areas: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles

Independence: 1579 (from Spain)

National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April

Constitution: adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February
1983

Legal system: civil law system incorporating French penal theory;
constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States
General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April
1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), Prince of
Orange, son of Queen BEATRIX
head of government: Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 22 August 1994) and
Vice Prime Ministers Hans DIJKSTAL (since 22 August 1994) and Hans VAN
MIERLO (since 22 August 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the queen
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary, constitutional monarch;
following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party
or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the queen; vice prime ministers appointed by the queen
note: there is a Council of State composed of the queen, crown prince,
and councillors consulted by the executive on legislative and
administrative policy

Legislative branch: bicameral States General or Staten Generaal
consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members
indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for
four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats;
members directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: First Chamber-last held 9 June 1995 (next to be held 9 June
1999); Second Chamber-last held 3 May 1994 (next to be held 6 May
1998)
election results: First Chamber-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by
party-VVD 23, CDA 19, PvdA 14, D'66 7, other 12; Second
Chamber-percent of vote by party-PvdA 24.3%, CDA 22.3%, VVD 20.4%,
D'66 16.5%, other 16.5%; seats by party-PvdA 37, CDA 34, VVD 31, D'66
24, other 24

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoge Raad, justices are nominated
for life by the crown

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA
[Jaap DE HOOP SCHEFFER]; Labor Party or PvdA [Wim KOK]; People's Party
for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Hans F. DIJKSTAL];
Democrats '66 or D'66 [Els BORST]; a host of minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: large multinational firms;
Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement