International Security Bulletin

Netherlands

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Capital: Amsterdam

History

The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a 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 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 EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Geography

Metric Units

Total Area	41,543 sq km
Land Boundaries	1,027 km
Border Countries	Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline	451 km
Terrain	mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Minimum Elevation	-7 m
Maximum Elevation	862 m
Climate	temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Natural Resources	natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
Arable Land	25.08%
Permanent Crops	0.88%

Economy

Gross Domestic Product	$709.5 billion
GDP (per capita)	$42,300
GDP Growth	-0.5%
Unemployment Rate	6.8%
Population in Poverty	10.5%
GINI Index	30.9

Budget & Debt

Expenditures	$386.6 billion
Revenue	$347.4 billion
Current Account Balance	$77.2 billion
External Debt	$2.66 trillion

Trade

Exports	$556.5 billion
Export Items	machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels
Export Partners	Germany 26.2%, Belgium 14.1%, France 9.3%, UK 7.7%, Italy 4.8% (2011)
Imports	$490.1 billion
Import Items	machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
Import Partners	Germany 14.5%, China 11.8%, Belgium 8.6%, UK 6.1%, Russia 6%, US 5.9%, France 4% (2011)

People

Population	16,805,037
Population Growth	0.44%
Ethnic Groups	Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Caribbean 0.8%, other 4.8% (2008 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 30%, Protestant 20% (Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%), Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)
Life Expectancy	81.01 years
Infant Mortality	0.98 deaths/1,000 live births
Maternal Mortality	0.8 deaths/100,000 live births

Energy

Electricity Production	108 billion kWh
Electricity Consumption	107.4 billion kWh
From Fossil Fuels	84.1%
From Nuclear	2%
From Hydroelectric	0.1%
From Renewable Sources	13.7%