n growth rate: 0.53% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 11.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 8.67 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 81.59 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.19% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 15,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch

Ethnic groups: Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-western
origin mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese and Indonesians)
(1999 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 31%, Protestant 21%, Muslim 4.4%, other 3.6%,
unaffiliated 40% (1998)

Languages: Dutch

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 99% (2000 est.) male: NA% female: NA%

Government Netherlands

Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der
Nederlanden local short form: Nederland

Government 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); note - the northern provinces of the
Low Country concluded the Union of Utrecht, but it was 1648 before Spain
finally recognized their independence

National holiday: Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909
and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980),
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 br