Netherlands
Europe Β· Capital: Amsterdam
How it is run: Netherlands is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Netherlands is home to 18.1 million people in Western Europe, where people speak Dutch.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
18.1 million people
That is 0.2% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
41,850 kmΒ²
About the size of a small US state such as Vermont or New Hampshire.
ποΈ How crowded
About 432 people per square kilometre β busy towns with countryside in between.
π Size in its region
10th most people in Europe
30th largest by land in Europe.
π£οΈ Official languages
Dutch
π° Money
Euro (β¬)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
82 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$73,684
A high-income country: most families can afford cars, travel and new technology.
π’ Living in cities
95.9% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
14.9% of the population
An older country β there are more grandparents than schoolchildren.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+31
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.nl
π§ People here are called
Dutch
π·οΈ Name at home
Nederland
Also written: Holland, Nederland, The Netherlands.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Western European and Others Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Netherlands touches 2 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
PaΓses Bajos
French
Pays-Bas
Arabic
ΩΩΩΩΨ―Ψ§
Chinese
θ·ε °
Japanese
γͺγ©γ³γ
Russian
ΠΠΈΠ΄Π΅ΡΠ»Π°Π½Π΄Ρ
Portuguese
Holanda
German
Niederlande
Put it in perspective π
- Russia β the most populated country in Europe β has about 7.9Γ as many people as Netherlands.
- Netherlands covers roughly 399 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Netherlands lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 9,044 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Netherlands is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
π·οΈ Official name
Kingdom of the Netherlands
ποΈ Capital
Amsterdam
π Region
Europe Β· Western Europe
π€ Country code
NL
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Netherlands π
Kinderdijk windmills
Nineteen windmills from the 1700s pumped water off land that sits below sea level. Much of the Netherlands only stays dry because of pumps like these.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
52.5Β° N, 5.8Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+0 β when it is noon in London it is about 12:00 in Amsterdam.
- π³π± is the flag of Netherlands. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is NL.
- Netherlands sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- Netherlands is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- Netherlands is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- Netherlands sits in Western Europe, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Netherlands has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Netherlands can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Netherlands spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Netherlands?
Amsterdam
Which money do people spend in Netherlands?
Euro (β¬)
How many countries share a land border with Netherlands?
2 β Belgium, Germany.
Roughly how many people live in Netherlands?
18.1 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.