British Virgin Islands (2002) | Netherlands (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 12 provinces (provincien, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 22.4% (male 2,401; female 2,351)
15-64 years: 72.7% (male 7,962; female 7,509) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 565; female 484) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years:
18.38% (male 1,501,925; female 1,436,017) 15-64 years: 67.9% (male 5,518,575; female 5,333,442) 65 years and over: 13.72% (male 899,052; female 1,292,461) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish | grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock |
Airports | 3 (2001) | 28 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
19 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
9 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
total:
41,526 sq km land: 33,883 sq km water: 7,643 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
Background | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. | 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. |
Birth rate | 15.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 11.85 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
revenues:
$134 billion expenditures: $134 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
Capital | Road Town | Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government |
Climate | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters |
Coastline | 80 km | 451 km |
Constitution | 1 June 1977 | adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February 1983 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
conventional long form:
Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden local short form: Nederland |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | Netherlands guilder (NLG); euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in the Netherlands at a fixed rate of 2.20371 Netherlands guilders per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002 |
Death rate | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $36.1 million (1997) | $0 |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Cynthia P. SCHNEIDER embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715 telephone: [31] (70) 310-9209 FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688 consulate(s) general: Amsterdam |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Joris M. VOS chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York consulate(s): Boston |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $3.5 billion (2000 est.) |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | - |
Economy - overview | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. | The Netherlands is a prosperous and open economy depending heavily on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable industrial relations, moderate inflation, a sizable current account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Dutch rank third worldwide in value of agricultural exports, behind the US and France. The Dutch economy has expanded by 3% or more in each of the last four years and real GDP growth is likely to be about 3.6% in 2001. The government in 2001 will implement its most comprehensive tax reform since World War II, designed to reduce high income tax levels and redirect the fiscal burden onto consumption. The Dutch were among the first 11 EU countries establishing the euro currency zone on 1 January 1999. |
Electricity - consumption | 39.1 million kWh (1999) | 97.76 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 3.97 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 22.407 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 42 million kWh (1999) | 85.294 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
90.25% hydro: 0.11% nuclear: 4.27% other: 5.37% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
lowest point:
Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) | water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed | Dutch 91%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 9% (1999 est.) |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Netherlands guilders per US dollar - 1.9837 (1998), 1.9513 (1997), 1.6859 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
chief of state:
Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 22 August 1994) and Vice Prime Ministers Annemarie JORRITSMA (since 3 August 1998) and Els BORST-EILERS (since 3 August 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch note: government coalition - PvdA, VVD, and D'66; there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors consulted by the executive on legislative and administrative policy |
Exports | $6.2 million | $210.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs |
Exports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | EU 78% (Germany 26%, Belgium-Luxembourg 12%, France 12%, UK 11%, Italy 6%), Central and Eastern Europe, US (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $388.4 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2%
industry: 6% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
agriculture:
3.3% industry: 26.3% services: 70.4% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $24,400 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.4% (2000 est.) | 4% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 18 30 N, 64 30 W | 52 30 N, 5 45 E |
Geography - note | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico | located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde) |
Heliports | - | 1 (2000 est.) |
Highways | total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
total:
125,575 km paved: 113,018 km (including 2,235 km of expressways) unpaved: 12,557 km (1998) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
2.8% highest 10%: 25.1% (1994) |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center | major European producer of illicit amphetamine and other synthetic drugs; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy |
Imports | $230 million (2000 est.) | $201.2 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery | machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs, clothing |
Imports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | EU 56% (Germany 18%, Belgium-Luxembourg 10%, UK 5%, France 6%), US 9%, Central and Eastern Europe (2000) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 1579 (from Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4% (1985) | 3.2% (2000) |
Industries | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center | agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing |
Infant mortality rate | 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.3% (2000) | 2.6% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 16 (2000) | 52 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 6,000 sq km (1996 est.) |
Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction | Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch) |
Labor force | 4,911 (1980) | 7.2 million (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% | services 73%, industry 23%, agriculture 4% (1998 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km |
Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
25% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 8% other: 39% (1996 est.) |
Languages | English (official) | Dutch |
Legal system | English law | civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5 |
bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: First Chamber - last held 25 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2003); Second Chamber - last held 6 May 1998 (next to be held May 2002) election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDA 20, VVD 19, PvdA 15, D'66 4, other 17; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - PvdA 30.0%, VVD 25.3%, CDA 19.3%, D'66 9.3%, other 16.1%; seats by party - PvdA 45, VVD 38, CDA 29, D'66 14, other 24 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.85 years
male: 74.9 years female: 76.84 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
78.43 years male: 75.55 years female: 81.44 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (2000 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT
ships by type: passenger 1 (2002 est.) |
total:
596 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,321,500 GRT/4,877,632 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 371, chemical tanker 43, container 59, liquefied gas 21, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 9, passenger 8, petroleum tanker 26, refrigerated cargo 29, roll on/roll off 18, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 5 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | - | Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $6.5 billion (FY00/01 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.5% (FY00/01 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
4,083,349 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
3,555,501 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 20 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
96,082 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Territory Day, 1 July | Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April |
Nationality | noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
noun:
Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch |
Natural hazards | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) | flooding |
Natural resources | NEGL | natural gas, petroleum, arable land |
Net migration rate | 10.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas 10,230 km |
Political parties and leaders | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] | Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jaap de Hoop SCHEFFER]; Democrats '66 or D'66 [Tom DE GRAAF]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wim KOK]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Hans F. DIJKSTAL]; a host of minor parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; Interchurch Peace Council or IKV; large multinational firms; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises |
Population | 21,272 (July 2002 est.) | 15,981,472 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.16% (2002 est.) | 0.55% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Road Town | Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht, Vlissingen |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 4, FM 58, shortwave 3 (1998) |
Radios | 9,000 (1997) | 15.3 million (1996) |
Railways | 0 km | total:
2,739 km standard gauge: 2,739 km 1.435-m gauge; (1,991 km electrified) (1998) |
Religions | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) | Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other 3.6%, unaffiliated 40% (1998) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda |
general assessment:
highly developed and well maintained domestic: the existing system of multi-conductor cables is gradually being replaced by fiber-optic cables; the density of cellular telephone traffic is rapidly increasing and further modernization of the system is expected in the year 2001, with the introduction of the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (1996) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (1996) | 9,132,400 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 4,081,891 (April 1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) | 21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly | mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast |
Total fertility rate | 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 3% (1995) | 2.6% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | none | 5,046 km
note: 47% of total route length is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger |