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THE NETHERLANDS: GENERAL INFORMATION
THE NETHERLANDS IN BRIEF
Dutch Flag
GDP approx. € 450 billion
Export approx. € 310 billion
Import approx. € 285 billion
Population approx. 16.3 million
Area approx. 15,500 sq.miles.
Economic growth
(2004/estimates 2005)		 +1.4/1,0-1,5

Interest rate (10 years benchmark capital market)

 3.5%
Inflation (Year April 2005)
 1.3%
Unemployment rate (Jan.- March 2005) 7.0%
MORE FACTS AND FIGURES
Holland MapMap of The Netherlands
Situated along the North Sea, bordering Germany in the east and Belgium in the south. 		Holland or The NetherlandHolland or The Netherlands?
Foreigners often wonder about the name of the country. Is it Holland, The Netherlands and why do they speak Dutch then?
battle against waterBattle against water
The battle against water from the North Sea and the great rivers played an important role in Dutch history and still continues nowadays. 		International orientationInternationally Orientated
A small and extremely densely populated country can't ignore what's going on in the rest of the world. The Netherlands have become a nation that relies heavily on international trade.
Stock marketsBirthplace of Share Trading
The Netherlands were the first to trade shares and bonds. 		MultinationalsSmall Country, Big Companies
For such a small country, Holland is home to a surprisingly large number of multinationals.

European CommunityEarly EC adapter
One of the founding members of the European Community, The Netherlands also became part of the Euro-zone at the start of 2002.

infrastructureInfrastructure
Dense networks for road, rail, waterways and telecommunications turn out to be a blessing for future growth.
e-commerceE-Commerce
Still of minor importance within the Dutch economy.

Dutch PoliticsPolitics
A kingdom with a stable parlementary democracy.

Dutch Tax systemBurden of Taxation
A very high level of social security does make for quite high taxes. In 2001 a new (simpler) tax system will be installed. 		Polder ModelThe "Polder model"
The model that ensured economic growth in The Netherlands at the end of the last century was mainly based on negociation.
Labor marketLabor
Also on the labor market we saw that the Polder model has influence. 		Corporate AccommodationCorporate Accommodation
Rent levels are still quite reasonable compared to other countries.
Banks and monetary trafficBanks and Monetary traffic
Several large parties dominate the Dutch banking world. 		Welcome to HollandA Welcome without restrictions
English spoken virtually anywhere, a history of international trade and relatively open borders for foreign companies will surely make you feel welcome.