NETHERLANDS
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LAND
33,929 km2; 70% cultivated, 5% waste, 8% forested, 8% inland water, 9% other
Land boundaries: 1,022 km
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 3 nm (fishing 200 nm)
Coastline: 451 km
PEOPLE
Population: 14,349,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.7%
Nationality: noun—Netherlander(s); adjective—Netherlands
Ethnic divisions: 99% Dutch, 1% Indonesian and other
Religion: 31% Protestant, 40% Roman Catholic, 24% unaffiliated
Language: Dutch
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 4.8 million (1978); 30% manufacturing, 24% services, 16% commerce, 10% agriculture, 9% construction, 7% transportation and communications, 4% other; 10% unemployment, November 1981
Organized labor: 33% of labor force
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Amsterdam, but government resides at The Hague
Political subdivisions: 11 provinces governed by centrally appointed commissioners of Queen
Legal system: civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution of 1815 frequently amended, reissued 1947; judicial review in the Supreme Court of legislation of lower order than Acts of Parliament; legal education at six law schools; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April
Branches: executive (Queen and Cabinet of Ministers), which is responsible to bicameral States General (parliament) consisting of a First Chamber (75 indirectly elected members) and a Second Chamber (150 directly elected members); independent judiciary
Government leaders: Head of State, Queen BEATRIX; Prime Minister, Andreas A. M. VAN AGT
Suffrage: universal over age 18
Elections: must be held at least every four years for lower house (most recent held 26 May 1981), and every three years for half of upper house (most recent May 1981)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA; fused into a single party as of 11 October 1980), Chairman Pieter Bukman; Labor (PvdA), Max van den Berg; Liberal (WD), Jan Kamminga; Democrats '66 (D'66), J. M. M. van Berkom; Communist (CPN), Henk Hoekstra; Pacifist Socialist (PSP), Bram van der Lek; Political Reformed (SGP), Hette G. Abma; Reformed Political Union (GPV), Jan van der Jagt; Radical Party (PPR), Herman Verbeek; Democratic Socialist 70 (DS'70), Z. Hartog; Rightist Peoples Party (RVP), Hendrik Koekoek; Reformed Political Federation (RPF), P. Lamgeler
Voting strength (1981 election): 28.3% PvdA (44 seats), 30.8% CDA (48 seats), 17.3% VVD (28 seats), 11.1% D'66 (17 seats), 2.0% SGP (3 seats), 2.]% CPN (2 seats), 2.0% PPR (3 seats), 0.8% GPV (1 seat), 2.1% PSP (1 seat), 0.2% RPF (2 seats), 0.6% DS'70 (1 seat)
Communists: CPN claims about 27,000 members
Other political or pressure groups: large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and IKV—Interchurch Peace Council
Member of: ADB, Benelux, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, EEC, EIB, ELDO, EMA, ESRO, EURATOM, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, INRO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IPU, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council (with respect to interests of the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname), NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
ECONOMY
GNP: $144.2 billion (1981), $10,159 per capita; 59.6% consumption, 21.6% investment, 18.8% government
Agriculture: animal husbandry predominates; main crops—horticultural crops, grains, potatoes, sugar beets; food shortages—grains, fats, oils; calorie intake, 3,186 calories per day per capita (1970-71)
