(1995)
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is
now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at a
fixed rate of 2.20371 guilders per euro; the euro will replace the
local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Netherlands:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 8.431 million (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.016 million (1996)

Telephone system: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: the existing system of multi-conductor cables is gradually
being replaced by fiber-optic cables; the density of cellular
telephone traffic is rapidly increasing and further modernization of
the system is expected in the year 2001, with the introduction of the
third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (1996)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 58, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios: 15.3 million (1996)

Television broadcast stations: 15 (plus five low-power repeaters)
(1997)

Televisions: 8.1 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 70 (1999)

@Netherlands:Transportation

Railways:
total: 2,739 km
standard gauge: 2,739 km 1.435-m gauge; (1,991 km electrified) (1998)

Highways:
total: 125,575 km
paved: 113,018 km (including 2,235 km of expressways)
unpaved: 12,557 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 5,046 km, of which 47% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric
ton capacity or larger

Pipelines: crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas
10,230 km

Ports and harbors: Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Eemshaven,
Groningen, Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Maastricht, Rotterdam, Terneuzen,
Utrecht

Merchant marine:
total: 563 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,035,899 GRT/4,576,841
DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 343, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk
2, container 56, liquified gas 20, livestock carrier 1,
multi-functional large load carrier 8, passenger 8, petroleum tanker
25, refrigerated cargo 32, roll-on/roll-off 16, short-sea passenger 3,
specialized tanker 5 (1999 est.)
note: many Dutch-owned ships are also operating under the registry of
Netherlands Antilles (1998 est.)

Airports: 28 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: