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Overzicht eerdere
afleveringen
NETHERLANDS
MANAGING
DAYTRIP
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FACTS
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Facts
Country Kingdom of the Netherlands.
 | | The village of West Terschelling, the main centre on the West Frisian island of Terschelling, seen from the 55-metre high lighthouse the Brandaris (1594). Near 'West' lies a training range for Dutch air-force bombers. Terschelling and its famous lighthouse attract half a million tourists a year. Foto Rien Zilvold |
Area
37,000 square kilometres (excluding water) - 119 percent the seize
of Belgium, 7 percent of France, 10 percent of Germany, 15 percent of
the United Kingdom and 0.4 percent of the USA.
Inhabitants
15,5 million - 153 percent of the population of Belgium, 19
percent of Germany, 26 percent of the UK, 27 percent of France and 6
percent of the USA.
 | | Foto Rien Zilvold |
Population
density The Netherlands has the highest population density in
the Western world, with 419 people per square kilometre. Population
density in Germany is 230 people per square kilometre, 242 in the UK,
108 in France, 333 in Belgium and 28 in the USA.
Parliament
Staten-Generaal, consisting of the Second Chamber (150
members, elected directly) and the First Chamber (75 members, chosen by
the provincial councils). The Second Chamber, the most important chamber
of parliament, currently has members from nine parties: social-democrats
(PvdA, 45 seats), liberals (VVD, 38 seats), Christian democrats (CDA, 29
seats), neo-liberals (D66, 14 seats), left-wing environmentalists
(GroenLinks, 11 seats), socialists (SP, 5 seats) and orthodox
Protestants (three parties, 8 seats).
 | | Foto Rien Zilvold |
Government
Over the past four years, the cabinet was made up of members
of three parties: PvdA, VVD and D66 (the purple coalition). Wim Kok
(PvdA, 59) was Prime Minister. General elections were held on 6 May
1998, and a new cabinet is currently being formed, probably by the same
parties and under the same Prime Minister as the previous government.
Economy
The Netherlands is the 11th wealthiest nation in the Western
world, with a gross domestic product of 20,905 dollars per capita. This
is just below Germany (21,200 dollars), and above France (20,533
dollars). The wealthiest country is Luxemburg, with a GDP of 32,416
dollars per capita.
Total Dutch GDP is 362.9 billion dollars, which amounts to 17 percent of
German GDP, 28 percent of British GDP, 26 percent of French GDP, and 5
percent of American GDP.
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NRC
Webpagina's
2 juli 1998
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