Head of state: Queen Beatrix Prime minister: Mark Rutte
President: Isaias Afewerki
Population
16,730,632
6,086,495
Life Expectancy
80.910 years
62.860 years
Capital City
Amsterdam
Largest city
Amsterdam (population: 741,636)
Asmara (population: 563,930)
Human Development Index
0.958
0.442
GDP per capita
$42,700 US
Literacy Rate
99%
58.6%
Corruption Perception Index
8.9
2.6
Percentage of Women in Parliament
37.8%
22%
Wealthiest Citizens
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken ($4.6bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
4.400%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished in practice
Political System
constitutional monarchy
transitional government note: following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)
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)
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages
Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
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
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Area
41,543 km sq
117,600 km sq
Coastline
451 km
2,234 km
Climate
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands
