The Netherlands: facts and figures

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

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Prins Alexanderpolder 7 m below sealevel
highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, arable land

Capital: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government

Population: 16,000,000

Languages: Dutch

Currency: 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents; note - to be replaced by the euro on 1 January 2002

Background: The 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 a brutal 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 EC, and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. The Netherlands is one of the biggest investors in the United States (AHOLD, AEGON, Unilever, Shell).
Queen Beatrix Government type: constitutional monarchy

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was born on 31 January 1938. She is married to Prins Claus von Amsberg and has three sons: Willem Alexander, successor to the throne, Friso and Constantijn.

At the official opening of parliament on the third Tuesday of September (Prinsjesdag), the Queen rides in the Golden Coach from Noordeinde Palace to the Binnenhof. A plenary session of both Houses of the States General is held in the Knights' Hall, during which the Queen delivers the Speech from the Throne in which the government announces its policy plans for the coming year.

Home