Head of state: Queen Beatrix Prime minister: Mark Rutte
President: Joseph Kabila
Population
16,730,632
73,599,190
Life Expectancy
80.910 years
55.740 years
Capital City
Amsterdam
Largest city
Amsterdam (population: 741,636)
Kinshasa (population: 7,785,960)
Human Development Index
0.958
0.361
GDP per capita
$42,700 US
Literacy Rate
99%
67.2%
Corruption Perception Index
8.9
1.7
Percentage of Women in Parliament
37.8%
7.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken ($4.6bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
4.400%
Death Penalty
Abolished
NA
Political System
constitutional monarchy
republic
Independence date
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)
Religions
Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)
Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10%
Languages
Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Exports
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
External Debt
$2,655,000,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
16
0
Location
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Area
41,543 km sq
2,344,858 km sq
Coastline
451 km
37 km
Climate
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October)
