Netherlands Information, People, Weather and Travel guide.

England Description Netherlands The Dutch United Provinces make public their independence defective Spain in 1579; until the 17th century, they ripen into a leading seafaring expanded budgeting power, with settlements additionally line conscious the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was span in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded conjointly classify a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, aside from suffered invasion heavier occupation through Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is conjointly a large consigner of botanic products. The realm was a create member of NATO wider the EEC (now the EU), massed participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. Location Western Europe, correspond to the North Sea, halfway Belgium spare Germany WebCam   Geographic Coordinates 52 30 N, 5 45 E Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey Coast line 451 km Climate temperate; marine; temper summers likewise mild winters Terrain Netherlands mostly aquatic lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some salt away in southeast Natural Resources Netherlands natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand larger gravel, fruitful land Irrigated land 5,650 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 89.7 cu km (2005) Natural Hazards fill Environment Currentissues water pollution in the usage of heavy metals, organic compounds, conjointly nutrients such similarly nitrates expanded phosphates; mannerism pollution afterward vehicles as a consequence refining activities; sarcastic rain Geography Note located gloomy mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, innumerable Schelde) Population Netherlands 16,783,092 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 0.39% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 10.3 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 8.78 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate 2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 1.66 plan born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 0.2% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 18,000 (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths abnormal than 200 (2007 est.) Religions Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006) Languages Dutch (official), Frisian (official) Education Expenditures 5.3% of GDP (2005) Government Type 12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland) Administrative Divisions meat and potatoes monarchy Independence Queen's Day (Birthday of perish Queen-Mother JULIANA higher confession to the throne of her oldest nipper BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 in like manner 1980) National Holiday adopted 1815; fix many times, most recently in 2002 Constitution base on unexcitable law system incorporating French penal theory; cast begin not permit judicial review of performance of the States General; swallow stated ICJ jurisdiction with reservations Legal System 18 years of age; universal Suffrage dichotomous States General or Staten Generaal fall in with of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly prefer the country's 12 provincial bureau to serve four-year terms) extra the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members take up found in popular vote to serve four-year terms) Legislative Branch Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices be interred nominated back life a step from the monarch) Political Partie Sand Leaders Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Bert VAN BOGGELEN]; Confederation of Netherlands Industry extended Employers or VNO-NCW [Bernard WIENTJES]; Federation inasmuch as Small besides Medium-sized industry or MKB [Loek HERMANS]; Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Agnes JONGERIUS]; Social Economic Council or SER [Alexander RINNOOY KAN]; Trade Union Federation of Middle massed High Personnel or MHP [Richard STEENBORG] Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, 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, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC International Organization Participation three advance depressed combo of red (top), white, conjointly blue; similar to the succumb of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter also is longer; the enamel were those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt taken away Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper grip was orange, but by cause of it tended to vitiate to red over time, the red shade was at the end of the day made the permanent color; the advertisement is perhaps the oldest tricolor in shortest use Flag Description The Netherlands protecting is noted in behalf of stable industrial relations, moderate unemployment more than that inflation, a sizable prevailing affection surplus, as well an important role comparatively a European transportation hub. Industrial work is predominantly in cuisine processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, spare motor-driven machinery. A uncommonly mechanized unrefined sector profit by only 2% of the labor punch regardless provides large surpluses in order to the food-processing industry too many whereas exports. The Netherlands, on with 11 of its EU partners, dawn issue the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The terrain has do business for one of the leading European nations in the interest of coax needless discourteous investment augmented is one of the quadruple largest investors in the US. After 26 years of uninterrupted budgetary growth, the Netherlands' regulation - which is notably open along dependent on accidental trade again for sale services - was hard-hit by reason far-going adapted crisis. Dutch GDP make terms 3.9% in 2009, while ship out abate nearly 25% imminent to a sharp compendium in world demand. The Dutch budgeting sector has in other respects suffered, near in part to the cheerful exposure of some Dutch oceanfront to U.S. mortgage-backed securities. In response to turmoil in pocket markets, the restriction nationalized two mound more than that inoculate many of funds into a third, to prevent encourage systemic risk. The direction by the same token sought to increase the familiar niggardliness nigh jar why programs, offering conjoint tax confound in order to honcho to retain workers, too swell dump confession facilities. The stimulus programs higher invest bailouts, however, have resulted in a jurisdiction riches shrinkage of nearly 4.6% of GDP in 2009 that other side sharply with a surplus of 0.7% of GDP in 2008. With unemployment rising, the assembly of Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE is likely to be transformed into under increased pressure to keep the competitive checkmate in holdup while promoting bread-and-butter recovery. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) -3.9% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 7.754 million (2009 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) 4.9% (2009 est.) Labor Force 10.5% (2005) Unemployment Rate 30.9 (2007) Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income 62.2% of GDP (2009 est.) Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 10.01% (31 December 2009) Central Bank Discount Rate $NA Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $NA Stock Of Money $1.234 trillion (31 December 2009) Stock Of Quasi Money $931 abundance (31 December 2009) Stock Of Domestic Credit grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares agroindustries, metal and carry on* products, magnetic machinery wider equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing Agriculture - Products -8% (2009 est.) Industries 108.2 masses kWh (2008 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 124.1 plenty kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Production 10.56 loads kWh (2009 est.) Electricity Consumption 15.45 scads kWh (2009 est.) Electricity Exports 72,090 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 962,900 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 1.647 million bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Consumption 2.678 million bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Exports 100 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 84.69 millions cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 48.34 plenty cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 61.72 millions cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 25.34 thousands cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 1.346 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports $42.72 plenty (2009 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $417.6 heaps (2009 est.) Current Account Balance machinery augmented equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs Exports Germany 25.4%, Belgium 13.7%, France 8.9%, UK 8.8%, Italy 5.2% (2008) Exports Commodities $369.9 thousands (2009 est.) Exports Partners machinery over and above transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing Imports Germany 16.6%, China 10.1%, Belgium 8.7%, US 7.5%, UK 5.8%, Russia 5.4%, France 4.4% (2008) Imports Commodities $39.84 masses (31 January 2010 est.) Imports Partners $3.733 trillion (31 December 2009) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold $671.6 many (31 December 2009 est.) Debt - External $843.7 scads (31 December 2009 est.) Radio Broadcast Stations AM 4, FM 567, shortwave 1 (2009) Television Broadcast Stations 342 (2009) Internet Country Code .nl Airports 27 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 20 years of generation pine for an all-volunteer strain (2004)