Netherlands - Country facts
Location
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Background
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.
Climate
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Population
16,407,491 (July 2005 est.)
Ethnic Groups
Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese and Indonesians) (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other 3.6%, unaffiliated 40% (1998)
Languages
Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
Map of Netherlands
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