Netherlands

Geography

The Netherlands is located on the North Sea coast in Western Europe, bordering Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. It is known for its flat terrain and extensive polders, which are protected by dikes with a total length of over 3000 km.

The name "Netherlands" refers to the special landscape. Around a quarter of the country lies below sea level - on average it is just 30 above sea level. There are no mountains or even ranges in the Netherlands. Overall, the topography is characterized by a flat landscape and numerous waterways. The inland is criss-crossed by plains, rivers and canals. The Rhine-Meuse Delta in South Holland is a vast landscape of numerous bodies of water, which is also of great importance for European inland shipping with its connection to Rotterdam. In the north of the country lies the IJsselmeer, an artificial inland sea of around 1100 km², which is separated from the North Sea by a 32 km long dyke. Large polders have been drained and made usable here over decades. There are around 40 islands along the coast. The highest natural elevation is the Vaalserberg in the far south with a height of only 322 meters.

The area of the Netherlands is around 41,543 square kilometers and the population is around 17.70 million people. This results in an average population density of 426.1 inhabitants per square kilometer, which is very high by international standards. Around 92.9% of the population live in urban areas.

Climate in the Netherlands

The Netherlands borders the North Sea in the west and north, which also has a decisive influence on the climate. Overall, there is a temperate maritime climate with continental influences. Summers are usually warm, but not too hot. Winters are also comparatively mild with average temperatures around freezing point. The cold air from the North Sea reaches the coastal areas by the middle of the year, resulting in lower temperatures than inland. Away from the coast, the Atlantic influence decreases. In autumn and winter, storms, some of them violent, occur throughout the country, with larger amounts of precipitation.

• Detailed climate data for the Netherlands and 10 individual provinces

Languages

Mother tongue	Distribution
Dutch	95.6 %
Fries	3.7 %
Arabic	0.9 %
Turkish	0.8 %

Religions

Religion	Distribution
Reformed Christs	9.0%
Calvinists	3.0%
Roman Catholics	28.0%
other Protestants	7.0%
Muslims	5.0%
Jews	0.2%
nondenominational	42.0%
other	5.8%

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Economy

GDP:	1,009.40 bn $
Exportations:	944.42 bn $
Importations:	835.47 bn $
Budget surplus:	93 M $
› Tourism receipts:	10.53 bn $
› Debt rate:	48.51 %
› Unemployment rate:	3.52 %
› Inflation rate:	10.00 %
› Corruption index:	79 (good)
› Energy consumption:	109.8 bn kWh

With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.946, the Netherlands counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.

With an average annual income of 60,230 USD the Netherlands are one of the high-income countries. Even considering purchasing power parity, they are still among the 20 richest countries in the world.

The Netherlands are sometimes referred to as a tax haven.

Land use

31% Urban areas:	12,803 km²
55% Agricultural areas:	22,653 km²
11% Forest:	4,557 km²
19% Water areas:	7,853 km²
4% Others:	1,529 km²

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Transport

Roadways:	139,027 km
Railways:	3,055 km
Waterways:	6,297 km
Reg. vehicles:	10,248,388
› Airports: