| Netherlands Nederland |
|---|
|
Motto: "Je maintiendrai" (French)
"Ik zal handhaven" (Dutch)
"I will maintain"1 |
Anthem: "Het Wilhelmus"
|
|
Special municipalities of the Netherlands(dark green)
in the Caribbean |
Capital
(and largest city) | Amsterdam2
52°19′N05°33′E / 52.317°N 5.55°E / 52.317; 5.55 |
| Official language(s) | Dutch3 |
|---|
| Recognised regional languages | Low Saxon, Limburgish, Frisian, English, Papiamento |
| Ethnic groups | Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Dutch Caribbean 0.8%, other 4.8% (2008 est.)[1] |
| Demonym | Dutch |
|---|
| Government | Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch[2] |
|---|
| - | Monarch | Beatrix |
| - | Prime Minister | Mark Rutte (VVD) |
| - | Deputy Prime Minister | Maxime Verhagen (CDA) |
| Legislature | States-General |
|---|
| - | Upper House | Senate |
| - | Lower House | House of Representatives |
| Independence | through the Eighty Years' War from the Spanish Empire |
|---|
| - | Declared | 26 July 1581 |
| - | Recognized | 30 January 16484 |
| EUaccession | 25 March 1957 |
|---|
| Area |
|---|
| - | Total | 41,848 km2 (135th)
16,158 sq mi |
| - | Water (%) | 18.41 |
| Population |
|---|
| - | 2011 estimate | 16,654,200[3] (61st) |
| - | Density | 401.1/km2 (28th)
1,038.7/sq mi |
| GDP (PPP) | 2010 estimate |
| - | Total | $676.700 billion[4] |
| - | Per capita | $40,777[4] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2010 estimate |
| - | Total | $770.312 billion[4] |
| - | Per capita | $46,418[4] |
| Gini (2006) | 30.9 (medium) |
| HDI (2010) |  0.890[5] (very high) (7th) |
| Currency | Euro (€)56 (EUR) |
|---|
| Time zone | CET and AST(UTC+1 and −4) |
|---|
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST and AST
(UTC+2 and −4) |
| Drives on the | right |
|---|
| Internet TLD | .nl7 |
|---|
| Calling code | 31, +5998 |
|---|
| 1 | ^ The literal translation of the motto is "I will maintain," the latter word meaning "to stand firm." |
| 2 | ^ While Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, The Hague is the seat of the government. |
| 3 | ^Frisian (Friesland),[6]Papiamento (Bonaire)[7] and English (Saint Eustatius and Saba)[7] have a formal status in certain parts of the country. Dutch Low Saxon and Limburgish are recognised as regional languages by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. |
| 4 | ^Peace of Westphalia |
| 5 | ^ Before 2002: Dutch guilder. |
| 6 | ^ The United States dollar is the sole legal tender within the Caribbean Netherlands. Before 2011: Netherlands Antillean guilder. |
| 7 | ^ The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states. |
| 8 | ^ 599 is the country code for the now dissolved Netherlands Antilles. The BES islands still use 599-7 (Bonaire), 599-3 (Saint Eustatius) and 599-4 (Saba). |
![Location of the Netherlands (dark green)– on the European continent (light green & dark grey)– in the European Union (light green) — [Legend]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EU-Netherlands.svg)
