This entry includes miscellaneous communications information of significance not included elsewhere.

Topic: Austrianote 1: the Austrian National Library contains important collections of the Imperial Library of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Empire, as well as of the Austrian Republic; among its more than 12 million items are outstanding holdings of rare books, maps, globes, papyrus, and music; its Globe Museum is the only one in the world

note 2: on 1 October 1869, Austria-Hungary introduced the world's first postal card - postal stationery with an imprinted stamp indicating the prepayment of postage; simple and cheap (sent for a fraction of the cost of a regular letter), postal cards became an instant success, widely produced in the millions worldwide

note 3: Austria followed up with the creation of the world's first commercial picture postcards - cards bearing a picture or photo to which postage is affixed - in May 1871; sent from Vienna, the image served as a souvenir of the city; together, postal cards and post cards served as the world's e-mails of the late 19th and early 20th centuries

note 4: Austria was also an airmail pioneer; from March to October of 1918, it conducted the world's first regular (daily) airmail service - between the imperial cities of Vienna, Krakow, and Lemberg - a combined distance of some 650 km (400 mi) (earlier airmail services had been set up in a few parts of the world, but only for short stretches and none lasted beyond a few days or weeks); an expansion of the route in June of 1918 allowed private mail to be flown to Kyiv, in newly independent Ukraine, which made the route the world's first regular international airmail service (covering a distance of some 1,200 km; 750 mi)

Topic: Bouvet Islandhas an automated meteorological station

Topic: British Indian Ocean TerritoryDiego Garcia hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are on Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US), and on Ascension Island (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha))

Topic: Coral Sea Islandsautomatic weather stations on many of the isles and reefs relay data to the mainland

Topic: Egyptone of the largest and most famous libraries in the ancient world was the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt (founded about 295 B.C., it may have survived in some form into the 5th century A.D.); seeking to resurrect the great center of learning and communication, the Egyptian Government in 2002 inaugurated the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, an Egyptian National Library on the site of the original Great Library, which commemorates the original archive and also serves as a center of cultural and scientific excellence

Topic: French Southern and Antarctic Landshas one or more meteorological stations on each possession

Topic: Holy See (Vatican City)the Vatican Apostolic Library is one of the world's oldest libraries, formally established in 1475, but actually much older; it holds a significant collection of historic texts including 1.1 million printed books and 75,000 codices (manuscript books with handwritten contents); it serves as a research library for history, law, philosophy, science, and theology; the library's collections have been described as "the world's greatest treasure house of the writings at the core of Western tradition"

Topic: Marshall IslandsKwajalein hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US), on Ascension (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha), and at Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory))

Topic: Moroccothe University of al-Quarawiyyin Library in Fez is recognized as the oldest existing, continually operating library in the world, dating back to A.D. 859; among its holdings are approximately 4,000 ancient Islamic manuscripts

Topic: Pitcairn Islandssatellite-based local phone service and broadband Internet connections available in all homes

Topic: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da CunhaAscension Island hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are on Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), and at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US)); South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago

Topic: Saudi Arabiathe innovative King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (informally known as Ithra, meaning "enrichment") opened on 1 December 2017 in Dhahran, Eastern Region; its facilities include a grand library, several museums, an archive, an Idea Lab, a theater, a cinema, and an Energy Exhibit, all which are meant to provide visitors an immersive and transformative experience

Topic: Ukrainea sorting code to expeditiously handle large volumes of mail was first set up in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) in the 1930s; the sophisticated, three-part (number-letter-number) postal code system, referred to as an "index," was the world's first postal zip code; the system functioned well and was in use from 1932 to 1939 when it was abruptly discontinued

Topic: United Kingdomnote 1: the British Library claims to be the largest library in the world with well over 150 million items and in most known languages; it receives copies of all books produced in the UK or Ireland, as well as a significant proportion of overseas titles distributed in the UK; in addition to books (print and digital), holdings include: journals, manuscripts, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, maps, prints, patents, and drawings

note 2: on 1 May 1840, the United Kingdom led the world with the introduction of postage stamps; the Austrian Empire had examined the idea of an "adhesive tax postmark" for the prepayment of postage in 1835; while the suggestion was reviewed in detail, it was rejected for the time being; other countries (including Austria) soon followed the UK's example with their own postage stamps; by the 1860s, most countries were issuing stamps; originally, stamps had to be cut from sheets; the UK issued the first postage stamps with perforations in 1854

Topic: United Statesnote 1: The Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA, claims to be the largest library in the world with more than 167 million items (as of 2018); its collections are universal, not limited by subject, format, or national boundary, and include materials from all parts of the world and in over 450 languages; collections include: books, newspapers, magazines, sheet music, sound and video recordings, photographic images, artwork, architectural drawings, and copyright data

note 2: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are on Ascension (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tistan da Cunha), Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), and at Kwajalein (Marshall Islands)

Topic: Worlddata centers consist of a dedicated space within a building or a group of buildings used to house computing resources and other components, such as telecommunications and storage systems; the ongoing worldwide boom in data generation is responsible for the mushrooming of data centers; the three largest data center facilities by area as of the first half of 2022 are:

no. 1. - the China Telecom data center located in the Inner Mongolia Information Park, Hohhot, China, reportedly covers 1 million sq m (10.7 million sq ft); the largest Internet data center in the world, it has over 50% market share in the Chinese data center market, with an extensive network of over 400 data centers located in prime regions in mainland China and overseas markets

no. 2. - the China Mobile data center located in the Inner Mongolia Information Park, Hohhot, China, covers 720,000 sq m (7.7 million sq ft); it is one of the world's biggest cloud computing data centers

no. 3. - The Citadel data center owned by US-based Switch, in Tahoe Reno, Nevada, covers 670,000 sq m (7.2 million sq ft); called the world’s largest technology ecosystem, the facility runs on 100% renewable (solar and wind) energy


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens DO NOT TRAVEL to Bulgaria due to COVID-19. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport will not expire for at least 6 months after they enter the country even if they do not intend to stay that long. They should also make sure they have at least 2 blank pages in their passport for any entry stamp. A visa is not required as long as you do not stay in the country more than 90 days.
US Embassy/Consulate: [359] (2) 937-5100; US Embassy in Sofia, 16, Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408, Bulgaria; https://bg.usembassy.gov/; acs_sofia@state.gov
Telephone Code: 359
Local Emergency Phone: Ambulance: 150; Fire: 160; Police: 166
Vaccinations: See WHO recommendations

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Currency (Code): Leva (BGN)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 230 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C, F

Major Languages: Bulgarian, Turkish, Romani
Major Religions: Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim 7.8%
Time Difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time);
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March, ends last Sunday in October
Potable Water: Opt for bottled water
International Driving Permit: Suggested
Road Driving Side: Right
Tourist Destinations: Rila Monastery; Pirin National Park; Plovdiv Roman Theater; Sunny Beach; Tsarevets Fortress; Baba Vida Fortress; Belogradchik Fortress; Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, ancient city of Nessebar
Major Sports: Soccer, skiing, basketball
Cultural Practices: Unlike in most other countries, a vertical shaking of the head indicates "no" in Bulgaria while a sideways shaking indicates "yes."
Tipping Guidelines: At restaurants, typically leave 10% of the total bill for a tip. Tip porters 50 levas per bag and hotel housekeepers 1.50 levas per day. It is common to tip taxi drivers 10% of the fare. Tour guides should also be tipped 5-10% of the total bill.Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Tuesday, March 22, 2022


Topic: Introduction
Background: Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C., followed by Norsemen in the late 8th century. Anglo-Norman invasions began in the 12th century. The modern Irish state broke from the UK in 1921.Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600 and 150 B.C., followed by Norsemen in the late 8th century. Anglo-Norman invasions began in the 12th century. The modern Irish state broke from the UK in 1921.

Topic: Geography
Area: total: 70,273 sq km

land: 68,883 sq km

water: 1,390 sq km
Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Natural resources: natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite

Topic: People and Society
Population: 5,275,004 (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups: Irish 82.2%, Irish travelers 0.7%, other White 9.5%, Asian 2.1%, Black 1.4%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)
Languages: English (official, the language generally used), Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official, spoken by approximately 39.8% of the population as of 2016; mainly spoken in areas along Ireland's western coast known as gaeltachtai, which are officially recognized regions where Irish is the predominant language)
Religions: Roman Catholic 78.3%, Church of Ireland 2.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Orthodox 1.3%, Muslim 1.3%, other 2.4%, none 9.8%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.94% (2022 est.)

Topic: Government
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: name: Dublin
Executive branch: chief of state: President Michael D. HIGGINS (since 11 November 2011)

head of government: Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál MARTIN (since 27 June 2020); note - MARTIN will serve through December 2022 and will then be succeeded by Leo VARADKAR
Legislative branch: description: bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of:
Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats; 49 members indirectly elected from 5 vocational panels of nominees by an electoral college, 11 appointed by the prime minister
House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (160 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; all Parliament members serve 5-year terms)

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: strong, export-based EU economy; multinational-business-friendly environment known for resilience, even amid COVID-19 disruptions; real wage growth beyond other OECD members; high livings standards; strong social equity and cohesion; aging labor forcestrong, export-based EU economy; multinational-business-friendly environment known for resilience, even amid COVID-19 disruptions; real wage growth beyond other OECD members; high livings standards; strong social equity and cohesion; aging labor force
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $447.97 billion (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $89,700 (2020 est.)
Agricultural products: milk, barley, beef, wheat, potatoes, pork, oats, poultry, mushrooms/truffles, mutton
Industries: pharmaceuticals, chemicals, computer hardware and software, food products, beverages and brewing; medical devices
Exports: $502.31 billion (2019 est.)
Exports - partners: United States 28%, Belgium 10%, Germany 10%, UK 9%, China 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities: medical cultures/vaccines, nitrogen compounds, packaged medicines, integrated circuits, scented mixtures (2019)
Imports: $452.98 billion (2019 est.)
Imports - partners: United Kingdom 31%, United States 16%, Germany 10%, Netherlands 5%, France 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: aircraft, computers, packaged medicines, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines (2019)Page last updated: Thursday, May 12, 2022


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens Reconsider Travel to Guatemala due to crime and COVID-19. Some areas have increased risk. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport will not expire for at least 6 months after they enter the country even if they do not intend to stay that long. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for any entry stamp that will be required. A visa is not required as long as you do not stay in the country more than 89 days.
US Embassy/Consulate: [502] 2326-4000; US Embassy in Guatemala City, Avenida Reforma 7-01, Zona 10, Guatemala Ciudad, Guatemala;
Telephone Code: 502
Local Emergency Phone: Ambulance: 123; Fire: 123; Police: 110
Vaccinations: An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for travelers arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for travelers having transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. See WHO recommendations.

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Currency (Code): Quetzales (GTQ)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 120 V / 60 Hz / plug types(s): A, B

Major Languages: Spanish, Maya languages
Major Religions: Roman Catholic 41.7%, Evangelical 38.8%, other 2.7%, atheist 0.1%
Time Difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Potable Water: Opt for bottled water
International Driving Permit: Suggested; additionally, if you plan to drive in Guatemala, you will need an Inter-American Driving Permit issued by the AAA
Road Driving Side: Right
Tourist Destinations: Mayan ruins of Tikal; Antigua Guatemala; Lake Atitlan; Chichicastenango Market; Quetzaltenango; Archaeological Park & Ruins of Quirigua
Major Sports: Soccer, futsal (type of indoor soccer on a hard court)
Cultural Practices: Wine and flowers are appropriate gifts if invited to a household but avoid white flowers because they symbolize mourning.
Tipping Guidelines: Tipping is a question of rewarding good service rather than an obligation. Restaurant bills do not include gratuities so adding 10% is customary. Bellhops and maids expect tips only in the most expensive hotels.Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Tuesday, March 22, 2022


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens Reconsider Travel to the United Arab Emirates due to the threat of missile or drone attacks. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws, and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport will not expire for at least 6 months after they enter the country even if they do not intend to stay that long. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for any entry stamp that will be required. A visa is not required as long as you do not stay in the country more than 30 days.
US Embassy/Consulate: [971] (2) 414-2200; US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Embassies District, Plot 38, Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; abudhabiacs@state.gov;

https://ae.usembassy.gov/
Telephone Code: 971
Local Emergency Phone: 998, 999
Vaccinations: See WHO recommendations

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Currency (Code): Emirati dirhams (AED)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 230 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): G

Major Languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Malayam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian
Major Religions: Muslim 76%, Christian 9%, other ( Hindu and Buddhist) 15%
Time Difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Potable Water: Yes, but some opt for bottled water
International Driving Permit: Suggested
Road Driving Side: Right
Tourist Destinations: Dubai (includes Burj Khalifa (world’s tallest building), Burj-al-Arab Hotel (world's tallest hotel), Dubai Creek Dhow Ride, Dubai Museum); Jebel Hafeet; Bastakia; Al-Bidyah Mosque; Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization; Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; Al Ain
Major Sports: Soccer, cricket, tennis, table tennis
Cultural Practices: The sole of the foot is considered the lowliest part of the body; it is therefore considered very rude to use the foot to point or to move around objects.
Tipping Guidelines: Even if there is a service charge, tip the waiter 10-15% of the total bill. Many Dubai residents choose to tip taxi and hail-riding services 5-10 dirhams or to round up the fare.
Souvenirs: Silk pashminas, leather goods, perfumes, gold and silver items
Traditional Cuisine: Kabsa (or Al Machboos) — chopped meat, fried onions, salt, other spices, and dried lemon served with rice cooked in the broth from the meat mixture Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Wednesday, July 20, 2022


This entry provides information on access to electricity. Electrification data – collected from industry reports, national surveys, and international sources – consists of four subfields. Population without electricity provides an estimate of the number of citizens that do not have access to electricity. Electrification – total population is the percent of a country’s total population with access to electricity, electrification – urban areas is the percent of a country’s urban population with access to electricity, while electrification – rural areas is the percent of a country’s rural population with access to electricity. Due to differences in definitions and methodology from different sources, data quality may vary from country to country.

Topic: Afghanistanelectrification - total population: 99% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 98% (2018)

Topic: Albaniaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Algeriaelectrification - total population: 99.4% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99.6% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 97% (2019)

Topic: Andorraelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Angolaelectrification - total population: 43% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 61% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 6% (2019)

Topic: Antigua and Barbudaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Argentinaelectrification - total population: 99% (2020)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2020)

electrification - rural areas: 85% (2020)

Topic: Armeniaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Arubaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Australiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Austriaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Azerbaijanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Bahamas, Theelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Bahrainelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Bangladeshelectrification - total population: 83% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 93% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 77% (2019)

Topic: Barbadoselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Belaruselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Belgiumelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Belizeelectrification - total population: 99.5% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 98.2% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 100% (2018)

Topic: Beninelectrification - total population: 33% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 58% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 9% (2019)

Topic: Bermudaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Bhutanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Boliviaelectrification - total population: 93% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99.3% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 79% (2019)

Topic: Bosnia and Herzegovinaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Botswanaelectrification - total population: 59% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 71% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 29% (2019)

Topic: Brazilelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: British Virgin Islandselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Bruneielectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Bulgariaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Burkina Fasoelectrification - total population: 22% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 69% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 2% (2019)

Topic: Burmaelectrification - total population: 51% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 76% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 39% (2019)

Topic: Burundielectrification - total population: 11% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 66% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 2% (2019)

Topic: Cabo Verdeelectrification - total population: 96% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 89% (2019)

Topic: Cambodiaelectrification - total population: 75% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 67% (2019)

Topic: Cameroonelectrification - total population: 70% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 98% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 32% (2019)

Topic: Canadaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Cayman Islandselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Central African Republicelectrification - total population: 3% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 7% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 0.4% (2019)

Topic: Chadelectrification - total population: 9% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 32% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 1% (2019)

Topic: Chileelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Chinaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Colombiaelectrification - total population: 97% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 86% (2019)

Topic: Comoroselectrification - total population: 70% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 89% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 62% (2019)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of theelectrification - total population: 9% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 19% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 0.4% (2019)

Topic: Congo, Republic of theelectrification - total population: 72% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 89% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 36% (2019)

Topic: Costa Ricaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Cote d'Ivoireelectrification - total population: 76% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 51% (2019)

Topic: Croatiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Cubaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Curacaoelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Cypruselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Czechiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Denmarkelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Djiboutielectrification - total population: 42% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 54% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 1% (2019)

Topic: Dominicaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Dominican Republicelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Ecuadorelectrification - total population: 97% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 93% (2019)

Topic: Egyptelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: El Salvadorelectrification - total population: 97% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 93% (2019)

Topic: Equatorial Guineaelectrification - total population: 67% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 75% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 45% (2019)

Topic: Eritreaelectrification - total population: 47% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 95% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 13% (2019)

Topic: Estoniaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Eswatinielectrification - total population: 90% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 98% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 87% (2019)

Topic: Ethiopiaelectrification - total population: 47% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 96% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 34% (2019)

Topic: Faroe Islandselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Fijielectrification - total population: 99.6% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 99.2% (2018)

Topic: Finlandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Franceelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: French Polynesiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Gabonelectrification - total population: 92% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 39% (2019)

Topic: Gambia, Theelectrification - total population: 49% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 69% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 16% (2019)

Topic: Gaza Stripelectrification - total population: 100% (2018)

note: data for Gaza Strip and West Bank combined

Topic: Georgiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Germanyelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Ghanaelectrification - total population: 85% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 93% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 75% (2019)

Topic: Gibraltarelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Greeceelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Greenlandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Grenadaelectrification - total population: 95.3% (2018)

Topic: Guamelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Guatemalaelectrification - total population: 92% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 85% (2019)

Topic: Guernseyelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Guineaelectrification - total population: 46% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 84% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 24% (2019)

Topic: Guinea-Bissauelectrification - total population: 28% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 56% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 7% (2019)

Topic: Guyanaelectrification - total population: 91.8% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 96.9% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 90% (2018)

Topic: Haitielectrification - total population: 39% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 60% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 12% (2019)

Topic: Holy See (Vatican City)electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Honduraselectrification - total population: 81% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 91% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 68% (2019)

Topic: Hong Kongelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Hungaryelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Icelandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Indiaelectrification - total population: 99% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 99% (2019)

Topic: Indonesiaelectrification - total population: 99% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 99% (2019)

Topic: Iranelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Iraqelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Irelandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Isle of Manelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Israelelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Italyelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Jamaicaelectrification - total population: 99% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 97% (2019)

Topic: Japanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Jerseyelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Jordanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Kazakhstanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Kenyaelectrification - total population: 85% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 79% (2019)

Topic: Kiribatielectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Korea, Northelectrification - total population: 26% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 36% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 11% (2019)

Topic: Korea, Southelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Kosovoelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Kuwaitelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Kyrgyzstanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Laoselectrification - total population: 95% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 98% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 93% (2019)

Topic: Latviaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Lebanonelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Lesothoelectrification - total population: 36% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 63% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 26% (2019)

Topic: Liberiaelectrification - total population: 12% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 18% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 6% (2019)

Topic: Libyaelectrification - total population: 100% (2019)

Topic: Liechtensteinelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Lithuaniaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Luxembourgelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Macauelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Madagascarelectrification - total population: 39% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 64% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 23% (2019)

Topic: Malawielectrification - total population: 13% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 55% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 5% (2019)

Topic: Malaysiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Maldiveselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Malielectrification - total population: 50% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 78% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 28% (2019)

Topic: Maltaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Marshall Islandselectrification - total population: 96.3% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 95.7% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 98.4% (2018)

Topic: Mauritaniaelectrification - total population: 32% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 56% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 4% (2019)

Topic: Mauritiuselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Mexicoelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Micronesia, Federated States ofelectrification - total population: 82% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 93.5% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 78.7% (2018)

Topic: Moldovaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Monacoelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Mongoliaelectrification - total population: 91% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 73% (2019)

Topic: Montenegroelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Moroccoelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Mozambiqueelectrification - total population: 35% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 57% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 22% (2019)

Topic: Namibiaelectrification - total population: 57% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 78% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 36% (2019)

Topic: Nauruelectrification - total population: 99.8% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 99.4% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 98.7% (2018)

Topic: Nepalelectrification - total population: 93% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 94% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 93% (2019)

Topic: Netherlandselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: New Caledoniaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: New Zealandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Nicaraguaelectrification - total population: 97% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99.2% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 92% (2019)

Topic: Nigerelectrification - total population: 14% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 71% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 2% (2019)

Topic: Nigeriaelectrification - total population: 62% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 91% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 30% (2019)

Topic: North Macedoniaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Northern Mariana Islandselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Norwayelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Omanelectrification - total population: 99% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 92% (2019)

Topic: Pakistanelectrification - total population: 79% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 91% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 72% (2019)

Topic: Palauelectrification - total population: 100% (2018)

Topic: Panamaelectrification - total population: 92% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99.4% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 77% (2019)

Topic: Papua New Guineaelectrification - total population: 58.9% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 82% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 55.4% (2018)

Topic: Paraguayelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Peruelectrification - total population: 97% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 86% (2019)

Topic: Philippineselectrification - total population: 96% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 93% (2019)

Topic: Polandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Portugalelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Puerto Ricoelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Qatarelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Romaniaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Russiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Rwandaelectrification - total population: 53% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 76% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 48% (2019)

Topic: Saint Barthelemyelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Saint Kitts and Neviselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Saint Luciaelectrification - total population: 99.5% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 97.5% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 99.9% (2018)

Topic: Saint Martinelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Saint Vincent and the Grenadineselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Samoaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: San Marinoelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Sao Tome and Principeelectrification - total population: 71% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 87% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 25% (2019)

Topic: Saudi Arabiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Senegalelectrification - total population: 71% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 94% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 50% (2019)

Topic: Serbiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Seychelleselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Sierra Leoneelectrification - total population: 26% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 52% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 6% (2019)

Topic: Singaporeelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Sint Maartenelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Slovakiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Sloveniaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Solomon Islandselectrification - total population: 66.7% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 76.7% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 63.5% (2018)

Topic: Somaliaelectrification - total population: 18% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 34% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 4% (2019)

Topic: South Africaelectrification - total population: 94% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 95% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 92% (2019)

Topic: South Sudanelectrification - total population: 28.2% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 46.8% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 23.6% (2018)

Topic: Spainelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Sri Lankaelectrification - total population: 100% (2019)

Topic: Sudanelectrification - total population: 47% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 71% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 35% (2019)

Topic: Surinameelectrification - total population: 97.4% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 99% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 94.3% (2018)

Topic: Swedenelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Switzerlandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Syriaelectrification - total population: 92% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 84% (2019)

Topic: Tajikistanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Tanzaniaelectrification - total population: 40% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 71% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 23% (2019)

Topic: Thailandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Timor-Lesteelectrification - total population: 85.6% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 79.2% (2018)

Topic: Togoelectrification - total population: 43% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 77% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 19% (2019)

Topic: Tongaelectrification - total population: 98.9% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 98.9% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 98.9% (2018)

Topic: Trinidad and Tobagoelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Tunisiaelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Turkey (Turkiye)electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Turkmenistanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Turks and Caicos Islandselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Tuvaluelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Ugandaelectrification - total population: 29% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 66% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 17% (2019)

Topic: Ukraineelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: United Arab Emirateselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: United Kingdomelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: United Stateselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Uruguayelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Uzbekistanelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Vanuatuelectrification - total population: 61.8% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 93.7% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 51.1% (2018)

Topic: Venezuelaelectrification - total population: 99.6% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 100% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 99% (2019)

Topic: Vietnamelectrification - total population: 100% (2019)

Topic: Virgin Islandselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Wake Islandelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: West Bankelectrification - total population: 100% (2020)

note: data for West Bank and Gaza Strip combined

Topic: Worldelectrification - total population: 90% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 96% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 85% (2019)

Topic: Yemenpopulation without electricity: 16 million (2019)

electrification - total population: 47% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 72% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 31% (2019)

Topic: Zambiaelectrification - total population: 37% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 76% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 6% (2019)

Topic: Zimbabweelectrification - total population: 53% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 89% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 36% (2019)


Topic: Photos of Netherlands

Topic: Introduction
Background: The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830, Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I but suffered German invasion and occupation in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In February 2018, the Sint Eustatius island council (governing body) was dissolved and replaced by a government commissioner to restore the integrity of public administration. According to the Dutch Government, the intervention will be as "short as possible and as long as needed."The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830, Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I but suffered German invasion and occupation in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands.In February 2018, the Sint Eustatius island council (governing body) was dissolved and replaced by a government commissioner to restore the integrity of public administration. According to the Dutch Government, the intervention will be as "short as possible and as long as needed."Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Geographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 5 46 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 41,543 sq km

land: 33,893 sq km

water: 7,650 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: total: 1,053 km

border countries (2): Belgium 478 km; Germany 575 km
Coastline: 451 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Elevation: highest point: Mount Scenery (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) 862 m

lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m

mean elevation: 30 m

note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
Land use: agricultural land: 55.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 10.8% (2018 est.)

other: 34.1% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,860 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km): Rhine river mouth (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and France) - 1,233 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)
Population distribution: an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region; the north tends to be less dense, though sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country
Natural hazards: floodingvolcanism: Mount Scenery (887 m), located on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, last erupted in 1640;; Round Hill (601 m), a dormant volcano also known as The Quill, is located on the island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean;; these islands are at the northern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends south to Grenadafloodingvolcanism: Mount Scenery (887 m), located on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, last erupted in 1640;; Round Hill (601 m), a dormant volcano also known as The Quill, is located on the island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean;; these islands are at the northern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends south to Grenada
Geography - note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde); about a quarter of the country lies below sea level and only about half of the land exceeds one meter above sea level
Map description: Netherlands map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Sea.Netherlands map showing major cities as well as parts of surrounding countries and the North Sea.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 17,400,824 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

adjective: Dutch
Ethnic groups: Dutch 75.4%, EU (excluding Dutch) 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.4%, Surinamese 2.1%, Indonesian 2%, other 9.3% (2021 est.)
Languages: Dutch (official); note - Frisian is an official language in Fryslan province; Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Romani, and Yiddish have protected status under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; Dutch is the official language of the three special municipalities of the Caribbean Netherlands; English is a recognized regional language on Sint Eustatius and Saba; Papiamento is a recognized regional language on Bonaire

major-language sample(s):
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een onmisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Roman Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.8% (includes Dutch Reformed, Protestant Church of The Netherlands, Calvinist), Muslim 5%, other 5.9% (includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish), none 54.1% (2019 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.11% (male 1,425,547/female 1,358,894)

15-24 years: 11.91% (male 1,049,000/female 1,008,763)

25-54 years: 38.47% (male 3,334,064/female 3,313,238)

55-64 years: 13.69% (male 1,177,657/female 1,188,613)

65 years and over: 19.82% (2020 est.) (male 1,558,241/female 1,866,380)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 55.6

youth dependency ratio: 24.4

elderly dependency ratio: 31.2

potential support ratio: 3.2 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 42.8 years

male: 41.6 years

female: 44 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.36% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 10.99 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 9.24 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region; the north tends to be less dense, though sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country
Urbanization: urban population: 92.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 1.166 million AMSTERDAM (capital), 1.015 million Rotterdam (2022)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 30.2 years (2020 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 82.16 years

male: 79.93 years

female: 84.49 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.78 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 73% (2013)

note: percent of women aged 18-45
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 10.1% (2019)
Physicians density: 4.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density: 3.2 beds/1,000 population (2018)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 24,000 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
HIV/AIDS - deaths: (2020 est.) <100

note: estimate does not include children
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 20.4% (2016)
Tobacco use: total: 22.2% (2020 est.)

male: 24.4% (2020 est.)

female: 19.9% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2018 est.)
Literacy: total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 19 years

male: 18 years

female: 19 years (2018)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 9.1%

male: 9.2%

female: 9% (2020 est.)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: water and air pollution are significant environmental problems; pollution of the country's rivers from industrial and agricultural chemicals, including heavy metals, organic compounds, nitrates, and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 12.07 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 170.78 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 17.79 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Land use: agricultural land: 55.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 10.8% (2018 est.)

other: 34.1% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 92.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 8.855 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,179,216 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 24.6% (2015 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km): Rhine river mouth (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and France) - 1,233 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 1.26 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 14.74 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 76.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 91 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands

conventional short form: Netherlands

local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden

local short form: Nederland

abbreviation: NL

etymology: the country name literally means "the lowlands" and refers to the geographic features of the land being both flat and down river from higher areas (i.e., at the estuaries of the Scheldt, Meuse, and Rhine Rivers; only about half of the Netherlands is more than 1 meter above sea level)
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Capital: name: Amsterdam; note - The Hague is the seat of government

geographic coordinates: 52 21 N, 4 55 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

time zone note: time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, for the constituent countries in the Caribbean, the time difference is UTC-4

etymology: the original Dutch name, Amstellerdam, meaning "a dam on the Amstel River," dates to the 13th century; over time the name simplified to Amsterdam
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie), 3 public entities* (openbare lichamen, singular - openbaar lichaam (Dutch); entidatnan publiko, singular - entidat publiko (Papiamento)); Bonaire*, Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Saba*, Sint Eustatius*, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland)

note 1: the Netherlands is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three, Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten, are all islands in the Caribbean; while all four parts are considered equal partners, in practice, most of the Kingdom's affairs are administered by the Netherlands, which makes up about 98% of the Kingdom's total land area and population

note 2: although Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are officially incorporated into the country of the Netherlands under the broad designation of "public entities," Dutch Government sources regularly apply to them the more descriptive term of "special municipalities"; Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are collectively referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands
Independence: 23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581, they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)
National holiday: King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; currently celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday
Constitution: history: many previous to adoption of the "Basic Law of the Kingdom of the Netherlands" on 24 August 1815; revised 8 times, the latest in 1983

amendments: proposed as an Act of Parliament by or on behalf of the king or by the Second Chamber of the States General; the Second Chamber is dissolved after its first reading of the Act; passage requires a second reading by both the First Chamber and the newly elected Second Chamber, followed by at least two-thirds majority vote of both chambers, and ratification by the king; amended many times, last in 2018
Legal system: civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Netherlands

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); Heir Apparent Princess Catharina-Amalia (daughter of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER, born 7 December 2003)

head of government: Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Ministers Sigrid KAAG and Wopke HOEKSTRA (since 10 January 2022) and Carola SCHOUTEN (since 26 October 2017); note - Mark RUTTE heads his fourth cabinet

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers are appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch: description: bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of:
Senate or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial council members by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
House of Representatives or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote to serve up to 4-year terms)

elections:
First Chamber - last held on 27 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2023)
Second Chamber - last held on 15-17 March 2021 (next to be held on 31 March 2025)

election results:
First Chamber - percent of vote by party - VVD 16%, CDA 12%, GL 10.7%, D66 9.3%, PvdA 8%, PVV 6.7%, SP 5.3%, CU 5.3%, PvdD 4%, SGP 2.7%, 50 Plus 2.7%, FvD 1.3%, other 16%; seats by party - VVD 12, CDA 9, GL 8, D66 7, PvdA 6, PVV 5, SP 4, CU 4, PvdD 3, SGP 2, 50 Plus 2, FvD 1, other 12; composition (as of September 2021) - men 52, women 23, percent of women 30.7%
Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - VVD 21.9%, D66 15%, PVV 10.8%, CDA 9.5%, SP 9.1%, PvdA 5.7%, GL 5.2%, FvD 5%, PvdD 3.8%, CU 3.4%, other 13.7%; seats by party - VVD 34, D66 24, PVV 17, CDA 15, GL 8, FvD 8, PvdD 6, PvdA 9, SP 9, CU 5, Denk 3, SGP 3, 50 Plus 1, other 6; composition (as of September 2021) - men 89, women 61, percent of women 40.7%; note - total States General percent of women 37.3%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (consists of 41 judges: the president, 6 vice presidents, 31 justices or raadsheren, and 3 justices in exceptional service, referred to as buitengewone dienst); the court is divided into criminal, civil, tax, and ombuds chambers

judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the monarch from a list provided by the Second Chamber of the States General; justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts: courts of appeal; district courts, each with up to 5 subdistrict courts; Netherlands Commercial Court
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Wopke HOEKSTRA]
Christian Union or CU [Gert-Jan SEGERS]
Democrats 66 or D66 [Sigrid KAAG]
Denk [Farid AZARKAN]
50 Plus [Martin van ROOIJEN]
Forum for Democracy or FvD [Thierry BAUDET]
Green Left or GL [Jesse KLAVER]
Labor Party or PvdA [Attje KUIKEN]
Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]
Party for the Animals or PvdD [Esther OUWENHAND]
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Mark RUTTE]
Reformed Political Party or SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ]
Socialist Party or SP [Lilian MARIJNISSEN]
International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andre HASPELS (since 16 September 2019)

chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300

FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430

email address and website:
https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/countries/united-states/about-us/embassy-in-washington-dc

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Marja VERLOOP (since 17 January 2021)

embassy: John Adams Park 1, 2244 BZ Wassenaar

mailing address: 5780 Amsterdam Place, Washington DC  20521-5780

telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209

FAX: [31] (70) 310-2207

email address and website:
AmsterdamUSC@state.gov

https://nl.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general: Amsterdam
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (bright vermilion; top), white, and blue (cobalt); similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colors were derived from those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange, but because its dye tended to turn red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use
National symbol(s): lion, tulip; national color: orange
National anthem: name: "Het Wilhelmus" (The William)

lyrics/music: Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown

note: adopted 1932, in use since the 17th century, making it the oldest national anthem in the world; also known as "Wilhelmus van Nassouwe" (William of Nassau), it is in the form of an acrostic, where the first letter of each stanza spells the name of the leader of the Dutch Revolt
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 12 (11 cultural, 1 natural); note - includes one site in Curacao

selected World Heritage Site locales: Schokland and Surroundings (c); Dutch Water Defense Lines (c); Van Nellefabriek (c); Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout (c); Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder) (c); Rietveld Schröderhuis (Rietveld Schröder House) (c); Wadden Sea (n); Seventeenth Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht (c); Colonies of Benevolence (c); Frontiers of the Roman Empire - The Lower German Limes (c)

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: The Netherlands, the sixth-largest economy in the European Union, plays an important role as a European transportation hub, with a consistently high trade surplus, stable industrial relations, and low unemployment. Industry focuses on food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for food-processing and underpins the country’s status as the world’s second largest agricultural exporter.   The Netherlands is part of the euro zone, and as such, its monetary policy is controlled by the European Central Bank. The Dutch financial sector is highly concentrated, with four commercial banks possessing over 80% of banking assets, and is four times the size of Dutch GDP.   In 2008, during the financial crisis, the government budget deficit hit 5.3% of GDP. Following a protracted recession from 2009 to 2013, during which unemployment doubled to 7.4% and household consumption contracted for four consecutive years, economic growth began inching forward in 2014. Since 2010, Prime Minister Mark RUTTE’s government has implemented significant austerity measures to improve public finances and has instituted broad structural reforms in key policy areas, including the labor market, the housing sector, the energy market, and the pension system. In 2017, the government budget returned to a surplus of 0.7% of GDP, with economic growth of 3.2%, and GDP per capita finally surpassed pre-crisis levels. The fiscal policy announced by the new government in the 2018-2021 coalition plans for increases in government consumption and public investment, fueling domestic demand and household consumption and investment. The new government’s policy also plans to increase demand for workers in the public and private sector, forecasting a further decline in the unemployment rate, which hit 4.8% in 2017.The Netherlands, the sixth-largest economy in the European Union, plays an important role as a European transportation hub, with a consistently high trade surplus, stable industrial relations, and low unemployment. Industry focuses on food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for food-processing and underpins the country’s status as the world’s second largest agricultural exporter. The Netherlands is part of the euro zone, and as such, its monetary policy is controlled by the European Central Bank. The Dutch financial sector is highly concentrated, with four commercial banks possessing over 80% of banking assets, and is four times the size of Dutch GDP. In 2008, during the financial crisis, the government budget deficit hit 5.3% of GDP. Following a protracted recession from 2009 to 2013, during which unemployment doubled to 7.4% and household consumption contracted for four consecutive years, economic growth began inching forward in 2014. Since 2010, Prime Minister Mark RUTTE’s government has implemented significant austerity measures to improve public finances and has instituted broad structural reforms in key policy areas, including the labor market, the housing sector, the energy market, and the pension system. In 2017, the government budget returned to a surplus of 0.7% of GDP, with economic growth of 3.2%, and GDP per capita finally surpassed pre-crisis levels. The fiscal policy announced by the new government in the 2018-2021 coalition plans for increases in government consumption and public investment, fueling domestic demand and household consumption and investment. The new government’s policy also plans to increase demand for workers in the public and private sector, forecasting a further decline in the unemployment rate, which hit 4.8% in 2017.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $945.48 billion (2020 est.)

$982.22 billion (2019 est.)

$966.02 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 1.63% (2019 est.)

2.32% (2018 est.)

3.02% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $54,200 (2020 est.)

$56,600 (2019 est.)

$56,100 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $907.042 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.6% (2019 est.)

1.7% (2018 est.)

1.3% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings: Fitch rating: AAA (1994)

Moody's rating: Aaa (1986)

Standard & Poors rating: AAA (2015)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 1.6% (2017 est.)

industry: 17.9% (2017 est.)

services: 70.2% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 44.3% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 24.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 20.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 83% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -72.3% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: milk, potatoes, sugar beet, pork, onions, wheat, poultry, tomatoes, carrots/turnips, beef
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
Industrial production growth rate: 3.3% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 8.907 million (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.2%

industry: 17.2%

services: 81.6% (2015 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.41% (2019 est.)

3.84% (2018 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 9.1%

male: 9.2%

female: 9% (2020 est.)
Population below poverty line: 13.6% (2019 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 28.5 (2017 est.)

25.1 (2013 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3%

highest 10%: 24.9% (2014 est.)
Budget: revenues: 361.4 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 352.4 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): 1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 56.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

61.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Taxes and other revenues: 43.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Current account balance: $90.207 billion (2019 est.)

$98.981 billion (2018 est.)
Exports: $719.78 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$755.77 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$773.74 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - partners: Germany 20%, Belgium 12%, United Kingdom 9%, France 7%, United States 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities: refined petroleum, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, photography equipment, computers (2019)
Imports: $622.66 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$661.18 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$677.38 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners: Germany 15%, China 11%, Belgium 9%, United States 8%, Russia 7%, United Kingdom 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, cars (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $38.44 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$38.21 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Debt - external: $4,345,413,000,000 (2019 est.)

$4,625,016,000,000 (2018 est.)
Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.82771 (2020 est.)

0.90338 (2019 est.)

0.87789 (2018 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 43.409 million kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 109.796 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports: 22.433 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports: 19.773 billion kWh (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 5.059 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 68.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 3.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 6.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 13.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 8.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal: production: 1.879 million metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 8.241 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 20.164 million metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 21.552 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 497 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 76,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 915,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 8,800 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 1,096,500 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 137.7 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 1.282 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 2.406 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 2.148 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Natural gas: production: 32,857,597,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

consumption: 44,752,918,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports: 42,827,461,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports: 55,767,276,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves: 132.608 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 214.416 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 23.15 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 116.24 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 75.027 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 219.606 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 4.937 million (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 21.415 million (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: Telecom infrastructure in the Netherlands continues to be upgraded as modernization schemes undertaken by telcos make steady progress; KPN is replacing its copper access network with fiber, either through its own investment program or in conjunction with the wholesale fiber access provider Glaspoort, in which it has a half-share alongside the pension company APG. KPN expected that about 80% of all premises in the country would be covered by its FttP service by 2026; other fiber providers have been supported by regulatory measures which have encouraged municipal governments to intervene with telcos’ fiber builds, facilitating open access networks in a bid to make rollouts cheaper, and completed sooner; while the MNOs are also closing down their GSM and 3G networks and re purposing their spectrum and physical assets for LTE and 5G, the regulator has also encouraged GSM/3G roaming in the interim, thus safeguarding services such as M2M and other low data-use applications while individual MNOs disable their own GSM/3G networks. T-Mobile Netherlands has delayed switching off GSM until June 2023, given that the network is still used for M2M connections and other applications; the country has one of the highest fixed broadband penetration rates in the world, with effective cross-platform competition between DSL, HFC, and fiber networks; in the third quarter of 2020 the number of cable broadband connections fell for the first time, while the DSL segment has long been eclipsed by fiber; by the end of 2021, over a quarter of fixed broadband connections were on fiber infrastructure, while DSL accounted for only about 29%; almost 49% of fixed connections provided data above 100Mb/s, while an additional 43.7% provided data of at least 30Mb/s; under regulatory measures, the telcos KPN and Vodafone Ziggo are obliged to offer wholesale access to competitors. (2022)

domestic: extensive fixed-line, fiber-optic network; large cellular telephone system with five major operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications technology; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet Protocol services; fixed-line nearly 29 per 100 and mobile-cellular at 125 per 100 persons (2020)

international: country code - 31; landing points for Farland North, TAT-14, Circe North, Concerto, Ulysses 2, AC-1, UK-Netherlands 14, and COBRAcable submarine cables which provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media: more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems that provide a wide range of domestic and foreign channels; public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters, 3 with a national reach and the remainder operating in regional and local markets; 2 major nationwide commercial television companies, each with 3 or more stations, and many commercial TV stations in regional and local markets; nearly 600 radio stations with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage
Internet country code: .nl
Internet users: total: 15,871,765 (2020 est.)

percent of population: 91% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 7,525,016 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 8 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 238

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 43,996,044 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,886,510,000 (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: PH
Airports: total: 29 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 23

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 11

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 6

under 914 m: 2 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 6

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 2 (2021)
Heliports: 1 (2021)
Pipelines: 14,000 km gas, 2,500 km oil and refined products, 3,000 km chemicals (2017)
Railways: total: 3,058 km (2016)

standard gauge: 3,058 km (2016) 1.435-m gauge (2,314 km electrified)
Roadways: total: 139,124 km (2016) (includes 3,654 km of expressways)
Waterways: 6,237 km (2012) (navigable by ships up to 50 tons)
Merchant marine: total: 1,199

by type: bulk carrier 10, container ship 40, general cargo 559, oil tanker 26, other 564 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): IJmuiden, Vlissingen

container port(s) (TEUs): Rotterdam (14,810,804) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Gate (Rotterdam)

river port(s): Amsterdam (Nordsee Kanaal); Moerdijk (Hollands Diep River); Rotterdam (Rhine River); Terneuzen (Western Scheldt River)

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Military Constabulary) (2022)

note: the Netherlands Coast Guard and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard are civilian in nature but managed by the Royal Netherlands Navy
Military expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

1.4% of GDP (2020)

1.3% of GDP (2019) (approximately $13.6 billion)

1.2% of GDP (2018) (approximately $12.3 billion)

1.2% of GDP (2017) (approximately $11.3 billion)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 40,000 active duty personnel (20,000 Army; 7,500 Navy; 6,500 Air Force; 6,000 Constabulary) (2022)

note: the Navy includes about 2,300 marines
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the inventory of the Netherlands Armed Forces consists of a mix of domestically-produced and modern European- and US-sourced equipment; since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of weapons systems to the Netherlands; the Netherlands has an advanced domestic defense industry that focuses on armored vehicles, naval ships, and air defense systems; it also participates with the US and other European countries on joint development and production of advanced weapons systems (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for an all-volunteer force; conscription remains in place, but the requirement to show up for compulsory military service was suspended in 1997 (2021)

note: in 2019, women made up about 11% of the military's full-time personnel
Military deployments: 270 Lithuania (NATO); 125 Slovakia (NATO) (2022)

note: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including the Netherlands, have sent additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe
Military - note: the Netherlands is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949
 since 1973, the Dutch Marine Corps has worked closely with the British Royal Marines, including jointly in the UK-Netherlands amphibious landing force; a Dutch Army airmobile infantry brigade and a mechanized infantry brigade have been integrated into the German Army since 2014 and 2016 respectively in 2018, the Defense Ministers of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC); the C-SOCC was declared operational in December 2020

in 2015, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed an agreement to conduct joint air policing of their territories; under the agreement, which went into effect in January of 2017, the Belgian and Dutch Air Forces trade responsibility for patrolling the skies over the three countriessince 1973, the Dutch Marine Corps has worked closely with the British Royal Marines, including jointly in the UK-Netherlands amphibious landing force; a Dutch Army airmobile infantry brigade and a mechanized infantry brigade have been integrated into the German Army since 2014 and 2016 respectively

Topic: Terrorism
Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none identifiednone identified
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 37,792 (Syria), 14,787 (Eritrea), 8,368 (Somalia), 6,636 (Iraq), 5,346 (Iran) (mid-year 2021); 68,050 (Ukraine) (as of 5 July 2022)

stateless persons: 2,087 (mid-year 2021)
Illicit drugs: a significant transit country for illicit drugs, especially cocaine from South America destined for Europe; one of the largest sources of synthetic drugs for international markets; numerous methamphetamine laboratories; traffickers use postage companies to send cocaine, ecstasy or methamphetamines distribute narcotics to global customersa significant transit country for illicit drugs, especially cocaine from South America destined for Europe; one of the largest sources of synthetic drugs for international markets; numerous methamphetamine laboratories; traffickers use postage companies to send cocaine, ecstasy or methamphetamines distribute narcotics to global customers


This entry provides the public expenditure on education as a percent of GDP.

Topic: Afghanistan3.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: AkrotiriNA

Topic: Albania3.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Algeria6.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: American SamoaNA

Topic: Andorra3.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Angola1.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Anguilla3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Antigua and Barbuda3.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Argentina4.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Armenia2.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Aruba5.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Topic: Ashmore and Cartier IslandsNA

Topic: Australia5.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Austria5.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Azerbaijan2.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Bahamas, The2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Bahrain2.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Bangladesh1.3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Barbados4.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Belarus5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Belgium6.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Belize7.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Benin3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Bermuda1.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Bhutan6.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Bolivia7.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Topic: Bosnia and HerzegovinaNA

Topic: Botswana6.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Brazil6.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: British Indian Ocean TerritoryNA

Topic: British Virgin Islands2.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Brunei4.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Topic: Bulgaria4.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Burkina Faso5.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Burma2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Burundi5.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cabo Verde4.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Cambodia2.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Cameroon3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Canada5.3% of GDP (2011 est.)

Topic: Cayman IslandsNA

Topic: Central African Republic1.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Chad2.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Chile5.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: China3.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Christmas IslandNA

Topic: Clipperton IslandNA

Topic: Cocos (Keeling) IslandsNA

Topic: Colombia4.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Comoros2.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of the1.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Congo, Republic of the3.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Cook Islands3.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Coral Sea IslandsNA

Topic: Costa Rica6.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Cote d'Ivoire3.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Croatia3.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: CubaNA

Topic: Curacao4.9% of GDP (2013 est.)

Topic: Cyprus5.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Czechia4.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Denmark7.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: DhekeliaNA

Topic: Djibouti3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Dominica5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Dominican Republic4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Ecuador4.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Egypt3.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

Topic: El Salvador3.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Equatorial GuineaNA

Topic: EritreaNA

Topic: Estonia5.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Eswatini5.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Ethiopia5.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: European Union4.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)NA

Topic: Faroe Islands8.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Fiji5.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Finland6.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: France5.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: French PolynesiaNA

Topic: French Southern and Antarctic LandsNA

Topic: Gabon2.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Gambia, The2.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Gaza Strip5.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Topic: Georgia3.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Germany5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Ghana4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: GibraltarNA

Topic: Greece3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Greenland10.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Grenada3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: GuamNA

Topic: Guatemala3.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: GuernseyNA

Topic: Guinea2.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Guinea-Bissau2.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Guyana4.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Haiti1.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Heard Island and McDonald IslandsNA

Topic: Holy See (Vatican City)NA

Topic: Honduras4.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Hong Kong4.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Hungary4.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Iceland7.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: India3.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Topic: Indonesia2.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Iran3.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: IraqNA

Topic: Ireland3.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Isle of ManNA

Topic: Israel6.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Italy4.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Jamaica5.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Jan MayenNA

Topic: Japan3.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: JerseyNA

Topic: Jordan3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Kazakhstan2.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Kenya5.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Kiribati12.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Korea, NorthNA

Topic: Korea, South4.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: KosovoNA

Topic: Kuwait6.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Kyrgyzstan5.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Laos2.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

Topic: Latvia4.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Lebanon2.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Lesotho7.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Liberia2.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: LibyaNA

Topic: Liechtenstein2.6% of GDP (2011 est.)

Topic: Lithuania3.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Luxembourg3.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Macau3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Madagascar2.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Malawi2.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Malaysia4.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Maldives4.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Mali3.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Malta4.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Marshall Islands9.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Mauritania1.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Mauritius4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Mexico4.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Micronesia, Federated States of9.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Moldova6.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Monaco1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Mongolia4.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: MontenegroNA

Topic: Montserrat9.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: MoroccoNA

note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara

Topic: Mozambique6.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Namibia9.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: NauruNA

Topic: Navassa IslandNA

Topic: Nepal4.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Netherlands5.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: New CaledoniaNA

Topic: New Zealand6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Nicaragua3.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Niger3.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: NigeriaNA

Topic: NiueNA

Topic: Norfolk IslandNA

Topic: North MacedoniaNA

Topic: Northern Mariana IslandsNA

Topic: Norway7.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Oman5.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Pakistan2.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: PalauNA

Topic: Panama3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Papua New Guinea1.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Paracel IslandsNA

Topic: Paraguay3.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Peru4.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Philippines3.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Pitcairn IslandsNA

Topic: Poland4.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Portugal4.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Puerto Rico6.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

Topic: Qatar3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Romania3.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Russia4.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Rwanda3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Saint BarthelemyNA

Topic: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da CunhaNA

Topic: Saint Kitts and Nevis2.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Topic: Saint Lucia3.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Saint MartinNA

Topic: Saint Pierre and MiquelonNA

Topic: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines5.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Samoa4.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: San Marino3.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Sao Tome and Principe5.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Saudi ArabiaNA

Topic: Senegal5.3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Serbia3.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Seychelles3.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Sierra Leone9.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Singapore2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Sint MaartenNA

Topic: Slovakia4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Slovenia4.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Solomon Islands10.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

Topic: SomaliaNA

Topic: South Africa6.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: South Georgia and South Sandwich IslandsNA

Topic: South Sudan1.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Topic: Spain4.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Spratly IslandsNA

Topic: Sri Lanka2.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: SudanNA

Topic: Suriname7.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: SvalbardNA

Topic: Sweden7.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Switzerland4.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: SyriaNA

Topic: TaiwanNA

Topic: Tajikistan5.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Tanzania3.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Thailand3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Timor-Leste6.8% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Togo5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: TokelauNA

Topic: Tonga8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Trinidad and Tobago3.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Tunisia7.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Topic: Turkey (Turkiye)4.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: Turkmenistan3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Turks and Caicos Islands3.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: TuvaluNA

Topic: Uganda3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Ukraine5.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: United Arab Emirates3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: United Kingdom5.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Topic: United States5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Topic: United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesNA

Topic: Uruguay4.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Uzbekistan5.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Vanuatu2.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Topic: Venezuela1.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Topic: Vietnam4.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Topic: Virgin IslandsNA

Topic: Wake IslandNA

Topic: Wallis and FutunaNA

Topic: West Bank5.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Topic: YemenNA

Topic: Zambia4.5% of GDP (2019)

Topic: Zimbabwe3.6% of GDP (2018 est.)