Netherlands
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Amsterdam
- Population
- 17,833,885 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 41,543 sq km
- Government
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- 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.)
- 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.)
- Currency
- euros (EUR)
- Life Expectancy
- 81.9 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .nl
- Climate
- temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
- Terrain
- mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
- Natural Resources
- natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land
- Major Exports
- refined petroleum, vaccines, machinery, crude petroleum, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1581; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world.