Netherlands Guide

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The Netherlands

The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EC, and participated in the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999.

The Netherlands, also known as Holland, borders the North Sea on the north and west, Germany on the east, and Belgium on the south. With Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands forms the BENELUX countries.

The Netherlands is easy to travel, the locals are friendly and speak excellent English.

General Country Information

Geography

Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Area:
41,526 square km

Coastline:
451 km

Climate:
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, arable land

People

Population:
16,067,754 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.53% (2002 est.)

Nationality:
Dutch

Ethnic Groups:
Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese and Indonesians) (1999 est.)

Religion:
60% Christian (Roman Catholic and Protestant), 3% Muslim

Language:
Dutch, English, German and French are widely spoken

Government

Country Name:
Kingdom of the Netherlands

Government Type:
Constitutional Monarchy

Capital:
Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government

Head of state:
Queen Beatrix van Oranje Nassau

Prime Minister:
Jan Peter Balkenende

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

Flag description:
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue

Economy

GDP:
Purchasing power parity - $434 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
7.2 million (2000)

Industries:
Agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing

Currency:
Euro, expressed as EUR or €.

Capital City

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of Europe's great cities with an unique character and its own individual style. Built on a network of canals, along which are the beautiful tall houses, the centre of Amsterdam is compact and largely pedestrian friendly. Amsterdam is renowned for its historical monuments and has more than 40 museums. The beautiful architecture, the fleet of bicycles, the three lined romantic canals and scattered parks all contribute to the mood of the city. What really makes Amsterdam so attractive is the historic atmosphere of its 17th century centre, combined with the character of a metropolitan city.

Travel tip: Amsterdam is very busy during weekends, especially in high season. Check out Amsterdam hotels special offers & discounts and book your hotel in Amsterdam well in advance.