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Compare Netherlands (2001) - Germany (2001)

Compare Netherlands (2001) z Germany (2001)

 Netherlands (2001)Germany (2001)
 NetherlandsGermany
Administrative divisions 12 provinces (provincien, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland 16 states (Laender, singular - Land); Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thueringen
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years:
15.57% (male 6,635,328; female 6,289,994)

15-64 years:
67.82% (male 28,619,237; female 27,691,698)

65 years and over:
16.61% (male 5,336,664; female 8,456,615) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry
Airports 28 (2000 est.) 613 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways 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.)
total:
322

over 3,047 m:
13

2,438 to 3,047 m:
55

1,524 to 2,437 m:
67

914 to 1,523 m:
63

under 914 m:
124 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
9

914 to 1,523 m:
3

under 914 m:
6 (2000 est.)
total:
291

over 3,047 m:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
6

1,524 to 2,437 m:
5

914 to 1,523 m:
53

under 914 m:
225 (2000 est.)
Area total:
41,526 sq km

land:
33,883 sq km

water:
7,643 sq km
total:
357,021 sq km

land:
349,223 sq km

water:
7,798 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey slightly smaller than Montana
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. As Western Europe's richest and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed the country in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries formed a common European currency, the euro.
Birth rate 11.85 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 9.16 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues:
$134 billion

expenditures:
$134 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues:
$996 billion

expenditures:
$1.036 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Capital Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government Berlin
Climate temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm foehn wind
Coastline 451 km 2,389 km
Constitution adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February 1983 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the united German people 3 October 1990
Country name conventional long form:
Kingdom of the Netherlands

conventional short form:
Netherlands

local long form:
Koninkrijk der Nederlanden

local short form:
Nederland
conventional long form:
Federal Republic of Germany

conventional short form:
Germany

local long form:
Bundesrepublik Deutschland

local short form:
Deutschland

former:
German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
Currency 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
deutsche mark (DEM); 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 Germany at a fixed rate of 1.95583 deutsche marks per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002
Death rate 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10.42 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $0 $NA
Diplomatic representation from the US 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
chief of mission:
Ambassador John C. KORNBLUM (was due to resign on 20 January 2001)

embassy:
Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, 10117 Berlin

mailing address:
PSC 120, Box 1000, APO AE 09265

telephone:
[49] (30) 238-5174

FAX:
[49] (30) 238-6290

consulate(s) general:
Duesseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
chief of mission:
Ambassador Juergen CHROBOG

chancery:
4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:
[1] (202) 298-8141

FAX:
[1] (202) 298-4249

consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

consulate(s):
Wellington (America Samoa)
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - donor ODA, $3.5 billion (2000 est.) ODA, $5.6 billion (1998)
Economy - overview 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. Germany possesses the world's third most technologically powerful economy after the US and Japan, but structural market rigidities - including the substantial non-wage costs of hiring new workers - have made unemployment a long-term, not just a cyclical, problem. Germany's aging population, combined with high unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions from workers. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy remains a costly long-term problem, with annual transfers from western Germany amounting to roughly $70 billion. Growth picked up to 3% in 2000, largely due to recovering global demand; newly passed business and income tax cuts are expected to keep growth strong in 2001. Corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are transforming the German economy to meet the challenges of European economic integration and globalization in general.
Electricity - consumption 97.76 billion kWh (1999) 495.181 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 3.97 billion kWh (1999) 39.5 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 22.407 billion kWh (1999) 40.5 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 85.294 billion kWh (1999) 531.377 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
90.25%

hydro:
0.11%

nuclear:
4.27%

other:
5.37% (1999)
fossil fuel:
63.29%

hydro:
3.59%

nuclear:
30.3%

other:
2.82% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m

highest point:
Vaalserberg 321 m
lowest point:
Freepsum Lake -2 m

highest point:
Zugspitze 2,963 m
Environment - current issues 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 emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government currently attempting to define mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive
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
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Dutch 91%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 9% (1999 est.) German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Serbo-Croatian, Italian, Russian, Greek, Polish, Spanish)
Exchange rates 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) euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); deutsche marks per US dollar - 1.69 (January 1999), 1.7597 (1998), 1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996)
Executive branch 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
chief of state:
President Johannes RAU (since 1 July 1999)

head of government:
Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (since 27 October 1998)

cabinet:
Cabinet or Bundesminister (Federal Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chancellor

elections:
president elected for a five-year term by a Federal Convention including all members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the state parliaments; election last held 23 May 1999 (next to be held 23 May 2004); chancellor elected by an absolute majority of the Federal Assembly for a four-year term; election last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held in the fall of 2002)

election results:
Johannes RAU elected president; percent of Federal Convention vote - 57.6%; Gerhard SCHROEDER elected chancellor; percent of Federal Assembly - 52.7%
Exports $210.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $578 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles
Exports - partners EU 78% (Germany 26%, Belgium-Luxembourg 12%, France 12%, UK 11%, Italy 6%), Central and Eastern Europe, US (2000) EU 55.3% (France 11.3%, UK 8.3%, Italy 7.3%, Netherlands 6.3%, Belgium/Luxembourg 5.1%), US 10.1%, Japan 2.0% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold
GDP purchasing power parity - $388.4 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $1.936 trillion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
3.3%

industry:
26.3%

services:
70.4% (2000 est.)
agriculture:
1.2%

industry:
30.4%

services:
68.4% (1999)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $24,400 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $23,400 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2000 est.) 3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 52 30 N, 5 45 E 51 00 N, 9 00 E
Geography - note located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde) strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
Heliports 1 (2000 est.) 59 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
125,575 km

paved:
113,018 km (including 2,235 km of expressways)

unpaved:
12,557 km (1998)
total:
656,140 km

paved:
650,891 km (including 11,400 km of expressways)

unpaved:
5,249 km (all-weather) (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
2.8%

highest 10%:
25.1% (1994)
-
Illicit drugs 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 source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs
Imports $201.2 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.) $505 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs, clothing machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals
Imports - partners EU 56% (Germany 18%, Belgium-Luxembourg 10%, UK 5%, France 6%), US 9%, Central and Eastern Europe (2000) EU 52.2% (France 10.5%, Netherlands 7.6%, Italy 7.4%, UK 6.9%, Belgium/Luxembourg 5.6%), US 8.1%, Japan 4.9% (1999)
Independence 1579 (from Spain) 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991
Industrial production growth rate 3.2% (2000) 4.7% (2000)
Industries agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; shipbuilding; textiles
Infant mortality rate 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.6% (2000 est.) 2% (2000 est.)
International organization participation 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 AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, 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, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 52 (2000) 123 (2000)
Irrigated land 6,000 sq km (1996 est.) 4,750 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch) Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)
Labor force 7.2 million (2000) 40.5 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 73%, industry 23%, agriculture 4% (1998 est.) industry 33.4%, agriculture 2.8%, services 63.8% (1999)
Land boundaries total:
1,027 km

border countries:
Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
total:
3,618 km

border countries:
Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 135 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Land use arable land:
25%

permanent crops:
3%

permanent pastures:
25%

forests and woodland:
8%

other:
39% (1996 est.)
arable land:
33%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
15%

forests and woodland:
31%

other:
20% (1993 est.)
Languages Dutch German
Legal system 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 civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch 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
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Federal Assembly or Bundestag (656 seats usually, but 669 for the 1998 term; elected by popular vote under a system combining direct and proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national vote or three direct mandates to gain representation; members serve four-year terms) and the Federal Council or Bundesrat (69 votes; state governments are directly represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on population and are required to vote as a block)

elections:
Federal Assembly - last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by the fall of 2002); note - there are no elections for the Bundesrat; composition is determined by the composition of the state-level governments; the composition of the Bundesrat has the potential to change any time one of the 16 states holds an election

election results:
Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - SPD 40.9%, Alliance '90/Greens 6.7%, CDU/CSU 35.1%, FDP 6.2%, PDS 5.1%; seats by party - SPD 298, Alliance '90/Greens 47, CDU/CSU 245, FDP 43, PDS 36; Federal Council - current composition - votes by party - SPD-led states 26, CDU-led states 28, grand coalitions 15
Life expectancy at birth total population:
78.43 years

male:
75.55 years

female:
81.44 years (2001 est.)
total population:
77.61 years

male:
74.47 years

female:
80.92 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
99% (2000 est.)

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
99% (1977 est.)

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Map references Europe Europe
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine 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.)
total:
457 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,414,724 GRT/7,952,776 DWT

ships by type:
cargo 169, chemical tanker 10, combination ore/oil 1, container 243, liquefied gas 2, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 7, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 12, short-sea passenger 7 (2000 est.)
Military branches Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm), Air Force, Medical Corps, Border Police, Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure $6.5 billion (FY00/01 est.) $32.8 billion (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.5% (FY00/01 est.) 1.5% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
4,083,349 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
20,851,022 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
3,555,501 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
17,760,412 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
96,082 (2001 est.)
males:
482,318 (2001 est.)
National holiday Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April Unity Day, 3 October (1990)
Nationality noun:
Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

adjective:
Dutch
noun:
German(s)

adjective:
German
Natural hazards flooding flooding
Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, arable land iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land
Net migration rate 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas 10,230 km crude oil 2,500 km (1998)
Political parties and leaders 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 Alliance '90/Greens [Renate KUENAST and Fritz KUHN]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Angela MERKEL]; Christian Social Union or CSU [Edmund STOIBER, chairman]; Free Democratic Party or FDP [Wolfgang GERHARDT, chairman]; note - Wolfgang GERHARDT will probably be replaced by Guido WESTERWELLE in May 2001; Party of Democratic Socialism or PDS [Gabi ZIMMER]; Social Democratic Party or SPD [Gerhard SCHROEDER, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders 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 employers' organizations; expellee, refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups
Population 15,981,472 (July 2001 est.) 83,029,536 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 0.55% (2001 est.) 0.27% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht, Vlissingen Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden, Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Luebeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart
Radio broadcast stations AM 4, FM 58, shortwave 3 (1998) AM 51, FM 767, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios 15.3 million (1996) 77.8 million (1997)
Railways total:
2,739 km

standard gauge:
2,739 km 1.435-m gauge; (1,991 km electrified) (1998)
total:
40,826 km including at least 14,253 km electrified and 14,768 km double- or multiple-tracked (1998)

note:
since privatization in 1994, Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) no longer publishes details of the tracks it owns; in addition to the DBAG system there are 102 privately owned railway companies which own an approximate 3,000 km to 4,000 km of the total tracks
Religions Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other 3.6%, unaffiliated 40% (1998) Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 1.7%, unaffiliated or other 26.3%
Sex ratio 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.)
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.63 male(s)/female

total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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)
general assessment:
Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the eastern part of the country has been modernized and integrated with that of the western part

domestic:
Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available and includes roaming service to many foreign countries

international:
satellite earth stations - 14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean region); 7 submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone communication centers; tropospheric scatter links
Telephones - main lines in use 9,132,400 (1999) 45.2 million (1997)

note:
46.5 million main lines were installed by yearend 1998
Telephones - mobile cellular 4,081,891 (April 1999) 15.318 million (April 1999)
Television broadcast stations 21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995) 373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Total fertility rate 1.65 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.38 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.6% (2000 est.) 9.9% (2000 est.)
Waterways 5,046 km

note:
47% of total route length is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger
7,500 km

note:
major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea (1999)
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