The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815, but it only gained its present-day borders in 1830 when Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. Prior to 1815, the territory of the Netherlands belonged to the Low Countries, a territory that included the present-day state of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The first king of the Netherlands was Willem I. The current reigning monarch is Queen Beatrix.
The Netherlands had a key role in the creation of the European Union. It also was a founding member of the NATO.
Population
There are more than 16,400,000 people in the Netherlands. About 83% of the population is Dutch. About 9% of all immigrants are from Western countries and some 8% of the immigrants have a non-Western origin. The two official languages are Dutch and Frisian. But about 75% of the population speaks fluent English.
- Population growth rate: 0.53%
- The median age: 39 years
- Life expectancy: 78.81 years
- Religions: Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%, Muslim 5.5%, other 2.5% and atheist 41%
Useful facts
Flag: three equally-sized horizontal bands of red at the top, white and blue
Currency: euro – EUR - €
Time zone: Beijing is 7 hours ahaed of the Netherlands
Weights and measures: the metric system
