c 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)
Languages:
Dutch
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
total population:
99%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
5.3 million
by occupation:
services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government 15.9%,
agriculture 5.8% (1986)

*Netherlands, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form:
Netherlands
local long form:
Koninkrijk de Nederlanden
local short form:
Nederland
Digraph:
NL
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
Dependent areas:
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Independence:
1579 (from Spain)
Constitution:
17 February 1983
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)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van VELZEN; Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK;
Liberal (VVD), Frederick BOLKSTEIN; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van MIERIO; a
host of minor parties
Other political or pressure groups:
large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement
(comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade
union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the
nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and Interchurch
Peace Council (IKV)
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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 1989 (next to be held in May 1994); results - CDA
35.3%, PvdA 31.9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, other 10.3%; seats - (150 total)
CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, other 13
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal