Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; Interchurch Peace Council or IKV; large multinational firms; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises
|-
| <div align="right">International organization participation:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ADB (nonregional members), AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, 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, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
|-
| <div align="right">Diplomatic representation in the US:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''chief of mission:'' Ambassador Christiaan Mark Johan KROENER <br />''chancery:'' 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 <br />''telephone:'' [1] (202) 244-5300, [1] 877-388-2443 <br />''FAX:'' [1] (202) 362-3430 <br />''consulate(s) general:'' Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
|-
| <div align="right">Diplomatic representation from the US:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''chief of mission:'' Ambassador Roland E. ARNALL <br />''embassy:'' Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague <br />''mailing address:'' PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 <br />''telephone:'' [31] (70) 310-2209 <br />''FAX:'' [31] (70) 361-4688 <br />''consulate(s) general:'' Amsterdam
|-
| <div align="right">Flag description:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Economy'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Economy - overview:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which depends 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 3% 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 and is one of the five largest investors in the US. The economy experienced a slowdown in 2005 but in 2006 recovered to the fastest pace in six years on the back of increased exports and strong investment. The pace of job growth reached 10-year highs in 2007.
|-
| <div align="right">GDP (purchasing power parity):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $638.9 billion (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">GDP (official exchange rate):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $754.9 billion (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">GDP - real growth rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 2.8% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">GDP - per capita (PPP):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $38,600 (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">GDP - composition by sector:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''agriculture:'' 2.2% <br />''industry:'' 24% <br />''services:'' 73.8% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Labor force:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 7.5 million (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Labor force - by occupation:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''agriculture:'' 3% <br />''industry:'' 21% <br />''services:'' 76% (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Unemployment rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 4.5% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Population below poverty line:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 10.5% (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Household income or consumption by percentage share:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''lowest 10%:'' 2.5% <br />''highest 10%:'' 22.9% (1999)
|-
| <div align="right">Distribution of family income - Gini index:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 30.9 (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Inflation rate (consumer prices):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.8% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Investment (gross fixed):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 19.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Budget:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''revenues:'' $302.8 billion <br />''expenditures:'' $352.3 billion (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Public debt:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 47.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Agriculture - products:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock
|-
| <div align="right">Industries:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
|-
| <div align="right">Industrial production growth rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 2% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - production:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 94.34 billion kWh (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - production by source:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''fossil fuel:'' 89.9% <br />''hydro:'' 0.1% <br />''nuclear:'' 4.3% <br />''other:'' 5.7% (2001)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - consumption:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 108.2 billion kWh (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - exports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 5.398 billion kWh (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - imports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 23.69 billion kWh (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - production:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 84,390 bbl/day (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - consumption:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.024 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - exports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.546 million bbl/day (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - imports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 2.465 million bbl/day (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - proved reserves:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 106 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - production:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 75.58 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - consumption:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 47.46 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - exports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 50.21 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - imports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 22.08 billion cu m (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - proved reserves:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.684 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Current account balance:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $59.28 billion (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Exports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $465.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Exports - commodities:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
|-
| <div align="right">Exports - partners:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Germany 25.5%, Belgium 14%, UK 8.9%, France 8.6%, Italy 5.1%, US 4.5% (2006)
|-
| <div align="right">Imports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $402.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Imports - commodities:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
|-
| <div align="right">Imports - partners:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Germany 17.1%, Belgium 9.4%, China 9.4%, US 7.8%, UK 5.9%, Russia 5.1%, France 4.5% (2006)
|-
| <div align="right">Economic aid - donor:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ODA, $4 billion (2003 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $23.9 billion (2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Debt - external:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $2.277 trillion (30 June 2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $450.9 billion (2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $652.3 billion (2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Market value of publicly traded shares:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $924.4 billion (November 2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Currency (code):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | euro (EUR) <br />''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
|-
| <div align="right">Currency code:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | EUR
|-
| <div align="right">Exchange rates:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
|-
| <div align="right">Fiscal year:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | calendar year
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Communications'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Telephones - main lines in use:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 7.6 million (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Telephones - mobile cellular:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 15.834 million (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Telephone system:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''general assessment:'' highly developed and well maintained <br />''domestic:'' extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with 5 major network operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) <br />''international:'' country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Radio broadcast stations:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | AM 4, FM 246, shortwave 3 (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Radios:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 15.3 million (1996)
|-
| <div align="right">Television broadcast stations:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)
|-
| <div align="right">Televisions:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 8.1 million (1997)
|-
| <div align="right">Internet country code:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | .nl
|-
| <div align="right">Internet hosts:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 11.17 million (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Internet Service Providers (ISPs):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 52 (2000)
|-
| <div align="right">Internet users:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 14.544 million (2006)
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Transportation'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Airports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 27 (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Airports - with paved runways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 20 <br />''over 3,047 m:'' 2 <br />''2,438 to 3,047 m:'' 9 <br />''1,524 to 2,437 m:'' 3 <br />''914 to 1,523 m:'' 4 <br />''under 914 m:'' 2 (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Airports - with unpaved runways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 7 <br />''914 to 1,523 m:'' 3 <br />''under 914 m:'' 4 (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Heliports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1 (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Pipelines:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | condensate 81 km; gas 7,394 km; oil 578 km; refined products 716 km (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Railways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 2,811 km <br />''standard gauge:'' 2,811 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2006)
|-
| <div align="right">Roadways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 134,000 km (includes 3,270 km of expressways) (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Waterways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 6,183 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Merchant marine:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 566 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,210,664 GRT/5,217,874 DWT <br />''by type:'' bulk carrier 9, cargo 346, carrier 19, chemical tanker 39, container 63, liquefied gas 13, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 16, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 4 <br />''foreign-owned:'' 172 (Belgium 2, Denmark 19, Finland 14, France 1, Germany 70, Ireland 9, South Korea 1, Norway 9, Sweden 27, UK 7, US 13) <br />''registered in other countries:'' 220 (Antigua and Barbuda 19, Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 24, Canada 1, Cyprus 23, Gibraltar 11, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 28, Luxembourg 1, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 5, Netherlands Antilles 53, Norway 1, Panama 14, Paraguay 1, Philippines 22, Portugal 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 5, UK 2, US 1, unknown 1) (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Ports and terminals:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Military'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Military branches:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police, Defense Interservice Command (DICO) (2006)
|-
| <div align="right">Military service age and obligation:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Manpower available for military service:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''males age 20-49:'' 3,557,918 <br />''females age 20-49:'' 3,470,377 (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Manpower fit for military service:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''males age 20-49:'' 2,856,691 <br />''females age 20-49:'' 2,786,495 (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Manpower reaching military service age annually:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''males age 18-49:'' 99,934 <br />''females age 20-49:'' 95,818 (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Military expenditures - percent of GDP:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.6% (2005 est.)
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Transnational Issues'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
|-
| <div align="right">Disputes - international:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | none
|-
| <div align="right">Illicit drugs:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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
|}
[[Category:Country]]
<center>
== Netherlands<br>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/maps/nl-map.gif ==
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
|-
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Introduction'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Background:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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.
|}
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{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Geography'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Location:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
|-
| <div align="right">Geographic coordinates:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 52 30 N, 5 45 E
|-
| <div align="right">Map references:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | [[Europe]]
|-
| <div align="right">Area:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 41,526 sq km <br />''land:'' 33,883 sq km <br />''water:'' 7,643 sq km
|-
| <div align="right">Area - comparative:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | slightly less than twice the size of [[Directory:New Jersey|New Jersey]]
|-
| <div align="right">Land boundaries:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 1,027 km <br />''border countries:'' [[Directory:Belgium|Belgium]] 450 km, [[Directory:Germany|Germany]] 577 km
|-
| <div align="right">Coastline:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 451 km
|-
| <div align="right">Maritime claims:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''territorial sea:'' 12 nm <br />''contiguous zone:'' 24 nm <br />''exclusive fishing zone:'' 200 nm
|-
| <div align="right">Climate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
|-
| <div align="right">Terrain:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
|-
| <div align="right">Elevation extremes:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''lowest point:'' Zuidplaspolder -7 m <br />''highest point:'' Vaalserberg 322 m
|-
| <div align="right">Natural resources:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
|-
| <div align="right">Land use:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''arable land:'' 21.96% <br />''permanent crops:'' 0.77% <br />''other:'' 77.27% (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Irrigated land:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 5,650 sq km (2003)
|-
| <div align="right">Total renewable water resources:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 89.7 cu km (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 8.86 cu km/yr (6%/60%/34%) <br />''per capita:'' 544 cu m/yr (2001)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural hazards:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | flooding
|-
| <div align="right">Environment - current issues:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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
|-
| <div align="right">Environment - international agreements:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''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
|-
| <div align="right">Geography - note:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)
|}
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{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''People'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Population:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 16,570,613 (July 2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Age structure:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''0-14 years:'' 17.8% (male 1,505,931/female 1,436,532) <br />''15-64 years:'' 67.8% (male 5,683,877/female 5,557,745) <br />''65 years and over:'' 14.4% (male 1,015,731/female 1,370,797) (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Median age:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 39.7 years <br />''male:'' 38.9 years <br />''female:'' 40.5 years (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Population growth rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 0.464% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Birth rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 10.7 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Death rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Net migration rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Sex ratio:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''at birth:'' 1.05 male(s)/female <br />''under 15 years:'' 1.048 male(s)/female <br />''15-64 years:'' 1.023 male(s)/female <br />''65 years and over:'' 0.741 male(s)/female <br />''total population:'' 0.981 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Infant mortality rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births <br />''male:'' 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births <br />''female:'' 4.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Life expectancy at birth:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total population:'' 79.11 years <br />''male:'' 76.52 years <br />''female:'' 81.82 years (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Total fertility rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.66 children born/woman (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 0.2% (2001 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 19,000 (2001 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">HIV/AIDS - deaths:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | less than 100 (2003 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Nationality:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''noun:'' Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) <br />''adjective:'' Dutch
|-
| <div align="right">Ethnic groups:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese, and Indonesians) (1999 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Religions:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%, Muslim 5.5%, other 2.5%, none 41% (2002)
|-
| <div align="right">Languages:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
|-
| <div align="right">Literacy:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''definition:'' age 15 and over can read and write <br />''total population:'' 99% <br />''male:'' 99% <br />''female:'' 99% (2003 est.)
|}
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{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Government'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Country name:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''conventional long form:'' Kingdom of the Netherlands <br />''conventional short form:'' Netherlands <br />''local long form:'' Koninkrijk der Nederlanden <br />''local short form:'' Nederland
|-
| <div align="right">Government type:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | constitutional monarchy
|-
| <div align="right">Capital:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''name:'' Amsterdam <br />''geographic coordinates:'' 52 23 N, 4 54 E <br />''time difference:'' UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) <br />''daylight saving time:'' +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October <br />''note:'' The Hague (seat of government)
|-
| <div align="right">Administrative divisions:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland (Fryslan), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland (South Holland)
|-
| <div align="right">Dependent areas:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
|-
| <div align="right">Independence:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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)
|-
| <div align="right">National holiday:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
|-
| <div align="right">Constitution:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002
|-
| <div align="right">Legal system:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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
|-
| <div align="right">Suffrage:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 18 years of age; universal
|-
| <div align="right">Executive branch:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''chief of state:'' Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch <br />''head of government:'' Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22 July 2002); Deputy Prime Ministers Wouter BOS (since 22 February 2007) and Andre ROUVOET (since 22 February 2007) <br />''cabinet:'' Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch <br />''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; deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch <br />''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
|-
| <div align="right">Legislative branch:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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 directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) <br />''elections:'' First Chamber - last held 29 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2011); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be held by early 2011) <br />''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 - CDA 26.5%, PvdA 21.2%, Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for Freedom 5.9%, Green Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%, other 6.6%; seats by party - CDA 41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9, Green Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7
|-
| <div align="right">Judicial branch:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch)
|-
| <div align="right">Political parties and leaders:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Pieter GEEL]; Christian Union Party [Arie SLOB]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD]; Green Left Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or PvdA [Jacques TICHELAAR]; List Pim Fortuyn [Olaf STUGER]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Mark RUTTE]; Reformed Political Party of SGP [Bas VAN DER VLIES]; Socialist Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN]; plus a few minor parties
|-
| <div align="right">Political pressure groups and leaders:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV (consisting of a merger of Socialist and Catholic trade unions); Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; Interchurch Peace Council or IKV; large multinational firms; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises
|-
| <div align="right">International organization participation:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ADB (nonregional members), AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, 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, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
|-
| <div align="right">Diplomatic representation in the US:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''chief of mission:'' Ambassador Christiaan Mark Johan KROENER <br />''chancery:'' 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 <br />''telephone:'' [1] (202) 244-5300, [1] 877-388-2443 <br />''FAX:'' [1] (202) 362-3430 <br />''consulate(s) general:'' Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
|-
| <div align="right">Diplomatic representation from the US:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''chief of mission:'' Ambassador Roland E. ARNALL <br />''embassy:'' Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague <br />''mailing address:'' PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 <br />''telephone:'' [31] (70) 310-2209 <br />''FAX:'' [31] (70) 361-4688 <br />''consulate(s) general:'' Amsterdam
|-
| <div align="right">Flag description:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Economy'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Economy - overview:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which depends 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 3% 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 and is one of the five largest investors in the US. The economy experienced a slowdown in 2005 but in 2006 recovered to the fastest pace in six years on the back of increased exports and strong investment. The pace of job growth reached 10-year highs in 2007.
|-
| <div align="right">GDP (purchasing power parity):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $638.9 billion (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">GDP (official exchange rate):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $754.9 billion (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">GDP - real growth rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 2.8% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">GDP - per capita (PPP):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $38,600 (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">GDP - composition by sector:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''agriculture:'' 2.2% <br />''industry:'' 24% <br />''services:'' 73.8% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Labor force:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 7.5 million (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Labor force - by occupation:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''agriculture:'' 3% <br />''industry:'' 21% <br />''services:'' 76% (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Unemployment rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 4.5% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Population below poverty line:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 10.5% (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Household income or consumption by percentage share:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''lowest 10%:'' 2.5% <br />''highest 10%:'' 22.9% (1999)
|-
| <div align="right">Distribution of family income - Gini index:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 30.9 (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Inflation rate (consumer prices):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.8% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Investment (gross fixed):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 19.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Budget:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''revenues:'' $302.8 billion <br />''expenditures:'' $352.3 billion (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Public debt:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 47.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Agriculture - products:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock
|-
| <div align="right">Industries:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
|-
| <div align="right">Industrial production growth rate:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 2% (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - production:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 94.34 billion kWh (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - production by source:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''fossil fuel:'' 89.9% <br />''hydro:'' 0.1% <br />''nuclear:'' 4.3% <br />''other:'' 5.7% (2001)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - consumption:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 108.2 billion kWh (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - exports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 5.398 billion kWh (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Electricity - imports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 23.69 billion kWh (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - production:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 84,390 bbl/day (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - consumption:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.024 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - exports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.546 million bbl/day (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - imports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 2.465 million bbl/day (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Oil - proved reserves:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 106 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - production:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 75.58 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - consumption:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 47.46 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - exports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 50.21 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - imports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 22.08 billion cu m (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Natural gas - proved reserves:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.684 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Current account balance:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $59.28 billion (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Exports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $465.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Exports - commodities:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
|-
| <div align="right">Exports - partners:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Germany 25.5%, Belgium 14%, UK 8.9%, France 8.6%, Italy 5.1%, US 4.5% (2006)
|-
| <div align="right">Imports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $402.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Imports - commodities:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
|-
| <div align="right">Imports - partners:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Germany 17.1%, Belgium 9.4%, China 9.4%, US 7.8%, UK 5.9%, Russia 5.1%, France 4.5% (2006)
|-
| <div align="right">Economic aid - donor:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ODA, $4 billion (2003 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $23.9 billion (2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Debt - external:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $2.277 trillion (30 June 2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $450.9 billion (2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $652.3 billion (2006 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Market value of publicly traded shares:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | $924.4 billion (November 2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Currency (code):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | euro (EUR) <br />''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
|-
| <div align="right">Currency code:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | EUR
|-
| <div align="right">Exchange rates:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
|-
| <div align="right">Fiscal year:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | calendar year
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Communications'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Telephones - main lines in use:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 7.6 million (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Telephones - mobile cellular:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 15.834 million (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Telephone system:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''general assessment:'' highly developed and well maintained <br />''domestic:'' extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with 5 major network operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) <br />''international:'' country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Radio broadcast stations:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | AM 4, FM 246, shortwave 3 (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Radios:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 15.3 million (1996)
|-
| <div align="right">Television broadcast stations:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)
|-
| <div align="right">Televisions:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 8.1 million (1997)
|-
| <div align="right">Internet country code:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | .nl
|-
| <div align="right">Internet hosts:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 11.17 million (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Internet Service Providers (ISPs):</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 52 (2000)
|-
| <div align="right">Internet users:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 14.544 million (2006)
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Transportation'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Airports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 27 (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Airports - with paved runways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 20 <br />''over 3,047 m:'' 2 <br />''2,438 to 3,047 m:'' 9 <br />''1,524 to 2,437 m:'' 3 <br />''914 to 1,523 m:'' 4 <br />''under 914 m:'' 2 (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Airports - with unpaved runways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 7 <br />''914 to 1,523 m:'' 3 <br />''under 914 m:'' 4 (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Heliports:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1 (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Pipelines:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | condensate 81 km; gas 7,394 km; oil 578 km; refined products 716 km (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Railways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 2,811 km <br />''standard gauge:'' 2,811 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2006)
|-
| <div align="right">Roadways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 134,000 km (includes 3,270 km of expressways) (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Waterways:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 6,183 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2005)
|-
| <div align="right">Merchant marine:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''total:'' 566 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,210,664 GRT/5,217,874 DWT <br />''by type:'' bulk carrier 9, cargo 346, carrier 19, chemical tanker 39, container 63, liquefied gas 13, passenger 14, passenger/cargo 16, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 4 <br />''foreign-owned:'' 172 (Belgium 2, Denmark 19, Finland 14, France 1, Germany 70, Ireland 9, South Korea 1, Norway 9, Sweden 27, UK 7, US 13) <br />''registered in other countries:'' 220 (Antigua and Barbuda 19, Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 24, Canada 1, Cyprus 23, Gibraltar 11, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 28, Luxembourg 1, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 5, Netherlands Antilles 53, Norway 1, Panama 14, Paraguay 1, Philippines 22, Portugal 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 5, UK 2, US 1, unknown 1) (2007)
|-
| <div align="right">Ports and terminals:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Military'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| <div align="right">Military branches:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police, Defense Interservice Command (DICO) (2006)
|-
| <div align="right">Military service age and obligation:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
|-
| <div align="right">Manpower available for military service:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''males age 20-49:'' 3,557,918 <br />''females age 20-49:'' 3,470,377 (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Manpower fit for military service:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''males age 20-49:'' 2,856,691 <br />''females age 20-49:'' 2,786,495 (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Manpower reaching military service age annually:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | ''males age 18-49:'' 99,934 <br />''females age 20-49:'' 95,818 (2005 est.)
|-
| <div align="right">Military expenditures - percent of GDP:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 1.6% (2005 est.)
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Transnational Issues'''
| valign="middle" bgcolor="#cccccc" | '''Netherlands'''
|}
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" border="0" align="center"
|-
| <div align="right">Disputes - international:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | none
|-
| <div align="right">Illicit drugs:</div>
| bgcolor="#ffffff" | 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
|}
[[Category:Country]]