The World Factbook (1982)/Netherlands

by the Central Intelligence Agency

NETHERLANDS

(See reference map V)

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)

Fishing: catch 295,000 metric tons (1979); exports of fish and fish products $491.6 million (1979), imports $275.4 million (1979)

Major industries: food processing, metal and engineering products, electrical and electronic machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, and natural gas

Shortages: crude petroleum, raw cotton, base metals and ores, pulp, pulpwood, lumber, feedgrains, and oilseeds

Crude steel: 7.7 million metric ton capacity; 5.8 million metric tons produced (1979), 410 kg per capita

Electric power: 18,500,000 kW capacity (1980); 64.809 billion kWh produced (1980), 4,570 kWh per capita

Exports: $63.6 billion (f.o.b., 1979); foodstuffs, machinery, chemicals, petroleum products, natural gas, textiles

Imports: $67.2 billion (c.i.f., 1979); machinery, transportation equipment, crude petroleum, foodstuffs, chemicals, raw cotton, base metals and ores, pulp

Major trade partners: (1979) 64.3% EC, 27.3% West Germany, 13.9% Belgium-Luxembourg, 8.9% France, 8.0% UK

Aid: donor—bilateral economic aid committed, $6,555 million (1970-78)

Budget: (1982 proj.) revenues $135.1 billion, expenditures $151.0 billion, at exchange rate of 2.50 guilders=$1 (December 1981)

Monetary conversion rate: 1.9881 guilders=US$1, average 1980 est.

Fiscal year: calendar year

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: 3,046 km standard gauge (1.435 m); 2,880 km government owned (NS), 1,759 km electrified, 1,588 km double track; 166 km privately owned

Highways: 107,300 km total; 90,600 km paved (including 2,106 km of limited access, divided highways); 16,700 km gravel, crushed stone

Inland waterways: 6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 900 metric ton capacity or larger

Pipelines: 418 km crude oil; 965 km refined products; 9,886 km natural gas

Ports: 8 major, 6 minor

Civil air: 95 major transport aircraft, including 4 leased in and 11 leased out

Airfields: 29 total, 28 usable; 17 with permanent-surface runways; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio-relay links; 6.80 million telephones (48.3 per 100 popl.); 6 AM, 33 FM, and 29 TV stations; 9 coaxial submarine cables; 1 satellite station with 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean antenna

DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 3,853,000; 3,275,000 fit for military service; 128,000 reach military age (20) annually

Military budget: for fiscal year ending 31 December 1982, $4.5 billion; about 9.5% of central government budget