KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Country Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Year Founded: 26 July 1581
Population: 16.492.230
Language: Dutch
Ethnic Group: Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Netherlands Antilles & Aruba 0.8%, other 4.8%
Political System: Parliamentary Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy
Year Entered the European Union: January 30 1648
Representative of the European Union (include party): Queen Beatrix & Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA)
Type of Economy: Laissez-faire capitalist
Currency: Euro
Current Exchange rate for American Currency: 1 Euro= 1.36 Dllrs
GDP: Total: $909.465 billion
Per capita: $40.433
Percentage of Trade within the European Union: EXPORT: Germany 24.4%, Belgium 13.6%, UK 9.1%, France 8.5%, Italy 5.1%, US 4.3%
IMPORT: Germany 17.7%, China 10.5%, Belgium 9.3%, US 7.3%, UK 5.8%, Russia 5.1%, France 4.4%
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Chief Exports: Machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
Key Imports: Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
Major Religions: Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Protestant
Surrounding Countries: Belgium & Germany
Literacy Rate: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
One interesting Fact: High schools in the Netherlands have three different educational levels of difficulty and differ in length. VMBO is the lowest level of high school education that only requires four years, whereas the medium level HAVO requires five years. Upon graduation on HAVO, the student can go to what is considered an equivalent to the US community college level in The Netherlands