The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland)
is the European part
of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden),
which is formed by the Netherlands, the Netherlands
Antilles and Aruba.
The Netherlands is a constitutional
monarchy, located in northwestern Europe.
It borders the North
Sea to the north and west, Belgium to
the south, and Germany to
the east.
The Netherlands is one of the most densely
populated and geographically low-lying countries in the world and
is popularly known for its
social tolerance.
Its liberal policies
receive international attention, such as those concerning drugs, prostitution and euthanasia.
The Netherlands is the 15th most
densely populated country in the world, with 395 inhabitants per
square kilometer (1,023 sq mi)—or 484 people per square
kilometer (1,254/sq mi) if only the land area is counted, since
18.4% is water. Partly because of this it is also one of the most densely
cabled countries in the world. Internet penetration is
at 66.2% the 7th highest in the world.
According to CBS
Statline, the official statistics bureau of the Netherlands, the
ethnic origins of the citizens are very diverse. The vast majority of
the population however still remains Dutch.
They were: 80.8% Dutch,
5.6% other European (including
2.4% German),
2.4% Indonesian (Indo-European,
Indo-Dutch, Moluccan),
2.2% Turks,
2.0% Surinamese,
1.9% Moroccan,
0.8% Antillean and Aruban,
and 4.2% other. However, this does not include the whole Kingdom of the
Netherlands (i.e. the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, which have a majority Afro-Caribbean community),
and only include the population in the Netherlands itself. The Netherlands
also has a resident population of some 200,000 people of mixed Dutch
and Indonesian descent
(Indonesia being a former
colony of the Netherlands).
Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed and
well maintained
domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; cellular
telephone system is one of the largest in Europe with five major network
operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM).
- 0900 - Paid information numbers
- 0906 - Adult lines
- 0909 - Entertainment
Master Service Contract 