gen,
Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland,
Zuid-Holland

Dependent 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), son of the
monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 22 August 1994) and
Vice Prime Ministers Annemarie JORRITSMA (since 3 August 1998) and Els
BORST-EILERS (since 3 August 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following Second Chamber
elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; vice
prime ministers appointed by the monarch
note: government coalition - PvdA, VVD, and D'66; there is also a
Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and
councilors 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 25 May 1999 (next to be held NA
May 2003); Second Chamber - last held 6 May 1998 (next to be held May
2002)
election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - CDA 20, VVD 19, PvdA 15, D'66 4, other 17; Second Chamber -
percent of vote by party - PvdA 30.0%, VVD 25.3%, CDA 19.3%, D'66
9.3%, other 16.1%; seats by party - PvdA 45, VVD 38, CDA 29, D'66 14,
other 24

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

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA
; Democrats '66 or D'66 ; Labor Party
or PvdA ; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberal)
or VVD ; a host of minor parties

Political pressure groups