| Area Total | 41,543 sq km |
| Climate | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters |
| Natural Resources | natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, arable land |
| Imports | $China 16.4%, Germany 15.3%, Belgium 8.5%, US 6.9%, UK 5.1%, Russia 4.3% (2017) – machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing |
| Exports | Germany 24.2%, Belgium 10.7%, UK 8.8%, France 8.8%, Italy 4.2% (2017) – machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and livestock, manufactured goods |
| Government | parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Capital | Amsterdam; note – The Hague is the seat of government |
| Population | 17.2 million (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | Dutch 76.9%, EU 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.3%, Indonesian 2.1%, German 2.1%, Surinamese 2%, Polish 1%, other 4.8% (2018 est.) |
| Language | Dutch (official); Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Romani, and Yiddish |
News about the Netherlands
- Philips reclaims €186m after Supreme Court rules tariffs illegal
by Gordon Darroch (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026Health technology firm Philips has received an €186 million windfall after the United States Supreme Court ordered Donald Trump’s administration...
- Man arrested after disabled man found strangled in German hotel
by Gordon Darroch (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026A man has been arrested in Almelo in connection with the death of a Dutch tourist who was found strangled...
- Drought and low river levels threaten Rhine cruises
by Gordon Darroch (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026Low water levels are putting river cruises on the Rhine in jeopardy, with excursions being cancelled or cut short because...
- Body parts found on Texel identified as Afghan refugees
by Molly Quell (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026The police have identified the remains that washed on up a Texel beach in 2023 as two men from Afghanistan...
- Dutch government is neglecting Bonaire climate change ruling
by Molly Quell (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026The government is not taking measures to address its legal obligations to protect the former Dutch colony of Bonaire from...
- Vandals attack homes as row over asylum seekers turns violent
by Gordon Darroch (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026A bitter war has broken out in two Brabant villages over plans to accommodate 50 refugees in the area, with...
- Four Dutch tourists found after speedboat goes missing in Malawi
by Gordon Darroch (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026Four Dutch tourists who were reported missing when a speedboat failed to return from a trip on Lake Malawi have...
- Prince Bernhard cashes out of real estate to go into AI
by Molly Quell (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026Prince Bernhard has sold his entire business portfolio, including his stake in the Zandvoort motor racing circuit, and will now...
- Manhunt launched after Dutch man found strangled in German hotelby Gordon Darroch (DutchNews.nl) on July 28, 2026
German police are urgently trying to trace the travel companion of a Dutch tourist who was found strangled in a...
- Sinking foundations could trigger €54bn housing repair bill
by Gordon Darroch (DutchNews.nl) on July 27, 2026More than 400,000 buildings in the Netherlands have problems with their foundations or are likely to develop them in the...
