NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (help· info), Papiamento: Reino Hulandes) is a federacy which consists of three constituent countries: the Netherlands in Western Europe, and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean. The current Kingdom of the Netherlands was constituted with the proclamation of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands on October 28, 1954. From 1830 to 1954, the "Kingdom of the Netherlands" referred to the Netherlands and its colonial possessions. Suriname was a constituent nation within the Kingdom from 1954 to 1975. Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The national flag of the Netherlands, with its three equal horizontal bands coloured red (top), white and blue is the oldest tricolour still in use today. ... The Coat of Arms of The Netherlands (click for larger image) The Coat of Arms of The Netherlands (click for larger image) The Greater Coat of Arms of the Realm, (or â€œGrote Rijkswapenâ€), is the personal Coat of Arms of the Monarch (Queen Beatrix). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... William the Silent (William I) leader and icon of the Dutch revolt Het Wilhelmus ( (helpÂ· info)) (English translation: The William, viz. ... Image File history File links Locatie_Koninkrijk1. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... The population of the Netherlands is concentrated on a limited territory. ... For other uses, see Amsterdam (disambiguation). ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orangeâ€”the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: A constitutional monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges an elected or hereditary monarch as head of state, as opposed to an absolute monarchy, where the monarch is not bound by a... The Netherlands has been an independent monarchy since 16 March 1815, and has been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since. ... Beatrix (born January 31, 1938 as Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld) has been the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since April 30, 1980. ... The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom (Dutch: Ministerraad van het Koninkrijk or Rijksministerraad) is the executive council of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is a federal state consisting of three constituent countries: Aruba, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles. ... Jan Peter Balkenende (pronounced IPA: ) (born May 7, 1956) has been the Prime Minister of the Netherlands since July 22, 2002. ... The Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba (Dutch: Gevolmachtigd Minister van Aruba) represents the constituent country of Aruba in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles (Dutch: Gevolmachtigd Minister van de Nederlandse Antillen) represents the constituent country of the Netherlands Antilles in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Liberty Leading the People by EugÃ¨ne Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 kmÂ² and 100,000 kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... The Aruban florin is the official currency of Aruba. ... The gulden is the unit of currency in the Netherlands Antilles. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries that do not observe summer time Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of the time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... The Atlantic Standard Time Zone (AST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting four hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries that do not observe summer time Central European Summer Time (CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... The Atlantic Standard Time Zone (AST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting four hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .nl is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the Netherlands. ... .aw is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Aruba. ... .an is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Netherlands Antilles. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... A telephone number in the Netherlands is a sequence of usually 10 decimal digits (0-9) that is used for identifying a destination telephone line in the Dutch telephone network. ... +599 is the country calling code used in the Netherlands Antilles. ... Papiamento or Papiamentu is the primary language spoken on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and CuraÃ§ao (the so-called ABC islands). ... Capital Leeuwarden Queens Commissioner drs. ... The West Frisian language (Frysk) is a language spoken mostly in the province of FryslÃ¢n in the north of the Netherlands. ... Low Saxon (in Low Saxon, Nedersaksisch, Neddersassisch, Plattdüütsch or Nedderdüütsch) is any of a variety of Low German dialects spoken in northern Germany and the Netherlands. ... Limburgish, or Limburgian or Limburgic (Dutch: Limburgs, German: Limburgisch, French: Limbourgeois) is a group of Franconian varieties, spoken in the Limburg and Rhineland regions, near the common Dutch / Belgian / German border. ... // The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) is a European treaty (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe. ... Coordinates: , Country Netherlands Province South Holland Area (2006) - Municipality 98. ... Oranjestad can refer to: Oranjestad, Aruba Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius Both Oranjestads are towns on small Caribbean islands owned by the Netherlands. ... Willemstad can refer to: Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao Willemstad is a town in Moerdijk This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The gulden (sometimes guilder in English), represented by the symbol Æ’ or fl. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy - Queen Beatrix - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War - Declared July 26, 1581 - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Image File history File links Nl-Koninkrijk_der_Nederlanden2. ... Papiamento or Papiamentu is the primary language spoken on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and CuraÃ§ao (the so-called ABC islands). ... A federacy is a form of government where one or several substate units enjoy considerably more independence than the majority of the substate units. ... A current understanding of Western Europe. ... West Indies redirects here. ... The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Dutch: Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; in Papiamentu: Statuut pa e Reino di Hulanda) describes the political relationship between the three different countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands: the Netherlands in Europe and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Charter specifies the competences of the Kingdom; apart from these competences the constituent countries are autonomous in their internal affairs.^[1]

The Charter is a unique document, which compares with difficulty to other types of government. It has many characteristics of a federal state, the main difference being that its members, on the federal level, are not completely equal. The Netherlands, as one of the constituent nations, actually is responsible for the federal affairs. The interests of the overseas constituent nations in matters that are governed by the Kingdom, are subordinate to those of the Netherlands in practice.^[2] A federal state is one that brings together a number of different political communities with a common government for common purposes, and separate state or provincial or cantonal governments for the particular purposes of each community. ...

History

Before the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands was proclaimed in 1954, Suriname, Netherlands New Guinea, and the Colony of Curaçao and Dependencies were mere colonies of the Netherlands. Arubas first inhabitants were the Caquetios Indians from the Arawak tribe. ... The present-day territory of the Netherlands has been inhabited since the paleolithic. ... The Netherlands Antilles were colonized by the Netherlands in the 17th century. ... The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Dutch: Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; in Papiamentu: Statuut pa e Reino di Hulanda) describes the political relationship between the three different countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands: the Netherlands in Europe and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba... Dutch New Guinea was a common name of western New Guinea while it was a colonial possession of the Netherlands. ... Motto Libertate unanimus (Latin: Unified by freedom) Anthem Anthem without a title Capital (and largest city) Willemstad Official languages Dutch, English, Papiamento Government - Monarch Beatrix - Governor Frits Goedgedrag - Prime minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage constitutional monarchy part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Area - Total 960 kmÂ² (184th) 371 sq...

The origin of the administrative reform of 1954 was the famous December 7, 1942 radio speech by Queen Wilhelmina. In this speech the Queen, on behalf of the Dutch government in exile in London, expressed a desire to review the relations between the Netherlands and its colonies after the end of the war. After the liberation, the government would be calling a conference to agree on a settlement in which the overseas territories could participate in the administration of the Kingdom on the basis of equality. Initially, this speech had propaganda purposes; the Dutch government had Indonesia in mind, and was hoping to appease public opinion in the US, sceptical towards colonialism.^[2] is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Queen Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Orange-Nassau (August 31, 1880 - November 28, 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948 and Queen Mother (with the title of Princess) from 1948 to 1962. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... It has been suggested that Benign colonialism be merged into this article or section. ...

In 1950 interim provisions on universal suffrage, administrative bodies and ministerial responsibility were introduced in Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. During a so-called Round Table Conference negotiations took place about the administrative organisation of the Realm. To all participants, the mutual "unity" of the territories was of utmost importance. With a possible inclusion of Indonesia into a new-style Kingdom in mind, a federal structure was designed initially. Above the institutions of the constituent nations, a Kingdom Government (Rijksregering) and Kingdom Parliament (Rijksparlement) would be placed. Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, intelligence, or economic or social status. ... In the Westminster System ministerial responsibility is the notion that a cabinet minister bears the ultimate responsibility for the actions of their ministry. ...

As the population and the economies of Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles were rather insignificant next to those of the Netherlands, the Dutch government considered this construction to be too heavy. So, the Dutch cabinet did not approve of this kingdom constitution design when it was proposed in October 1948. In a subsequent design, which dropped the term constitution for Charter, Dutch institutions were taken as a starting point for the Kingdom Government, to which representatives of the overseas territories could be added if necessary.

In the final version of the Charter, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles each got a Minister Plenipotentiary based in the Netherlands, who had the right to participate in Dutch cabinet meetings when it discussed matters that applied to the Kingdom as a whole, making this Dutch institution a Kingdom Government in appropriate cases. Delegacies of the States of Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles could participate in sessions of the First and Second Chamber of the States-General. An overseas member could be added to the High Council when appropriate, and the government would seek the approval of the States of the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname if legislation affected those nations. According to the Charter, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles were also allowed to alter their constitutions (Staatsregeling). A term expressly not used in the Charter was the term right of self-determination. The right of any of the three nations to leave the political union unilaterally was not recognised; yet it was stipulated the Charter could be dissolved by mutual consultation.^[2] ... The term state may refer to: a sovereign political entity, see state unitary state nation state a non-sovereign political entity, see state (non-sovereign). ... The word States-General, or Estates-General, refers in English to : the Etats-Généraux of France before the French Revolution the Staten-Generaal of the Netherlands. ... In Science Fiction, the High Council is the ruling body of a government or other organization. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

In 1955, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard visited Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. The visit was a great succes. The royal couple was enthusiastically welcomed by the local population and the trip was widely reported in the Dutch press. Several other royal visits were to follow. ^[3] Juliana Queen of the Netherlands Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (Juliana Emma Louise Wilhelmina van Oranje-Nassau) (April 30, 1909 â€“ March 20, 2004), Princess of Orange-Nassau, Duchess of Mecklenburg, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, was Queen of the Netherlands from her mothers abdication in 1948 to her own abdication... Prince Bernhard as Royal Consort Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (June 29, 1911 â€“ December 1, 2004) was Prince Consort to the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and father of the current monarch, Queen Beatrix. ...

Politicians of the nations visited each other as well. Until the end of the sixties, within Dutch politics a feeling of great satisfaction with the political relations prevailed. Only the Communist Party of the Netherlands denounced the Charter as a colonialist construction. All other Dutch politicians expressed in warm, but also quite romantic and vague words their appreciation of the Charter and the continuing links with Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. Until 1969, 'kingdom relations' rarely were subject of public debate in the Netherlands.^[4] The Communist party of the Netherlands (CPN, in Dutch Communistische Partij Nederland) was a communist party of the Netherlands. ...

The Dutch government officially did not pursue a cultural policy with regard to the overseas nations of the Kingdom, but it did have close ties with a foundation, Sticusa, that had as its aim to strengthen cultural ties between the constituent nations and further common understanding amongst its populations.^[4]

In 1969 an unorganised strike on the Antillian island of Curaçao resulted in serious disturbances and looting, during which a part of the historic city center of Willemstad was destroyed by fire. Order was restored by Dutch marines. The same year in Suriname saw serious political instability with the Surinamese prime minister, Jopie Pengel, threatening to request 'federal' (i.e. Dutch) military support to break a teacher strike. These incidents shattered the image Dutch politicians cherished of the overseas nations as peaceful and harmonious societies. Dutch decision makers became fearful of the possibility of the Netherlands becoming engaged in internal of external armed conflicts of the Netherlands Antilles or Suriname.^[4] Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... For other uses, see CuraÃ§ao (disambiguation). ... Willemstad can refer to: Willemstad is the capital of Curaçao Willemstad is a town in Moerdijk This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Korps Mariniers is the marine corps of the Netherlands, and is part of the Royal Netherlands Navy. ...

In 1973 a new Dutch cabinet under Labour leader Joop den Uyl assumed power. In the government policy statement the cabinet declared a wish to determine a date for the independence of Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles with the government of those nations. The cabinet was of a clear leftist signature; the events of 1969 were fresh in public memory and the Netherlands considered themself as a progressive 'guiding country'. These elements combined caused an extremely assertive stand of the government in making the overseas kingdom nations independent. The Antillean government was non-committant; the same held for the Surinamese Sedney-cabinet (1969-1973). The Suriname 1973 elections brought the National Party Combination (Nationale Partij Kombinatie) to power, with Henck Arron as its prime minister. The new government declared on its instatement that Suriname would be independent before 1976. This was remarkable, as independence had not been an issue during the election campaign. The Den Uyl-government in The Hague now had a willing partner in Paramaribo to realise its plans for Surinamese independence. Despite of vehement and emotional resistance by the Surinamese opposition, Den Uyl and Arron reached an agreement. On November 25, 1975 Suriname became independent.^[4] Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dr. Johannes Marten Joop den Uyl (August 9, 1919 - December 24, 1987) was a Dutch politician, prime minister of the Netherlands from 1973 until 1977, as a member of the socialist PvdA party. ... A government policy statement is a declaration of a governments political activities, plans and intentions relating to a concrete cause or, at the assumption of office, an entire legislative session. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Henck Alphonsus EugÃ¨ne Arron (b. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Coordinates: , Country Netherlands Province South Holland Area (2006) - Municipality 98. ... Paramaribo (nicknamed Parbo) is the capital of Suriname, located in the Paramaribo district, with a population of roughly 250,000 people. ...

The distinction between the Netherlands and "the Kingdom"

Outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands, "Netherlands" is used as the conventional short form to describe the Kingdom of the Netherlands. International treaties, for instance, frequently shorten the Kingdom of the Netherlands to "Netherlands". In Dutch common practice, however, the Kingdom of the Netherlands is shortened to "Kingdom" and not to "Netherlands", as that may confuse the Kingdom with the constituent country.^[5] The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands also shortens the Kingdom of the Netherlands to "Kingdom" rather than "Netherlands".^[6] It has been suggested that Protocol (treaty) be merged into this article or section. ...

Apart from the fact that referring to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as "the Netherlands" can be confusing, the term "Kingdom" is also used to suppress any feelings of discomfort associated with the term "Netherlands". Using the term Netherlands for the Kingdom may imply that Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles are not equal to the constituent country in Europe, and have no say in affairs pertaining to the Kingdom, but rather are subordinate to the Netherlands. Though their influence in Kingdom affairs is limited, it is most certainly existent. Using the term Netherlands for the Kingdom is perceived as failing to recognise that influence.^{[citation needed]}

Talking about the negotiation tactics of then Minister for Kingdom Affairs Alexander Pechtold, ChristenUnie leader and current Vice-Prime Minister of the Netherlands André Rouvoet illustrated the sensitivity in this matter by remarking in the Tweede Kamer that "[...] the old reproof that constantly characterised the relationship between the Netherlands and the Antilles immediately surfaced again. The Netherlands identifies the Kingdom with the Netherlands and dictates. The Netherlands Antilles can either give in or be ruled upon."^[7] In addition, the "Werkgroep Bestuurlijke en Financiële Verhoudingen Nederlandse Antillen"—the commission that explored the current constitutional reform of the Kingdom—recommended that the "identification of the Netherlands with the Kingdom needs to be eliminated".^[8] The Council of State of the Kingdom joins the commission in this by remarking that the Kingdom of the Netherlands has no telephone number, no budget and that the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom usually meets very briefly with a summary agenda.^[9] To counter this habit, the Council of State has suggested that with the pending constitutional reform in the Kingdom, a Secretariat for the Kingdom will be instituted that prepares the agenda for the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom and guards the enforcement of decisions of the Council. Alexander Pechtold (born December 16, 1965) was elected president of the Dutch social liberal party Democrats 66 in 2002. ... The ChristenUnie (Christians Union) is a relatively young political party in the Netherlands. ... AndrÃ© Rouvoet is the political leader of the ChristenUnie, a Dutch political party. ... The Tweede Kamer (second chamber) is the lower house of the Staten-Generaal, the parliament in the Netherlands. ... The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom (Dutch: Ministerraad van het Koninkrijk or Rijksministerraad) is the executive council of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is a federal state consisting of three constituent countries: Aruba, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles. ...

Confusingly, the constitution of the Netherlands is still called the Constitution for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as it originates from before 1954. The present constitution of the Netherlands dates back to 1815. ...

Statistics

Source Aruba: Central Bureau of Statistics
Source Netherlands: Central Bureau of Statistics
Source Netherlands Antilles: Central Bureau of Statistics - population and area Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Aruba. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands_Antilles. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bonaire. ... Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento Capital (and largest city) Kralendijk Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Bonaire Administrator - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 288 kmÂ² 111 sq mi Population - 2001 census 10,791 - Density... Image File history File links Flag_of_CuraÃ§ao. ... For other uses, see CuraÃ§ao (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saba. ... Motto Remis Velisque (Latin) With oars and sails (English) Anthem Saba you rise from the ocean Capital The Bottom Largest city The Bottom Official languages Dutch, Papiamento and English (unofficial) Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Saba Administrator A.J.M. Solagnier - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sint_Eustatius. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sint_Maarten. ... Motto Semper pro grediens (Latin) Anthem O sweet Saint-Martins Land Capital (and largest city) Philipsburg Official languages Dutch, English Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Administrator Franklyn Richards constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles, separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands as from December 15...

Geography

The Kingdom of the Netherlands covers 42,519 square kilometres, making it the 134th largest country on earth. The Kingdom of the Netherlands has land borders with Belgium, Germany (both in the Netherlands), and France (on Sint Maarten). This article describes the geography of Aruba. ... Geography of the Netherlands The Netherlands is one of the most geographically unique countries on Earth. ... The Netherlands Antilles are in the Caribbean Sea. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... List of Land Borders International borders Country/Region Total Borders Neighbours and Borders Afghanistan 5,529 km China: 76 km Iran: 936 km Pakistan: 2,430 km Tajikistan: 1,206 km Turkmenistan: 744 km Uzbekistan: 137 km Akrotiri N/A N/A Albania 720 km Greece: 282 km The Former...

Aruba is a generally flat, riverless island renowned for its white, sandy beaches. Most of these are located on the western and southern coasts of the island, which are relatively sheltered from fierce ocean currents. The northern and eastern coasts, lacking this protection, are considerably more battered by the sea and have been left largely untouched by humans. The interior of the island features some rolling hills, the better two of which are called Hooiberg at 165 metres (541 ft) and Mount Jamanota, which is the highest on the island, at 188 metres (617 ft) above sea level. Hooiberg is a 165 m high (541 ft) volcanic formation on the island of Aruba. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ... Mount Jamanota (188 m. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ...

Most of the Netherlands lies below sea level, and much land was reclaimed from the sea. Dikes were erected to protect the land from flooding. Currently the highest point of the Netherlands is the Vaalserberg in Limburg at only 322.7 metres (1,053 ft), but with the pending constitutional reform this is going to change as Saba will become part of the Netherlands as a special municipality, and its Mount Scenery (877 metres (2,877 ft)) will take the place of the Vaalserberg. For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... Dyke (normal International spelling) or Dike (normal American spelling) can mean several things: A dyke / dike is a long wall built to keep out the sea or enclose land. ... The highest point in the Netherlands The Vaalserberg (Mount Vaals) is a mountain of 322. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Motto Remis Velisque (Latin) With oars and sails (English) Anthem Saba you rise from the ocean Capital The Bottom Largest city The Bottom Official languages Dutch, Papiamento and English (unofficial) Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Saba Administrator A.J.M. Solagnier - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional... Mount Scenery is a lava dome which forms the summit of the Saba island stratovolcano. ...

The Netherlands Antilles consist of two zones with different geograhic orgins. The Windward Islands (Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten) are all of volcanic origin and hilly, leaving little ground suitable for agriculture. The Leeward Islands (Bonaire and Curaçao) have a mixed volcanic and coral origin. The said Mount Scenery is currently the highest point of the Netherlands Antilles. The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles. ... The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles. ... Mount Scenery is a lava dome which forms the summit of the Saba island stratovolcano. ...

Both Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles have a tropical climate, with warm weather all year round. The Windward Islands are subject to hurricanes in the summer months. The Netherlands has a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... World map showing the oceanic climate zones. ...

Constituent countries

The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently consists of three constituent countries: Image File history File links Size of this preview: 623 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,180 Ã— 1,135 pixels, file size: 400 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 623 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (1,180 Ã— 1,135 pixels, file size: 400 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping, concerning these countries; thus the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has used the phrase in reference to the parts of former Yugoslavia...

Aruba

Aruba is a centralised unitary state. Its administration consists of the Governor, who represents the Queen, and the (Aruban) Council of Ministers, headed by a Prime Minister. The people are represented in the Estates of Aruba. The current Governor of Aruba is Fredis Refunjol, and the current Prime Minister is Nelson O. Oduber. It has the Aruban florin as its currency. A map showing the unitary states. ... The Governor of Aruba is the representative on Aruba of the Dutch head of state (Queen Beatrix). ... The Prime Minister of Aruba is Arubas head of government. ... The Estates (Staten) is the legislature or parliament of Aruba. ... Fredis Refunjol (born 1950) is the current governor of Aruba. ... Nelson Orlando Oduber (born 1947) is the prime minister of Aruba. ... The Aruban florin is the official currency of Aruba. ...

The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a decentralized unitary state. Its administration consists of the Monarch and the Council of Ministers, which is headed by a Prime Minister. The people are represented by the States-General of the Netherlands, which consists of a Chamber of Representatives and a Chamber of Senators. The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces: Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland and Zuid-Holland. The provinces are divided into municipalities. The current Prime Minister of the Netherlands is Jan Peter Balkenende. It has the euro as its currency. A map showing the unitary states. ... The prime minister of the Netherlands is the head of the cabinet, and, as such, coordinates the policy of the government. ... The States-General (Staten-Generaal) is the parliament of the Netherlands. ... The Tweede Kamer (second chamber) is the lower house of the Staten-Generaal, the parliament in the Netherlands. ... The Eerste Kamer (literally First Chamber in Dutch) is the Upper House or Senate of the Netherlands parliament, the States-General. ... For the Dutch footballer, see Royston Drenthe. ... Flevoland is a province of the Netherlands. ... Capital Leeuwarden Queens Commissioner drs. ... Capital Arnhem Queens Commissioner Clemens Cornielje Religion (1999) Protestant 31% Catholic 29% Area â€¢ Land â€¢ Water 4,975 kmÂ² (1st) 161 kmÂ² Population (2005) â€¢ Total â€¢ Density 1,970,865 (4th) 393/kmÂ² (6th) Inclusion {{{inclusion}}} Anthem Ons Gelderland ISO NL-GE Official website www. ... Capital Groningen Queens Commissioner J.G.M. (Hans) Alders Religion (1999) Protestant 29% Catholic 7% Area â€¢ Land â€¢ Water 2,336 kmÂ² (8th) 623 kmÂ² Population (2006) â€¢ Total â€¢ Density 574,042 (9th) 246/kmÂ² (9th) Anthem Grunnens Laid ISO NL-GR Official website www. ... Capital Maastricht Queens Commissioner L.J.P.M. (Leon) Frissen Religion (1999) Roman Catholic 80% Protestant 3% Area â€¢ Land â€¢ Water 2,153 kmÂ² (9th) 56 kmÂ² Population (2006) â€¢ Total â€¢ Density 1,131,938 (6th) 526/kmÂ² (4th) Inclusion 1839 Anthem In t Bronsgroen Eikenhout ISO NL-LI Official website... North Brabant (Dutch: Noord-Brabant) is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River (Maas) in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west. ... North Holland: (Dutch: Noord-Holland) is a province of the Netherlands, located in the northwest part of the country. ... Flag of Overijssel Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. ... Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands, and is located in the center of the country. ... Capital Middelburg Largest city Terneuzen Queens Commissioner Karla Peijs Religion (1999) Protestant 35% Catholic 23% Area â€¢ Land â€¢ Water 1,788 kmÂ² (10th) 1,146 kmÂ² Population (2006) â€¢ Total â€¢ Density 380,186 (11th) 213/kmÂ² (10th) Anthem Zeeuws volkslied ISO NL-ZE Official website www. ... This article is about the province of the Netherlands. ... Jan Peter Balkenende (pronounced IPA: ) (born May 7, 1956) has been the Prime Minister of the Netherlands since July 22, 2002. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

The Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles is a decentralized unitary state, with federal characteristics. Its administration consists of the Governor, who represents the Queen, and the (Netherlands Antillean) Council of Ministers, headed by a Prime Minister. The people are represented by the Estates of the Netherlands Antilles. The Netherlands Antilles is composed of five insular territories: Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten. The current Governor of the Netherlands Antilles is Frits Goedgedrag, and the current Prime Minister is Emily de Jongh-Elhage. It has the Netherlands Antillean gulden as its currency. A map showing the unitary states. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... List of Prime Ministers of the Netherlands Antilles: EfraÃ¯n Jonckheer (1954â€“1968, DP) Ciro Domenico Kroon (1968â€“1969, PNP) Gerald C. Sprockel (1969) Ernesto O. Petronia (1969â€“1971, DP) Ramez Jorge Isa (1971, DP) Otto R.A. Beaujon (1971â€“1973, PNP) Juan Miguel Gregorio Evertsz (1973â€“1977, PNP) Lucinda... The Estates (Staten) have 22 members, elected for a four year term in three multi-seat constuencies and 2 single-seat constuencies. ... Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento Capital (and largest city) Kralendijk Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Bonaire Administrator - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 288 kmÂ² 111 sq mi Population - 2001 census 10,791 - Density... For other uses, see CuraÃ§ao (disambiguation). ... Motto Remis Velisque (Latin) With oars and sails (English) Anthem Saba you rise from the ocean Capital The Bottom Largest city The Bottom Official languages Dutch, Papiamento and English (unofficial) Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Saba Administrator A.J.M. Solagnier - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. ... Motto Semper pro grediens (Latin) Anthem O sweet Saint-Martins Land Capital (and largest city) Philipsburg Official languages Dutch, English Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Administrator Franklyn Richards constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles, separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands as from December 15... Frits Martinus de los Santos Goedgedrag (born 1 November 1951 in Aruba) is the current Governor of the Netherlands Antilles. ... Emily SaÃ¯dy de Jongh-Elhage (born December 7, 1946) has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles since 26 March 2006. ... The gulden is the unit of currency in the Netherlands Antilles. ...

Constitution

The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands functions as the constitution of the Kingdom, and is as such applicable in every part of the Kingdom. It specifies the competences of the Kingdom and defines its institutions. For some specific parts, the Charter refers to some articles of the Constitution of the Netherlands. Each of the three constituent countries within the Kingdom have their own constitution: the Constitution of the Netherlands, the Constitution of the Netherlands Antilles, and the Constitution of Aruba. The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Dutch: Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; in Papiamentu: Statuut pa e Reino di Hulanda) describes the political relationship between the three different countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands: the Netherlands in Europe and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba... The present constitution of the Netherlands dates back to 1815. ... The present constitution of the Netherlands dates back to 1815. ... The Constitution of the Netherlands Antilles (1954) is a codified document (constitution) describing the foundation of the government of the Netherlands Antilles - it is known as a staatsregeling, as is the Constitution of Aruba. ... Arubas Constitution Day: Arubas State Constition was unanimously approved by all political parties represented in Arubas Parliament on August 9, 1985, and was proclaimed in the Afkondigingsblad van Aruba, No. ...

Government

The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Dutch: Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; in Papiamentu: Statuut pa e Reino di Hulanda) describes the political relationship between the three different countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands: the Netherlands in Europe and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba... The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom (Dutch: Ministerraad van het Koninkrijk or Rijksministerraad) is the executive council of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is a federal state consisting of three constituent countries: Aruba, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles. ... The Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba (Dutch: Gevolmachtigd Minister van Aruba) represents the constituent country of Aruba in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles (Dutch: Gevolmachtigd Minister van de Nederlandse Antillen) represents the constituent country of the Netherlands Antilles in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The Netherlands has been an independent monarchy since 16 March 1815, and has been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since. ... Beatrix (born January 31, 1938 as Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld) has been the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since April 30, 1980. ... The cabinet of the Netherlands or council of ministers plans and implements government policy. ... This is a list of cabinets of the Netherlands Note: first party mentioned provided prime minister. ... The fourth Balkenende cabinet or Balkenende IV is the current Dutch coalition cabinet. ... The Dutch Council of Ministers is the executive council of Dutch government, formed by all the ministers. ... The prime minister of the Netherlands is the head of the cabinet, and, as such, coordinates the policy of the government. ... 3 November 1877: Jan Kappeyne van de Coppello (liberal) 19 August 1879: Theo graaf van Lynden van Sandenburg (conservative-protestant) 22 April 1883: Jan Heemskerk Abrahamzoon (conservative) 20 April 1888: Aeneas baron Mackay (ARP) 21 August 1891: Gijsbert van Tienhoven (liberal) 8 May 1894: Joan RÃ¶ell (old liberal) 26... Jan Peter Balkenende (pronounced IPA: ) (born May 7, 1956) has been the Prime Minister of the Netherlands since July 22, 2002. ... The Estates-General (Staten-Generaal) is the parliament of the Netherlands. ... The Eerste Kamer (literally First Chamber in Dutch) is the Upper House or Senate of the Netherlands parliament, the States-General. ... The Historic composition of the Eerste Kamer gives an overview of the composition of the Higher House of the Dutch parliament. ... The Tweede Kamer (second chamber) is the lower house of the Staten-Generaal, the parliament in the Netherlands. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Template:List of cabinets of the Netherlands. ... This article lists political parties in the Netherlands. ... Elections in the Netherlands gives information on election and election results in the Netherlands. ... Dutch Tweede Kamer seats as of 2006 The 2006 Dutch general elections were held in the Netherlands on Wednesday, November 22, 2006, and followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet. ... In the Netherlands, the Council of State is a constitutionally established advisory body to the government which consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic, or military experience. ... Hoge Raad der Nederlanden is the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, situated in The Hague. ... The modern day Netherlands are divided into twelve provinces (provincies in Dutch), listed below with their capital city: Map of the Netherlands, with provinces and capital cities See also the ranked list of Dutch provinces // Structure A Dutch province represents the administrative layer in between the national government and the... All provinces of the Netherlands are divided into municipalities (gemeenten), together 458 (2006); among these we can distinguish: those comprising one main city, town or village with the same name as the municipality, and possibly some additional villages; for example Utrecht, comprising the city Utrecht and the villages De Meern... The European Union or EU is a supranational and international organization of 27 member states. ... The foreign policy of the Netherlands is based on four basic commitments: to the atlantic cooperation, to European integration, to international development and to international law. ... There are several terms used in Dutch politics which are not easily translated into English. ... This article gives an overview of liberalism in the Netherlands. ... This article gives an overview of socialism in the Netherlands, including communism and social democracy. ... This article gives an overview of christian democracy in the Netherlands, which is also called confessional politics, including political catholicism and Protestantism. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ...

Affairs

Article 3 of the Charter specifies that "without prejudice to provisions elsewhere in the Charter, Kingdom affairs shall include":^[6]

Paragraph 2 of Article 3 specifies that "other matters may be declared to be Kingdom affairs in consultation".^[6]

Administration

The King or Queen and the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom together form the administration of the kingdom. The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom consists of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands complemented by one Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba and one Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles. The Dutch Prime Minister chairs the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom.^[1] The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom (Dutch: Ministerraad van het Koninkrijk or Rijksministerraad) is the executive council of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is a federal state consisting of three constituent countries: Aruba, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles. ... The Dutch Council of Ministers is the executive council of Dutch government, formed by all the ministers. ... The Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba (Dutch: Gevolmachtigd Minister van Aruba) represents the constituent country of Aruba in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles (Dutch: Gevolmachtigd Minister van de Nederlandse Antillen) represents the constituent country of the Netherlands Antilles in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The prime minister of the Netherlands is the head of the cabinet, and, as such, coordinates the policy of the government. ...

Laws applicable to the whole Kingdom are known as Kingdom Acts. An example of such a law is the "Kingdom Act regarding Dutch citizenship" (Dutch: Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap).

The King or Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is the head of state of the Kingdom. Because the Dutch King or Queen resides in the Netherlands, two governors are appointed to represent him or her in both Island governments. For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ...

Legislature

The legislature of the Kingdom consists of the States-General of the Netherlands and the administration of the Kingdom together. Articles 14, 16 and 17 of the Charter give some participation to the parliaments of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. The States-General (Staten-Generaal) is the parliament of the Netherlands. ...

Judiciary

The Hoge Raad der Nederlanden, which is the supreme court of the Netherlands, also functions as the supreme court of the Kingdom. Hoge Raad der Nederlanden is the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, situated in The Hague. ... The supreme court functions as a court of last resort whose rulings cannot be challenged, in some countries, provinces and states. ...

According to Article 39 of the Charter, "civil and commercial law, the law of civil procedure, criminal law, the law of criminal procedure, copyright, industrial property, the office of notary, and provisions concerning weights and measures shall be regulated as far as possible in a similar manner in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba". The Article further stipulates that when a drastic amendment of the existing legislation in regard to these matters is proposed, the proposal shall not be submitted to or considered by a representative assembly until the Governments in the other countries have had the opportunity to express their views on the matter.^[6] Civil law has at least three meanings. ... Commercial law (sometimes known as business law) is the body of law which governs business and commerce. ... The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential for unique and often severe impositions as punishment for failure to comply. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... 16th century painting of a civil law notary, by Flemish painter Quentin Massys Civil law notaries are trained jurists who often receive the same training as advocating jurists â€” those with a legal education who become litigators such as barristers in England and Wales and Northern Ireland or avocats in France...

Council of State of the Kingdom

Article 13 of the Charter specifies that there is a Council of State of the Kingdom. It resembles the Dutch Council of State in its composition, but the Charter implies that at the request of the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba, one member from the Antilles and one from Aruba can be included in the Council of State.^[6] Both the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba are currently exercising this right.^[1] In the Netherlands, the Council of State is a constitutionally established advisory body to the government which consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic, or military experience. ...

International treaties and agreements

As the Kingdom is the internationally recognised sovereign state, only the Kingdom negotiates and concludes international treaties and agreements. Article 24 of the Charter specifies that when an international treaty or agreement affects the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba, the treaty or agreement concerned shall be submitted to the representative assemblies of the Netherlands Antilles or of Aruba. The article further specifies that when such a treaty or agreement is submitted for the tacit approval of the States-General of the Netherlands, the Ministers Plenipotentiary may communicate their wish that the treaty or agreement concerned shall be subject to the express approval of the States-General.^[6] This article discusses states as sovereign political entities. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The States-General (Staten-Generaal) is the parliament of the Netherlands. ...

Article 25 gives the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba the opportunity to opt-out from an international treaty or agreement.^[6] The treaty or agreement concerned then has to specify that the treaty or agreement does not apply to the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba.

Article 26 specifies that when the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba communicate their wish for the conclusion of an international economic or financial agreement that applies solely to the Country concerned, the Government of the Kingdom shall assist in the conclusion of such an agreement, unless this would be inconsistent with the Country's ties with the Kingdom.^[6]

Article 27 specifies the involvement of the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba in the preparations for a treaty or agreement that affects them and Article 28 specifies that the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba may, if they so desire, accede to membership of international organisations.^[6]

Relationship with the European Union

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a member state of the European Union. However, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba are not considered part of the EU, but rather have the status of overseas countries and territories (OCT). Since citizenship is a Kingdom affair, and is thus not distinguished for the three countries, citizens from all three countries are also citizens of the European Union. Map of European Union in the world European Union Outermost regions Overseas countries and territories Map of EU member states and candidate countries, with an inset showing the 7 outermost regions As of 2007 the European Union has 27 member states, most of which participate in all EU policy areas... Citizenship of the Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992. ...

Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles and subsequent constitutional reform

A joint commission has proposed major reforms for the Netherlands Antilles. On October 11, 2006 and November 2, 2006, agreements were signed between the Dutch government and the governments of each island that would put into effect the commission's findings by December 15, 2008.^[10] Under these reforms, both Curaçao and Sint Maarten will form new constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, thereby dissolving the current Netherlands Antilles.^[11] is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see CuraÃ§ao (disambiguation). ... Motto Semper pro grediens (Latin) Anthem O sweet Saint-Martins Land Capital (and largest city) Philipsburg Official languages Dutch, English Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Administrator Franklyn Richards constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles, separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands as from December 15...

Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius will become directly part of the Netherlands as a special municipality of the Netherlands, that is to be constituted as a "public body" (Dutch: "openbaar lichaam") under the Constitution of the Netherlands. These municipalities will resemble ordinary Dutch municipalities in most ways (they will have a mayor, aldermen and a municipal council for example), and will have to introduce most law of the Netherlands. As a transitional measure, only Dutch law that is considered to be necessary to function within the legal system of the Netherlands is introduced, and most current laws of the Netherlands Antilles will still be in force on the three islands when they join the Netherlands on December 15, 2008. After that date, Dutch legislation will slowly take the place of the current laws of the Netherlands Antilles on those three islands. There are, however, some derogations for these islands, due to their distance. Social security, for example, will not be on the same level as it is in the Netherlands and the islands are not obliged to introduce the euro.^[12]^[13] Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento Capital (and largest city) Kralendijk Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Bonaire Administrator - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 288 kmÂ² 111 sq mi Population - 2001 census 10,791 - Density... Motto Remis Velisque (Latin) With oars and sails (English) Anthem Saba you rise from the ocean Capital The Bottom Largest city The Bottom Official languages Dutch, Papiamento and English (unofficial) Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Saba Administrator A.J.M. Solagnier - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. ... All provinces of the Netherlands are divided into municipalities (gemeenten), together 458 (2006); among these we can distinguish: those comprising one main city, town or village with the same name as the municipality, and possibly some additional villages; for example Utrecht, comprising the city Utrecht and the villages De Meern... The Netherlands is a civil law country. ... Social security primarily refers to social welfare service concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...

Additionally, the Kingdom government would consist of the government of the Netherlands and one Ministers Plenipotentiary per Caribbean country. The special municipalities would be represented in the Kingdom Government by the Netherlands, as they can vote for the Dutch parliament. As the current Dutch voting law specifies that the First Chamber is to be chosen by the provinces, and the three islands currently are not to be included in a province, it is as yet unsure how they are to elect members in the First Chamber. The Dutch government has, however, guaranteed that the people on the islands will be able to elect members of the First Chamber, and is considering options for this.^[12]^[13] The Estates-General (Staten-Generaal) is the parliament of the Netherlands. ... The Eerste Kamer (literally First Chamber in Dutch) is the Upper House or Senate of the Netherlands parliament, the States-General. ...

For Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius, the Netherlands has proposed that a study be conducted on acquiring the status of Outermost Region (OMR), also called Ultra Peripheral Region (UPR). The study would also look into how the islands would fare under UPR status.^[12] Two parts of the Treaty of Rome deal with special relationships: Article 299 which sets out the territories to which the treaty applies, supplemented by the accession treaties; and Articles 182-188 and Annex II on association with the non-European countries and territories which have special relations with the...

Transport

Transportation in the Netherlands // Railway tracks in the Netherlands (2001) The Netherlands has an extensive and much-used railway network, connecting virtually all cities and many towns with each other. ... Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992 est. ... There are a number of ways to get around in Aruba. ...

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles: Political relations within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
^ ^a ^b ^c Peter Meel, Tussen autonomie en onafhankelijkheid. Nederlands-Surinaamse betrekkingen 1954-1961 (Between Autonomy and Independance. Dutch-Surinamese Relations 1954-1961; Leiden: KITLV 1999).
^ Gert Oostindie, De parels en de kroon. Het koningshuis en de koloniën (The Pearls and the Crown. The Royal House and the Colonies; Amsterdam: de Bezige Bij 2006).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gert Oostindie and Inge Klinkers, Knellende Koninkrijksbanden. Het Nederlandse dekolonisatiebeleid in de Caraïben, 1940-2000, II, 1954-1975 (Stringent Kingdom Ties. The Dutch De-colonisation Policy in the Carribean; Amsterdam: University Press 2001).
^ Examples of this practice can be found in all government documents and in nearly all press reports on Kingdom affairs, and in institutions that are related to the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Raad van Ministers van het Koninkrijk ("Council of Ministers of the Kingdom"), Ministerie van Binnenlanse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties ("Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Affairs"), the Koninkrijksspelen ("Kingdom Games", the Dutch equivalent of the Commonwealth Games), etc.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands
^ André Rouvoet (2005-10-12). Bijdrage debat Begroting Koninkrijksrelaties 2006 (Dutch). ChristenUnie.nl. Retrieved on 2007-10-21. “Hoewel minister De Grave er wat ons betreft meer vaart achter had mogen zetten, had hij onmiskenbaar de goede richting te pakken én, dat is in Koninkrijkszaken cruciaal, de goe-de toon. Zijn opvolger, minister Pechtold, bleek die broodnodige prudentie te ontberen met als dieptepunt zijn brief van 24 augustus waarin hij staatkundige veranderingen afhankelijk maakte van financiële verbeteringen. Het oude verwijt dat steeds de relatie tussen Nederland en de Antillen heeft gekenmerkt, speelde onmiddellijk weer op. Nederland vereenzelvigt het Koninkrijk met Nederland en dicteert. De Nederlandse Antillen moeten slikken of stikken. Gevolg: ergernis in de West, verstoorde verhoudingen en verlies van momentum; geen frisse wind, maar meer een storm in de Caribische porseleinkast. Het zal allemaal wel te maken hebben met de behoefte van deze minister om te zeggen wat hij denkt en heilige huisjes niet te sparen, maar echt behulpzaam voor de verhoudingen in het Koninkrijk is het niet.”
^ Werkgroep Bestuurlijke en Financiële Verhoudingen Nederlandse Antillen (2004-10-08). Nu kan het... nu moet het! Advies Werkgroep Bestuurlijke en Financiële Verhoudingen Nederlandse Antillen (PDF) (Dutch) 37-38. Retrieved on 2007-10-21. “Aanbevelingen Koninkrijk “Nieuwe Stijl”: [...] 7. De vereenzelviging van Nederland met het Koninkrijk wordt doorbroken.”
^ Raad van State van het Koninkrijk (2006-09-18). Voorlichting overeenkomstig artikel 18, tweede lid, van de Wet op de Raad van State inzake de hervorming van de staatkundige verhoudingen van de Antilliaanse eilanden binnen het Koninkrijk (PDF) (Dutch) 34-35. Retrieved on 2007-10-21. “Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden heeft geen adres of telefoonnummer en al evenmin een eigen budget. Als het Koninkrijk wordt gebeld, krijgt men Nederland aan de lijn. De relaties binnen het Koninkrijk zijn vooral een dynamisch onderhandelingsproces. Een democratisch gelegitimeerd centrum ontbreekt. Het duidelijkst geldt dit voor de rijksministerraad, die gewoonlijk slechts zeer kortstondig beraadslaagt, met een zeer summiere agenda en met weinig discussie over de koers van het Koninkrijk als geheel. Voor de voorbereiding is de raad vrijwel geheel afhankelijk van (voorbereidend) overleg tussen vertegenwoordigers van de drie landsregeringen.”
^ Staff reporter. "Agreement on division of Netherlands Antilles" (HTML), Government.nl, 2007-02-13. Retrieved on 2007-02-24. (English)
^ Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (2005-11-28). Official start of constitutional reform for Netherlands Antilles. Retrieved on 2006-10-21.
^ ^a ^b ^c The Daily Herald (2006-10-12). St. Eustatius, Saba, Bonaire and The Hague Reach Historic Agreement. Retrieved on 2006-10-21.
^ ^a ^b Radio Netherlands (2006-10-12). Caribbean islands become Dutch municipalities. Retrieved on 2006-10-21.

class="preview" id="pv394"> Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation Locations of the games, and participating countries Commonwealth Games Federation seal, adopted in 2001 The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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