Head of State

Queen Beatrix

Head of government

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
(caretaker basis)

System of government

Constitutional monarchy

National language

Dutch

Capital city

Amsterdam

Population

734,000

Seat of government

The Hague

Population

442,000

Number of municipalities

496

Number of provinces

12

Province:

Provincial capital:

Groningen

Groningen

Friesland

Leeuwarden

Drenthe

Assen

Overijssel

Zwolle

Gelderland

Arnhem

Utrecht

Utrecht

North Holland

Haarlem

South Holland

The Hague

Zeeland

Middelburg

North Brabant

's-Hertogenbosch

Limburg

Maastricht

Flevoland

Lelystad

Area

41,528 km²

7,655 km² water

33,873 km² land

Geographical position

Western Europe

latitude 53°52'5'' north

latitude 50°45'5'' north

longitude 3°21'31" east

longitude 7°13'14" east

Highest point above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum (NAP):
Vaalserberg (Limburg)

321 m

Lowest point below Amsterdam Ordnance Datum (NAP):

Nieuwerkerk aan de IJssel (South Holland)

-6.7 m

Land below sea level:

24%

Climate

temperate maritime

Average temperature in July 2001

18.3°C

Average temperature in January 2001

2.6°C

Annual average hours of sunshine

1,550

Annual average rainfall

797 mm

Population

16 million

Population per km² of land

472

Population growth (2000)

0.6%

Average life expectancy

Men

75.5 years

Women

80.7 years

Population by age

0 – 19

24.4%

20 – 39

29.6%

40 – 64

32.4%

65 and older

13.6%

Population 18 years and older by religion (1999)

Catholic

31%

Protestant

21%

Muslim

4%

Other

3%

None

41%

Computer and Internet use

Persons with a computer at home

74%

Persons with an Internet connection at home

57%

Currency

Euro

Exchange rate

€1 = US$ 0.88 (April 2002)

Macroeconomic figures

Gross domestic product (GDP) (1999)

€372 billion

Per capita GDP

> €23,500

GDP growth (3rd quarter of 2001)

0.8%

Inflation rate (2001)

4.6%

Unemployment rate (October-December 2001)

2.4%

Total workforce (persons aged 15 - 64)

7.3 million

Those in work (aged 15 - 64)

7.1 million

Those in work per economic sector (2000)

Agriculture

3.7%

Manufacturing

15.8%

Commerce

16.3%

Services

52.8%

Public sector

11.3%

Contribution to GDP per economic sector (2000)

Agriculture and fisheries

2.6%

Extractive industries

2.6%

Manufacturing

17.9%

Trade

13.1%

Transport and communications

7.3%

Other services (construction, care, hotels and catering, financial services)

45.2%

Public sector

11.3%

Exports per economic sector

Machinery and transport equipment

33.4%

Chemicals

15.8%

Manufactured goods

21.5%

Food, drink, and tobacco products

14.6%

Raw materials

6.0%

Fuels

8.7%

Destinations of Dutch exports (1999)

Germany

26%

Belgium and Luxembourg

12%

France

11%

United Kingdom

11%

Other EU countries

18%

Eastern Europe

3%

Other European countries

4%

Asia

6%

United States

4%

Other countries

5%

Dutch foreign investment (in millions of euros, 2000)

European Union

30,380

Japan

180

United States

38,225

Eastern Europe

2,356

Other countries

8,153

Total

79,294

Foreign investment in the Netherlands (in millions of euros, 2000)

European Union

32,815

Japan

3,732

United States

16,645

Other European countries

1,952

Other countries

4,565

Total

59,709

Main airport

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Volume of traffic (2000):

Number of passengers

39.6 million

Freight tonnage

1.2 million tonnes

Main seaport

Rotterdam

Freight tonnage (2001)

316 million tonnes

New Year's Day

1 January

Easter

31 March - 1 April

Queen's Birthday

30 April

Remembrance Day

4 May

Liberation Day

5 May

Ascension

9 May

Whitsun

19 - 20 May

Christmas

26 December

Statistics Netherlands (CBS)

www.cbs.nl

Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI)

www.knmi.nl

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB)

www.dnb.nl

The Netherlands Foreign Trade Agency (EVD)

www.hollandtrade.com

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

www.schiphol.nl