The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1581; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After 18 years of French domination, the Netherlands regained its independence in 1813. In 1830, Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I but suffered German invasion and occupation 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. In 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands -- Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba -- became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 2018, the Sint Eustatius island council (governing body) was dissolved and replaced by a government commissioner to restore the integrity of public administration. According to the Dutch Government, the intervention will be as "short as possible and as long as needed."
Area: 41,543 km2
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
Groups: Dutch 75.4%, EU (excluding Dutch) 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.4%, Surinamese 2.1%, Indonesian 2%, other 9.3% (2021 est.)
Languages: Dutch (official), Frisian (official in Fryslan province)major-language sample(s): Het Wereld Feitenboek, een onmisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.note: Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Romani, and Yiddish have protected status; Dutch is the official language of the three special municipalities of the Caribbean Netherlands; English is a recognized regional language on Sint Eustatius and Saba; Papiamento is a recognized regional language on Bonaire
Religions: Roman Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.8% (includes Dutch Reformed, Protestant Church of The Netherlands, Calvinist), Muslim 5%, other 5.9% (includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish), none 54.1% (2019 est.)
Capital: Amsterdam
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013)
Head of government: Prime Minister Dick SCHOOF (since 2 July 2024)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarchelections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers are appointed by the monarch
Description: legislature name: States General (Staten-Generaal)legislative structure: bicameral
Information derived by "The World Factbook 2021. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2021. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/"