Netherlands (2001) | Saint Helena (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 12 provinces (provincien, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland | 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha* |
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: 18.9% (male 704; female 685)
15-64 years: 71.6% (male 2,732; female 2,545) 65 years and over: 9.5% (male 309; female 392) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock | corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha) |
Airports | 28 (2000 est.) | 1 (2002) |
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: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
9 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
41,526 sq km land: 33,883 sq km water: 7,643 sq km |
total: 410 sq km
land: 410 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Saint Helena Island, Ascension, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha, which consists of Tristan da Cunha Island, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three Nightingale Islands |
Area - comparative | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
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. | Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Ascension Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Gough Island has a meteorological station. |
Birth rate | 11.85 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 12.9 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$134 billion expenditures: $134 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92) |
Capital | Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government | Jamestown |
Climate | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters | Saint Helena - tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds; Tristan da Cunha - temperate; marine, mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena) |
Coastline | 451 km | 60 km |
Constitution | adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February 1983 | 1 January 1989 |
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: none
conventional short form: Saint Helena |
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 |
Saint Helenian pound (SHP) |
Death rate | 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.24 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $0 | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $3.5 billion (2000 est.) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997) |
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. | The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK. |
Electricity - consumption | 97.76 billion kWh (1999) | 4.65 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 3.97 billion kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 22.407 billion kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 85.294 billion kWh (1999) | 5 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
90.25% hydro: 0.11% nuclear: 4.27% other: 5.37% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 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 | NA |
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 | Dutch 91%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 9% (1999 est.) | African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25% |
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) | Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), |
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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Michael CLANCY (since NA October 2003) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch |
Exports | $210.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs | fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts |
Exports - partners | EU 78% (Germany 26%, Belgium-Luxembourg 12%, France 12%, UK 11%, Italy 6%), Central and Eastern Europe, US (2000) | US 23.7%, Japan 20.5%, Netherlands 16%, Tanzania 15.4%, Spain 6.4%, UK 5.1%, Indonesia 4.5% (2002) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $388.4 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $18 million (1998 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
3.3% industry: 26.3% services: 70.4% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $24,400 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 52 30 N, 5 45 E | 15 56 S, 5 42 W |
Geography - note | located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde) | harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns |
Heliports | 1 (2000 est.) | - |
Highways | total:
125,575 km paved: 113,018 km (including 2,235 km of expressways) unpaved: 12,557 km (1998) |
total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)
paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
2.8% highest 10%: 25.1% (1994) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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 | - |
Imports | $201.2 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs, clothing | food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts |
Imports - partners | EU 56% (Germany 18%, Belgium-Luxembourg 10%, UK 5%, France 6%), US 9%, Central and Eastern Europe (2000) | UK 47.6%, Tanzania 14.6%, Italy 12.1%, South Africa 10.9%, US 5.3% (2002) |
Independence | 1579 (from Spain) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.2% (2000) | NA% |
Industries | agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing | construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing |
Infant mortality rate | 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 20.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.66 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.6% (2000 est.) | 3.2% (1997 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 | ICFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 52 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 6,000 sq km (1996 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch) | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court |
Labor force | 7.2 million (2000) | 3,500
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 73%, industry 23%, agriculture 4% (1998 est.) | agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
1,027 km border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land:
25% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 8% other: 39% (1996 est.) |
arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 87.1% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Dutch | English |
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 | NA |
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 |
unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, 3 ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
78.43 years male: 75.55 years female: 81.44 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 77.38 years
male: 74.49 years female: 80.42 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (2000 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 20 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1987 est.) |
Location | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany | islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa |
Map references | Europe | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive fishing 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.) |
none (2002 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 | Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
Nationality | noun:
Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch |
noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian |
Natural hazards | flooding | active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha |
Natural resources | natural gas, petroleum, arable land | fish |
Net migration rate | 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas 10,230 km | - |
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 | none |
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 | none |
Population | 15,981,472 (July 2001 est.) | 7,367 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.55% (2001 est.) | 0.67% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Groningen, Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht, Vlissingen | Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 4, FM 58, shortwave 3 (1998) | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 15.3 million (1996) | - |
Railways | total:
2,739 km standard gauge: 2,739 km 1.435-m gauge; (1,991 km electrified) (1998) |
0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other 3.6%, unaffiliated 40% (1998) | Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic |
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: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA years of age |
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: can communicate worldwide
domestic: automatic network international: HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascensionm, which is a major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 9,132,400 (1999) | 2,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 4,081,891 (April 1999) | 0 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995) | 0
note: television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002) |
Terrain | mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast | Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin |
Total fertility rate | 1.65 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.54 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.6% (2000 est.) | 14% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | 5,046 km
note: 47% of total route length is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger |
none |