Country Name: Netherlands

Capital: Amsterdam

Government Type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Background: The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1581; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After 18 years of French domination, the Netherlands regained its independence in 1813.  In 1830, Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I but suffered German invasion and occupation 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 EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In February 2018, the Sint Eustatius island council (governing body) was dissolved and replaced by a government commissioner to restore the integrity of public administration. According to the Dutch Government, the intervention will be as "short as possible and as long as needed."

Continent: Europe

Population: 17,463,930 (2023 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Dutch 75.4%, EU (excluding Dutch) 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.4%, Surinamese 2.1%, Indonesian 2%, other 9.3% (2021 est.)

Languages: Dutch (official); note - Frisian is an official language in Fryslan province; Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Romani, and Yiddish have protected status under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; Dutch is the official language of the three special municipalities of the Caribbean Netherlands; English is a recognized regional language on Sint Eustatius and Saba; Papiamento is a recognized regional language on Bonaire

Religions: Roman Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.8% (includes Dutch Reformed, Protestant Church of The Netherlands, Calvinist), Muslim 5%, other 5.9% (includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish), none 54.1% (2019 est.)

Economic Overview: high-income European economy; core EU member; chemical, oil, and machinery exporter; some age-based income inequality; substantial amount of independent contractor employees; manageable public debt; key international aid funder.

Currency: European Euro (EUR)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $63.353 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $1.049 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Real GDP Growth Rate: 4.33% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per Capita: $59,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Exports: 

• $944.421 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 6

Export Commodities: refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines, photography equipment, computers (2021)

Export Partners: Germany 20%, Belgium 12%, United Kingdom 9%, France 7%, United States 5% (2019)

Imports: 

• $835.47 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 8

Import Commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, cars (2019)

Import Partners: Germany 15%, China 11%, Belgium 9%, United States 8%, Russia 7%, United Kingdom 5% (2019)

Natural Resources: natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land

Agricultural Products: milk, potatoes, sugar beets, pork, onions, wheat, poultry, tomatoes, carrots/turnips, beef

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

Industrial Production Growth Rate: 

• 2.84% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

• Comparison Ranking: 119

Labor Force: 9.794 million (2022 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 3.52% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Natural Hazards: flooding

Geography:

• Total: 41,543 sq km

• Land: 33,893 sq km

• Water: 7,650 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

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