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 16,5 mln
Density: 485 people per sq km
Life expentancy: 78 years
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): approx 600 billion euros (2010)
GDP per capita: approx 36.300 euros (2010)
Monarch, Head of State: Queen Beatrix
Prime minister: Mark Rutte
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, Ahold, Reed-Elsevier (NL/GB)
Famous painters: Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Karel Appel
Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Muslim
*Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Slowakia, Spain.
