Netherlands: Facts and Figures - Facts and Figures

Official name

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Capital

Amsterdam

The Hague is the seat of government

Area

41,526 sq km

16,033 sq mi

Administrative divisions (population)

Drenthe

481,254 (2003)

Flevoland

351,680 (2003)

Friesland

639,787 (2003)

Gelderland

1,960,422 (2003)

Groningen

572,997 (2003)

Limburg

1,141,889 (2003)

North Brabant

2,400,198 (2003)

North Holland

2,573,120 (2003)

Overijssel

1,100,677 (2003)

Utrecht

1,152,218 (2003)

Zeeland

378,348 (2003)

South Holland

3,439,982 (2003)

Largest cities (population)

Amsterdam

739,300 (2004 estimate)

Rotterdam

596,100 (2004 estimate)

The Hague

468,400 (2004 estimate)

Utrecht

275,800 (2004 estimate)

Eindhoven

208,600 (2004 estimate)

Tilburg

198,800 (2004 estimate)

Groningen

180,900 (2004 estimate)

Almere-Buiten

174,800 (2004 estimate)

Breda

168,000 (2004 estimate)

Nijmegen

157,900 (2004 estimate)

Apeldoorn

155,900 (2004 estimate)

Enschede

153,600 (2004 estimate)

Haarlem

147,000 (2004 estimate)

Arnhem

141,300 (2004 estimate)

Zaanstad

139,700 (2004 estimate)

Amersfoort

134,800 (2004 estimate)

’s-Hertogenbosch

132,501 (2003 estimate)

Maastricht

121,600 (2004 estimate)

Dordrecht

119,200 (2004 estimate)

Leiden

118,400 (2004 estimate)

Population

16,570,613 (2007 estimate)

Population growth rate

0.46 per cent (2007 estimate)

Population density

489 persons per sq km (2007 estimate)

1,267 persons per sq mi (2007 estimate)

Urbanization

Per cent urban

67 per cent (2005 estimate)

Per cent rural

33 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total

79.1 years (2007 estimate)

Female

81.8 years (2007 estimate)

Male

76.5 years (2007 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

5 deaths per 1,000 live births (2007 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total

99 per cent (1995)

Female

Not available

Male

Not available

Ethnic divisions

Dutch

96 per cent

Moroccan, Turkish, Indonesian, Surinamese, and other

4 per cent

Languages

Dutch (official), Western Frisian (official), Gronings, Limburgisch, Zeeuws, Flemish

Religions

Roman Catholic, Protestant (largely Dutch Reformed Church and Calvinist), Muslim, other

Type of government

Constitutional monarchy

Independence

1579 (from Spain)

Constitution

February 17, 1983

Voting rights

Universal at age 18

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)

624,202 million (2005)

GDP per capita (US$)

38,248 (2005)

GDP by economic sector

GDP, agriculture

2.1 per cent (2005)

GDP, industry

24.4 per cent (2005)

GDP, services

73.6 per cent (2005)

National budget (US$)

Total revenue

249,970 million (2005)

Total expenditure

251,160 million (2005)

Monetary unit

1 euro (EUR), consisting of 100 cents

Euro (€) notes and coins replaced the guilder as the national currency on January 1, 2002.

Exports

Cut flowers and bulbs, machinery and transport equipment, livestock, mineral fuels, manufactured goods, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, paper goods, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, agricultural products

Imports

Raw materials and semi-finished products, consumer goods, machinery and transport equipment, crude oil, food products

Major trading partners for exports

Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, United Kingdom, Italy, United States, Spain

Major trading partners for imports

Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, United States, France, Japan, Italy

Industries

Food processing, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics, tourism

Agriculture

Principal crops: grains, potatoes, sugar beet, fruits, vegetables, pigs, cattle, sheep

Natural resources

Natural gas, petroleum, fertile soil, fish

Basic Facts and People sections

Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).

Health and Education section

Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).

Government section

Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.

Economy section

Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.

Energy, Communication, and Transportation section

Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).

Note

Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.