World Country Guide

Area
41,528 sq km (16,034 sq miles).

Population
16,254,933 (official estimate 2004).

Population Density
479.9 per sq km.

Capital
Amsterdam. Population: 735,562 (2003). Seat of Government: The Hague. Population: 463,826 (2003).

Geography
The Netherlands shares borders to the south with Belgium and to the east with Germany, while the North Sea lies to the north and west. Large areas of The Netherlands have been reclaimed from the sea and consequently one-fifth of the country lies below sea level. The country is flat and level and is criss-crossed by rivers and canals. Areas reclaimed from the sea, known as polders, are extremely fertile. The landscape is broken by the forest of Arnhem, the bulb fields in the west, the lakes of the central and northern areas, and coastal dunes that are among the most impressive in Europe.

Government
Constitutional monarchy since 1848. Head of State: Queen Beatrix Van Oranje Nassau since 1980. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende since 2002.

Language
Dutch is the official language. English, German and French are widely spoken.

Religion
31 per cent Roman Catholic, 21 per cent Protestant; 40 per cent do not profess any religion.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin European-style plugs are in use.

Communications

Telephone
Full IDD is available. Country code: 31 (followed by 20 for Amsterdam, 10 for Rotterdam and 70 for The Hague). Outgoing international code: 00. Telephone information is given in French, English and German. There is a cheaper rate from Mon-Fri 2000-0800. Calls can be made from public booths or post offices. Most booths only accept cards, which can be bought at post offices, VVV offices, and shops displaying the PTT-telephone card poster; and, sometimes, coins.

Mobile telephone
GSM 900 and 1800 networks across The Netherlands. Operators are KPN Mobile (website: www.kpn.com), Orange (website: www.orange.nl), Telfort (website: www.telfort.nl) and T-mobile (website: www.t-mobile.nl; also provides a 3G service).

Fax
Services are widely available and are also provided by some hotels.

Internet
There are many Internet cafes and some Internet access centres. Business centres also provide public access. Using the Internet is very straightforward in Amsterdam, where PCs are available free of charge in libraries and public buildings.

Telegram
Facilities are available at all main post offices; telegrams can also be sent directly from telephone kiosks.

Post
Stamps are available from all post offices as well as from tobacconists and kiosks selling postcards and souvenirs. Mail within Europe takes approximately five days. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700. Some post offices in major towns are also open on late shopping nights (Thursday or Friday night) and Sat 1000-1300. There are all-night post offices in Amsterdam (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, behind the Royal Palace) and Rotterdam (Coolsingel).

Press
The main newspapers are NRC Handelsblad (an evening paper), De Telegraaf, Trouw and De Volkskrant. Foreign newspapers are widely available.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.