E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 41,526 sq km

land: 33,883 sq km

water: 7,643 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries: total: 1,027 km

border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km

Coastline: 451 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some
hills in southeast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m

highest point: Vaalserberg 321 m

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, arable land

Land use: arable land: 25%

permanent crops: 3%

permanent pastures: 25%

forests and woodland: 8%

other: 39% (1996 est.)

Irrigated land: 6,000 sq km (1996 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding

Environment - current issues: water pollution in the form of heavy
metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and
phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities;
acid rain

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol

Geography - note: located at mouths of three major European rivers
(Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

Netherlands People

Population: 15,981,472 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.38% (male 1,501,925; female 1,436,017)

15-64 years: 67.9% (male 5,518,575; female 5,333,442)

65 years and over: 13.72% (male 899,052; female 1,292,461) (2001
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.55% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 11.85 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64