About the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Beatrix as the head of state. The official language in the Netherlands is Dutch but approximately 75% of all Dutch people can speak some English.  Located in North West Europe, the capital city of the Netherlands is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague.  The Netherlands is made up of 12 provinces and borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south and Germany to the east. 

It is a geographically low lying country, with about 20% of its area and 21% of its population located below sea level.  The Netherlands measures 41,528 square kilometers, 7,745 of which is water. The highest point is 321 meters above sea level and the lowest 6.7 meters below sea level.

The Netherlands has a temperate marine climate with average temperatures around 16ºC (61º F) in the summer and 3ºC (37ºF) in the winter.

The population of the Netherlands is 16.5 million, with 8.3 million in employment. 

The Netherlands uses the Euro as its national currency and is ranked number 7 in the world rankings of export (number five on the list when it comes to stock of direct foreign investment nations).  Its most important trading partners are Germany, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.  Besides these nations, the Netherlands exports a substantial share to Italy, while China, the United States of America and Russia are ranked high on the list of most important import partners.

Machinery and transport equipment account for the largest share of exports. In 2009, goods throughput in the Port of Rotterdam fell to 385 million tonnes.  Imports shrank by 13% to 272 million tonnes.  However, exports increased by 5% to 113 million tonnes.  Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handled 1.3 million tonnes of cargo and over 43.5 million passengers.

More than 10.7 million people visited the Netherlands from abroad for business or on holiday. Foreign tourists spend approximately 7.5 billion euro per year during their visits.