women); adjective - Dutch
Ethnic divisions:
Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)
Languages:
Dutch
Literacy:
99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
Labor force:
5,300,000; services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government
15.9%, agriculture 5.8% (1986)
Organized labor:
29% of labor force

:Netherlands Government

Long-form name:
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Administrative divisions:
12 provinces (provincien, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland,
Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland,
Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland
Independence:
1579 (from Spain)
Constitution:
17 February 1983
Dependent areas:
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Legal system:
civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the
Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of the States
General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or
First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede
Kamer)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born 27 April
1967)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Vice
Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 2 November 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van VELZEN; Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK;
Liberal (VVD), Joris VOORHOEVE; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van MIERIO; a
host of minor parties
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
First Chamber:
last held on 9 June l991 (next to be held 9 June 1995); results - elected by
the country's 12 provincial councils; seats - (75 total) percent of seats by
party NA
Second Chamber:
last held on 6 September 19