Head of state: Queen Beatrix Prime minister: Mark Rutte
President : Anote Tong
Population
16,730,632
101,998
Life Expectancy
80.910 years
64.760 years
Capital City
Amsterdam
Largest city
Amsterdam (population: 741,636)
Bairiki (population: 44,429)
Human Development Index
0.958
0
GDP per capita
$42,700 US
Literacy Rate
99%
%
Corruption Perception Index
8.9
3.1
Percentage of Women in Parliament
37.8%
4.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken ($4.6bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
4.400%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
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 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, other (includes Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, Church of God) 8% (1999)
Languages
Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
I-Kiribati, English (official)
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
Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about half way between Hawaii and Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory lies in the same time zone as its Gilbert Islands group (UTC +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of the International Date Line
Area
41,543 km sq
811 km sq
Coastline
451 km
1,143 km
Climate
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
