The Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands (Holland) is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. It is governed under an 1814 constitution, as amended. The Netherlands is situated at the western edge of the North European Plain and it is exceptionally low-lying. A complex network of dykes, such as the Deltawerken, and canals prevents flooding. Climate is mild and temperate, with mild winters and cool summers. Weather changeable, rainfall frequent, most rain falling in autumn. The Netherlands has a large and powerful economy.
Capital: Amsterdam
Main cities: Rotterdam, The Hague (administrative capital), Utrecht, Groningen, Maastricht
Area: 41,532 sq km
Population: app 16 mln
Density: 375 people per sq km
Life expentancy: 78 years
Infant mortality: 5 per 1000
GNP per capita: app 27.000 US dollar (2002)
Monarch, Head of State: Queen Beatrix
Prime minister: Jan Peter Balkenende
International organisations: UN, NATO, EU, OECD
Currency: Euro*
Main products: transport equipment, food stuffs, beverages, machinery, electronics
Leading Dutch companies: Royal Dutch/Shell (NL/GB), Unilever (NL/GB), Philips, KLM, Heineken, AKZO-Nobel, ABN-AMRO Bank, Ahold, Reed-Elsevier (NL/GB)
Famous painters: Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Karel Appel
Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Muslim
*On 1 January 1999, the euro became the official currency of the 11 EU countries participating in European Monetary Union: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Until 1 January 2002, however, the new currency was limited to banking transactions, with national coins and banknotes still in use as cash.
