About the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Beatrix is the head of state. The capital city is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague.

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. The average temperatures are 16ºC (61º F) in summer and 3ºC (37ºF) in winter.

The population of the Netherlands is 16.3 million, with 7.1 million in employment. The official language is Dutch and approximately 75% of all Dutch people speak some English. The currency is the euro.

The Netherlands is number six in the world rankings of export and investment nations. Its most important trading partners are Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom.
Machinery and transport equipment account for the largest share of exports. In 2005, 370 million tonnes of cargo passed through the Port of Rotterdam, while Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handled 1.4 million tonnes of cargo and over 44 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.