xchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Netherlands

Telephones - main lines in use:
10.004 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
12.5 million (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular
telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with five major
network operators utilizing the third generation of the Global
System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
international: country code - 31; 9 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1
Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2004)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 246, shortwave 3 (2004)

Radios:
15.3 million (1996)

Television broadcast stations:
21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
8.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.nl

Internet hosts:
4,518,226 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
52 (2000)

Internet users:
8.5 million (2003)

Transportation Netherlands

Railways:
total: 2,808 km
standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2004)

Highways:
total: 116,500 km
paved: 104,850 km (including 2,235 km of expressways)
unpaved: 11,650 km (1999)

Waterways:
5,046 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2004)

Pipelines:
condensate 325 km; gas 6,998 km; oil 590 km; refined products 716
km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Amsterdam, Groningen, Ijmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen,
Zaanstad

Merchant marine:
total: 558 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,796,460 GRT/5,212,557 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 361, chemical tanker 32, container
48, liquefied gas 13, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum
tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 32, roll on/roll off 15, specialized
tanker 4
foreign-owned: 139 (Bahamas 5, Belgium 2, Canada 1, Denmark 4,
Finland 7, Germany 62, Ireland 13, Norway 9, Sweden 19, United
Kingdom 6, United States 11)
registered in other countries: 223 (2005)

Airports:
27 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 20
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2