Amsterdam

CAPITAL CITY OF Netherlands: Amsterdam
LANGUAGE OF Netherlands: Dutch
CURRENCY OF Netherlands: Euro (EUR)
COMMENTS ABOUT Netherlands:
The Netherlands is a Benelux country in Western Europe.
Cities : Amsterdam (capital), Alkmaar, Delft, Groningen, Haarlem, The Hague, Leiden, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Rotterdam
Electricity : 230V/50Hz (European plug)
Calling Code : +31
Time Zone : UTC +1

CLIMATE OF Netherlands: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
RELIGION OF Netherlands: Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other 3.6%, unaffiliated 40% (1998)
POPULATION OF Netherlands: 16,318,199 (July 2004 est.) Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese and Indonesians) (1999 est.)>>>>>>
HISTORY OF Netherlands: 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.
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Netherlands: The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which depends heavily on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable industrial relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable current account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 4% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting foreign direct investment. Economic growth slowed considerably in 2001-03, as part of the global economic slowdown, but for the four years before that, annual growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the EU average. The government is wrestling with a deteriorating budget position, and is moving toward the EU 3% of GDP budget deficit limit.