Conventional long form name of country Kingdom of the netherlands Capital city Amsterdam Type of government Pariliamentary Constitutional mararchy Date of independence 23 january 1579 National holidays King's day (the kings birthday of 27 april (1967) ; celebrated on 26 april if 27 is a sunday) Cheif of state King Willem-alexander (since 30 april 2013) Head of government prime minister mark rutte (since 14 october 2010) execute branch/powers chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); Heir Apparent Princess Catharina-Amalia (since 30 April 2013) head of government: Prime Minister Mark RUTTE (since 14 October 2010); Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk ASSCHER (since 5 November 2012); note - Mark RUTTE heads his second cabinet since 5 November 2012 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch; note -there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir apparent, and councilors that provides advice to the cabinet on legislative and administrative policy elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch Legislative branch description: Bicameral states general or staten generaal consists of the first chamber Eerste kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the countries 12 provincial council members by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) and the Second chamber or terrde kamer (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve up to 4-year terms)
JUDICIAL BRANCH HIGHEST COURTS: SUPREME COURT OR HOGE RAAD (CONSITS OF 41 JUDGES: THE PRESITENT, 6 VICE-PRESIDENTS, 31 JUSTICES OR RAADSHEREN, AND 3 JUSTICE IN EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE, REFERRED TO AS BUITENGEWONE DIENST); THE COURT IS DIVIDED INTO CRIMINAL, CIVIL, TAX, AND OMBUDS CHAMBERS JUDGE SELECTION AND TERM OFFICE: JUSTICES APPOINTED BY THE MOARCH FROMA LIST PROVIDED BY THE SECOND CHAMBER OF THE STATES GENERAL; JUSTICES APPOINTED FOR LIFE OR UNTIL MANDATORY RETIREMENT AT AGE 70 SUBORDINATE COURTS: COURTS OF APPEAL; DISTRICT COURTS, EACH WITH UP TO 5 SUBDISTRICT COURTS SUFFERAGE 18 YEARS OF AGE; UNIVERSAL AMBASSADOR TO THE US HENDRIK SCHUWER (SINCE 17 SEPTEMBER 2015) EMBASSY IN THE US H4200 LINNEAN AVENUE NM, WASHINGTON, DC, 20008 CONSULATE IN THE US CHICAGO, MIAMI, NEW YORK, SAN FRANSICO US AMBASSADOR TO THEM VACANT US EMBASSY THERE LANGE VOORHOUT 102, 2514 EJ, THE HAGUE US CONSULATE THERE AMSTERDAMrepresentative to un h.e. mr. karel van oosterom international disputes none refugees total 17,444 syria 12,397 eritrea 5,803 iraq 10,870 afghanistan -- somalia 16184 stateless persons 1,951 internally displaced persons 19,395 human trafficking issues the netherlands is a source, transit, and destination for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. illicit drug trafficking major european producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering europe; major source of us-bounf ecstasy and a significant consumer of ecstasy; a large financial sector vulnerable to make money laundering
description of symbolism of flag three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of luzemburg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colors were those of william I, prince of orange, who leg the dutch revolt against spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange, but because it tended to fade to red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use national symbols lion, tulip; national color: orange national anthem "het wilhelmus" (the william)