Netherlands

C

Natural Resources

The Netherlands was long thought to be poor in mineral resources. Peat, used as fuel, was dug in several regions, and southern Limburg Province was known to contain coal deposits. Salt was also produced. In the 1950s and 1960s large natural gas reserves were discovered in Groningen Province. Smaller deposits of crude oil are located in the north-eastern and western parts of the country.

The Netherlands’ environment is vulnerable, particularly to pollution. A number of national parks and nature reserves have been established to protect portions of the natural landscape. Conservation groups have lobbied to prevent land reclamation and the building of dykes in an effort to preserve threatened habitats. The success of their efforts was alleged to have contributed to the February 1995 flood emergency, by causing delays to the river dyke reinforcement programme. The country is also active in international efforts to clean up the waters of the River Rhine.

D

Plants and Animals

The natural landscape of the Netherlands has been altered by humans in many ways over the centuries. Because land is scarce and fully exploited, areas of natural vegetation are limited. The tall grasses of the dunes and the heather of the heaths continue to provide habitats for rabbits, but larger wildlife, such as deer, have disappeared except in parks. The remnants of oak, beech, ash, and pine forests are carefully managed. Land reclamation projects have created new habitats for many species of migratory birds.

E

Environmental Concerns

The Netherlands is one of the most proactive environmental countries in Europe; it was the first to produce a national strategy for sustainable development, targeting sectors such as agriculture and transport. This action was in response to significant pollution throughout the country, not all of its own making. One result of this strategy was a significant rise in the cost of fuel.

Acid rain has affected a large proportion of the country’s trees, and much of this acid pollution originates elsewhere, particularly in Germany and the United Kingdom. This situation should improve, however, as the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Sulphur Protocols and European Union (EU) directives on combustion plants are implemented. Although fertilizer consumption has decreased over the past few years, the country still depends heavily on the use of fertilizer, and significant nitrate pollution in water has occurred in the Netherlands. Three heavily industrialized rivers—the Rhine, Schelde, and Meuse—converge on Rotterdam, the world’s largest port. Sixty per cent of the population currently lives below sea level, making the Netherlands particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise induced by climate change. Consequently, the country has been at the forefront of calls for reductions in fossil fuel use and deforestation. It contributes less than 1 per cent of global greenhouse emissions.

III

Population

The Netherlands is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. The Dutch make up the great majority of the population; they are mostly descended from Franks, Frisians, and Saxons. Fearing overpopulation, the government encouraged Dutch emigration after World War II, and some 500,000 people left. But an even larger number of people entered the Netherlands—Europeans, and Asians from the former Netherlands Indies dependency (now part of Indonesia); industrial workers from Turkey, Morocco, and other Mediterranean countries; and, more recently, residents of Suriname, also a former Dutch dependency, and the Netherlands Antilles. Consequently, the country’s population, particularly in the large cities, now includes several ethnic minorities.

A

Population Characteristics

The Netherlands has a population of 16,570,613 (2007 estimate), giving an overall population density of about 489 people per sq km (1,267 per sq mi). The nation is heavily urbanized; about 67 per cent of the population lives in towns and cities. The largest cities are Amsterdam, the country’s capital, with a population of 739,300 (2004 estimate); Rotterdam, population 596,100 (2004 estimate), one of the world’s leading seaports; The Hague, 468,400 (2004 estimate), the seat of government and of justice; and Utrecht, 275,800 (2004 estimate), a manufacturing centre. Sixteen other cities have between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. Many of them are located in the western provinces of North Holland, South Holland, and Utrecht, which comprises the urban heartland of the Netherlands, or Randstad Holland.