Part 595

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Prins Alexanderpolder -7 m highest point : Vaalserberg 321 m

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, fertile soil

Land use: arable land : 27% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 31% forests and woodland: 10% other: 31% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,600 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: the extensive system of dikes and dams, protects nearly one-half of the total area from being flooded

Environment - current issues: water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity

Geography - note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

@Netherlands:People

Population: 15,649,729 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 1,466,463; female 1,401,507) 15-64 years : 68% (male 5,432,512; female 5,248,823) 65 years and over: 14% (male 848,853; female 1,251,571) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.53% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 11.84 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.87 years male: 75 years female : 80.88 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun : Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch

Ethnic groups: Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)

Religions: Roman Catholic 34%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 3%, other 2%, unaffiliated 36% (1991)

Languages: Dutch

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1979 est.) male : NA% female: NA%

@Netherlands:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form : Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden local short form: Nederland

Data code: NL

Government type: constitutional monarchy