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.

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land

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

located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Caribbean 0.8%, other 4.8% (2008 est.)

Dutch (official), Frisian (official)

Roman Catholic 30%, Protestant 20% (Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%), Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)

16,730,632 (July 2012 est.)

10.89 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

8.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

2.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

AMSTERDAM (capital) 1.044 million; Rotterdam 1.008 million; The Hague (seat of government) 629,000 (2009)

6 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

1.78 children born/woman (2012 est.)

3.921 physicians/1,000 population (2007)

4.25 beds/1,000 population (2008)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

constitutional monarchy

12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland)

Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten

23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581 they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)

Queen's Day (Birthday of deceased Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)

adopted 1815; amended many times

civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

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 to serve four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve at most four-year terms)

Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the monarch)

Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Sybrand VAN HAERSMA BUMA]; Christian Union or CU [Arie SLOB]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander PECHTOLD]; Green Left or GL [Bram VAN OJIK]; Labor Party or PvdA [Diederik SAMSOM]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Halbe ZIJLSTRA]; Reformed Political Party of SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ]; Socialist Party of SP [Emile ROEMER]; plus a few minor parties

Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Jaap SMIT]; Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW [Bernard WIENTJES]; Federation for Small and Medium-sized businesses or MKB [Hans BIESHEUVEL]; Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Ton HEERTS]; Social Economic Council or SER [Wiebe DRAIJER]; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP [Reginald VISSER]

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colors were those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange, but because it tended to fade to red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use

The Dutch economy is the fifth-largest economy in the euro-zone and is noted for its stable industrial relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable trade 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 only 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. After 26 years of uninterrupted economic growth, the Dutch economy - highly dependent on an international financial sector and international trade - contracted by 3.5% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis. The Dutch financial sector suffered, due in part to the high exposure of some Dutch banks to U.S. mortgage-backed securities. In 2008, the government nationalized two banks and injected billions of dollars of capital into other financial institutions, to prevent further deterioration of a crucial sector. The government also sought to boost the domestic economy by accelerating infrastructure programs, offering corporate tax breaks for employers to retain workers, and expanding export credit facilities. The stimulus programs and bank bailouts, however, resulted in a government budget deficit of 5.3% of GDP in 2010 that contrasted sharply with a surplus of 0.7% in 2008. The government of Prime Minister Mark RUTTE began implementing fiscal consolidation measures in early 2011, mainly reductions in expenditures, which resulted in an improved budget deficit of 3.8% of GDP. In 2012 tax revenues dropped nearly 9%, and GDP contracted. Although jobless claims continued to grow, the unemployment rate remained relatively low at 6.8 percent.

$709.5 billion (2012 est.)

$712.8 billion (2011 est.)

$705.1 billion (2010 est.)

$770.2 billion (2012 est.)

7.746 million (2012 est.)

16.6% of GDP (2012 est.)

45.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

-5.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

68.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

65.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

1.5% (31 December 2012)

1.75% (31 December 2010)

2.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

3.18% (31 December 2011 est.)

$375.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$367.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.119 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.088 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.693 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.644 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

$594.7 billion (31 December 2011)

$661.2 billion (31 December 2010)

$542.5 billion (31 December 2009)

grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock

$77.2 billion (2012 est.)

$70.92 billion (2011 est.)

$556.5 billion (2012 est.)

$550.2 billion (2011 est.)

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs

Germany 26.2%, Belgium 14.1%, France 9.3%, UK 7.7%, Italy 4.8% (2011)

$490.1 billion (2012 est.)

$492.1 billion (2011 est.)

machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing

Germany 14.5%, China 11.8%, Belgium 8.6%, UK 6.1%, Russia 6%, US 5.9%, France 4% (2011)

$51.27 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$46.24 billion (2010 est.)

$2.655 trillion (30 June 2011)

$3.733 trillion (31 December 2009)

$608.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$589.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$971.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$943.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

108 billion kWh (2010 est.)

107.4 billion kWh (2009 est.)

12.81 billion kWh (2010 est.)

15.58 billion kWh (2010 est.)

25.99 million kW (2009 est.)

84.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

13.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

41,990 bbl/day (2011 est.)

13,140 bbl/day (2009 est.)

964,100 bbl/day (2009 est.)

287.4 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

1.239 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

1.01 million bbl/day (2011 est.)

1.858 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

1.61 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

81.09 billion cu m (2011 est.)

49.05 billion cu m (2011 est.)

54.8 billion cu m (2011 est.)

22.76 billion cu m (2011 est.)

1.303 trillion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

263.4 million Mt (2010 est.)

7.135 million (2011)

19.835 million (2011)

more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems that provide a wide range of domestic and foreign channels; public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters, 3 with a national reach and the remainder operating in regional and local markets; 2 major nationwide commercial television companies, each with 3 or more stations, and many commercial TV stations in regional and local markets; nearly 600 radio stations with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage (2008)

13.699 million (2012)

14.872 million (2009)

gas 4,413 km; oil 365 km; refined products 716 km (2010)

6,214 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2009)

Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Moerdijk, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police (2012)

20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)

1.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy