Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, pronounced [ˈkoːnɪŋkrɛik dɛr ˈneːdərlɑndə(n)] ⓘ), commonly known simply as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands, who functions as head of state. The realm is not a federation; it is a unitary monarchy with its largest subdivision, the eponymous Netherlands, predominantly located in Northwestern Europe and with several smaller island territories located in the Caribbean.
Kingdom of the Netherlands | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "Je maintiendrai" (French) (English: "I will uphold") | |
| Anthem: "Wilhelmus" (Dutch) (English: "William of Nassau") | |
Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale | |
| Capital and largest city | Amsterdam 52°22′N 4°53′E |
| Government seat | The Hague |
| Official languages | Dutch |
| Official regional languages |
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| Recognised languages |
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| Demonym(s) | Dutch |
| Countries (non‑sovereign parts) | |
| Government | Devolved unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Willem-Alexander |
• Prime Minister | Mark Rutte |
• Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba | Guillfred Besaril |
• Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao | Carlson Manuel |
• Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten | Rene Violenus |
| Independence from Spain and France | |
| 26 July 1581 (declared) 30 January 1648 (recognised) | |
| 19 January 1795 | |
| 5 June 1806 | |
• Annexation by First French Empire | 1 July 1810 |
| 16 March 1815 | |
• Secession of Belgium | 4 October 1830 (declared) 19 April 1839 (recognised) |
| 15 December 1954 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 42,531 km2 (16,421 sq mi) (131st) |
• Water (%) | 18.96 |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 17,821,419 (64th) |
• Density | 532/km2 (1,377.9/sq mi) |
| Currency | 4 currencies
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| Time zone | European Netherlands: CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) (DST) Caribbean Netherlands: AST (UTC-4) DST not observed |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | 4 codes
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| ISO 3166 code | NL |
| Internet TLD | |
The four subdivisions of the Kingdom — the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten — are constituent countries (landen in Dutch; singular: land) and participate on a basis of equality as partners in the Kingdom. In practice, however, most of the Kingdom's affairs are administered by the Netherlands — which comprises roughly 98% of the Kingdom's land area and population — on behalf of the entire Kingdom. Consequently, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten are dependent on the Netherlands for matters like foreign policy and defence, but are autonomous to a certain degree, with their own parliaments.
The vast majority of land area of the constituent country of the Netherlands is in Europe, while its three special municipalities (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) are located in the Caribbean, as are the other three constituent countries. The Kingdom has a population in the Netherlands of 17,821,419 (as of January 2023), and of 29,418 (as of November 2023) in Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius.