| Country Profile 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. Disputes
| Flag  Country Map(s)
|
Population and Demographics
Netherlands has a population of 16,645,313 (July 2008 est.) .
| Capital | Amsterdam |
| Main urban areas | Arnhem, Eindhoven, Groningen, Haarlem, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht |
| Ethnic groups | Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese and Indonesians) (1999 est.) |
| Languages spoken | Dutch (official language), Frisian (official language) |
| Population age 0-14: 17.6% (m 1,496,348/f 1,427,297) |  | | |
| 0-14 | 15-64 | 65+ | |
| Gender ratios At birth: 1.05 m/f , 0-14: 1.05 m/f , 15-64: 1.02 m/f , 65+: 0.75 m/f | |||
Changing Population (Life expectancy, births, deaths and fertility)
The population growth rate for Netherlands is 0.436% (2008 est.) (world growth rate at 2006 is 1.14%). The country also saw migration of 2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.). The median age of the country is total: 40 years male: 39.2 years female: 40.9 years (2008 est.).
Note: on the graphs, world figures are represented by a red bar, figures for Netherlands are illustrated with a green bar.
| Life Expectancy: | Total population: 79.25 years Male: 76.66 years Female: 81.98 years (2008 est.) |  [79.25] [64.77][Male:, m] [63.16, m][, f][66.47, f] |
| Fertility: | 1.66 children born/woman (2008 est.) | [1.66][2.59] |
| Births: | 10.53 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) | [10.53][20.05] |
| Deaths: | 8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) | [8.71][8.67] |
| Infants: | Total: 4.81 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 4.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) | [4.81][48.87][5.34, m][50.98, m][4.25, f][46.65, f] |
Economic Data
Economy Overview
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.
Debt and Aid
Debt: $2.277 trillion (30 June 2007)
Aid Given: ODA, $5.452 billion (2006)
Aid Received: $NA
Labour Force
Number in labour force: 7.5 million (2007 est.)
Sectors: agriculture: 3% industry: 21% services: 76% (2005 est.)
Unemployment: 3.2% (2007 est.)
GDP Facts and Figures
Currency: euro (EUR)
GDP: $639.5 billion (2007 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $38,500 (2007 est.)
GDP Real Growth: 3.5% (2007 est.)
GDP Composition: agriculture: 2.1% industry: 24.1% services: 73.7% (2007 est.)
Production Growth Rate: 3.1% (2007 est.)
Industries, Land Use and Resource Consumption
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
Land use: arable land: 21.96% permanent crops: 0.77% other: 77.27% (2005)
Exports: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
Electricity Consumption: 108.2 billion kWh (2005)
Natural Gas Consumption: 47.8 billion cu m (2006)
Oil Consumption: 1.011 million bbl/day (2006)
Country Outline Map
Geographic Data
Netherlands is located in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany, in the timezone GMT 1. The country has boundaries of 1,027 - Belgium 450, Germany 577 (km), and a coastline of 451 (km). Major urban areas: Amsterdam, Arnhem, Eindhoven, Groningen, Haarlem, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht.
Elevations
Lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
Highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m
Physical Features
Very low-lying, with 25% below sea level, 6,300 km of canals and rivers, reclaimed land (polders)
Hazards
Flooding
Climate
Temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Natural Resources
Natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
Land Use
Arable land: 21.96% permanent crops: 0.77% other: 77.27% (2005)
Renewable Water Resources
89.7 cu km (2005)
Fresh Water Withdrawal
total: 8.86 cu km/yr (6%/60%/34%) per capita: 544 cu m/yr (2001)
Environmental 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
A selection of key transport and communications information for Netherlands
Number of main telephone lines
7.6 million (2005)
Mobile (cellular) phones
15.834 million (2005)
Radio stations
AM 4, FM 246, shortwave 3 (2004)
Television stations
21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)
Internet users
14.544 million (2006)
Country internet code
.nl
Railways
total: 2,808 km standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2005)
Highways
total: 134,000 km (including 3,270 km of expressways) (2004)
Waterways
6,183 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2005)
Pipelines
condensate 325 km; gas 6,998 km; oil 590 km; refined products 716 km (2004)
Ports and harbours
Amsterdam, Groningen, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen, Zaanstad
Airports
27 (2007)
Heliports
1 (2007)
