Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/171.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 11.2 KB | 391 lines

@node Geography (Netherlands)
@section Geography (Netherlands)

@display

Location:
  Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Map references:
  Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  37,330 km2
 land area:
  33,920 km2  comparative area:
  slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
  total 1,027 km, Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline:
  451 km
Maritime claims:
 continental shelf:
  not specified
 exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain:
  mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Natural resources:
  natural gas, petroleum, fertile soil
Land use:
 arable land:
  26%
 permanent crops:
  1%
 meadows and pastures:
  32%
 forest and woodland:
  9%
 other:
  32%
Irrigated land:
  5,500 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  without an extensive system of dikes and dams, nearly one-half of the total
  area would be inundated by sea water
Note:
  located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse,
  Schelde)



@end display

@node People (Netherlands)
@section People (Netherlands)

@display

Population:
  15,274,942 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.63% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  12.81 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  8.53 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:   6.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  77.55 years
 male:
  74.48 years
 female:
  80.78 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.59 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
 adjective:
  Dutch
Ethnic divisions:
  Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)
Languages:
  Dutch
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
 total population:
  99%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  5.3 million
 by occupation:
  services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government 15.9%,
  agriculture 5.8% (1986)



@end display

@node Government (Netherlands)
@section Government (Netherlands)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Kingdom of the Netherlands
 conventional short form:
  Netherlands
 local long form:
  Koninkrijk de Nederlanden
 local short form:
  Nederland
Digraph:
  NL
Type:
  constitutional monarchy
Capital:
  Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Administrative divisions:
  12 provinces (provincien, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland,
  Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland,
  Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland
Dependent areas:
  Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Independence:
  1579 (from Spain)
Constitution:
  17 February 1983
Legal system:
  civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the
  Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of the States
  General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
  Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van VELZEN; Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK;
  Liberal (VVD), Frederick BOLKSTEIN; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van MIERIO; a
  host of minor parties
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 Interchurch
  Peace Council (IKV)
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 First Chamber:
  last held on 9 June l991 (next to be held 9 June 1995); results - elected by
  the country's 12 provincial councils; seats - (75 total) percent of seats by
  party NA
 Second Chamber:
  last held on 6 September 1989 (next to be held in May 1994); results - CDA
  35.3%, PvdA 31.9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, other 10.3%; seats - (150 total)
  CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, other 13
Executive branch:
  monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or
  First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede
  Kamer)



@end display

@node Government (Netherlands 2. usage)
@section Government (Netherlands 2. usage)

@display

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
  WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born 27 April
  1967)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Vice
  Prime Minister Willem (Wim) KOK (since 2 November 1989)
Member of:
  AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
  COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G-10, GATT, IADB,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
  INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest),
  NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Johan Hendrick MEESMAN
 chancery:
  4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008
 telephone:
  [phone]
 FAX:
  [phone]
 consulates general:
  Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila (Trust Territories of the Pacific
  Islands), New York
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Thomas H. GEWECKE
 embassy:
  Lange Voorhout 102, The Hague
 mailing address:
  PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
 telephone:
  [31] (70) 310-9209
 FAX:
  [31] (70) 361-4688
 consulate general:
  Amsterdam
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the
  flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer



@end display

@node Economy (Netherlands)
@section Economy (Netherlands)

@display

Overview:
  This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise.
  The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations,
  permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic
  activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of
  GDP. Industrial activity provides about 25% of GDP and is led by the
  food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking industries. The highly
  mechanized agricultural sector employs only 5% of the labor force, but
  provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing
  industry. Unemployment and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most
  serious economic problems. Many of the economic issues of the 1990s will
  reflect the course of European economic integration.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $259.8 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
  1.6% (1992)
National product per capita:
  $17,200 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.5% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  5.3% (1992 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $109.9 billion; expenditures $122.1 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Exports:
  $128.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
 commodities:
  agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals,
  metal products, textiles, clothing
 partners:
  EC 77% (Germany 27%, Belgium-Luxembourg 15%, UK 10%), US 4% (1991)
Imports:
  $117.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
 commodities:
  raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation
  equipment, crude oil, food products
 partners:
  EC 64% (Germany 26%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14%, UK 8%), US 8% (1991)
External debt:
  $0
Industrial production:
  growth rate 1.6% (1992 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
  22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,500 million kWh produced, 4,200 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and
  equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics
Agriculture:
  accounts for 4.6% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops - grains,
  potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and
  oils
Illicit drugs:
  transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries;
  European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs
Economic aid:
  donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion



@end display

@node Economy (Netherlands 2. usage)
@section Economy (Netherlands 2. usage)

@display

Currency:
  1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.8167 (January
  1993), 1.7585 (1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209 (1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766
  (1988)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Netherlands)
@section Communications (Netherlands)

@display

Railroads:
  2,828 km 1.435-meter standard gauge operated by Netherlands Railways (NS)
  (includes 1,957 km electrified and 1,800 km double track)
Highways:
  108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access,
  divided highways); 15,835 km gravel, crushed stone
Inland waterways:
  6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or
  larger
Pipelines:
  crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas 10,230 km
Ports:
  coastal - Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ijmuiden,
  Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland - 29 ports
Merchant marine:
  344 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,762,000 GRT/3,675,649 DWT; includes
  3 short-sea passenger, 193 cargo, 30 refrigerated cargo, 26 container, 13
  roll-on/roll-off, 1 livestock carrier, 11 multifunction large-load carrier,
  23 oil tanker, 22 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 6
  bulk, 4 combination bulk; note - many Dutch-owned ships are also registered
  on the captive Netherlands Antilles register
Airports:
 total:
  28
 usable:
  28
 with permanent-surface runways:
  20
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  11
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  6
Telecommunications:
  highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive redundant
  system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave radio relay
  microwave links; 9,418,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 (3 relays) AM,
  12 (39 repeaters) FM, 8 (7 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; 1
  communication satellite earth station operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean
  and 2 Atlantic Ocean antenna) and EUTELSAT systems; nationwide mobile phone
  system



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Netherlands)
@section Defense Forces (Netherlands)

@display

Branches:
  Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (including Naval Air Service
  and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 4,183,167; fit for military service 3,677,445; reach
  military age (20) annually 104,263 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $7.8 billion, 3% of GDP (1992)



@end display