Economy of The Netherlands, Its People, Culture & Flag

Majority of the inhabitants of The Netherlands are Dutch, who are basically the descendants of Franks, Frisians, and Saxons. The official language is Dutch, which is spoken throughout the country. However, most residents of Friesland Province are Frisian, a distinct cultural group with its own Germanic language and Frisian as its first language. Roman Catholics constitute 34 percent and Protestants 27 percent of the Dutch population. Followers of Islam make up for 4 percent of the inhabitants. Apart from this, the country also has a small Jewish community. Some 34 percent of the people do not belong to a religious body.

Flag of The Netherlands

The Netherlands has a very strong economy and has been playing a special role in the European economy for many centuries. Since the 16th century, shipping, fishing, trade, and banking have been leading sectors of the Dutch economy. The Netherlands is one of the world's 10 leading exporting countries. Foodstuffs form the largest industrial sector. Other major industries include chemicals, metallurgy, machinery, electrical, goods and tourism.

Since the independence of Indonesia in the late 1940s, the Dutch economy has been redirected from colonial trade to that with the European nations. This led to the country becoming a major energy exporter as large deposits of natural gas were discovered. The national government has played a major role in the country's growth, especially through its economic planning. The government's influence is great and it distributes nearly half the Dutch national income. But also important in the economic growth of The Netherlands are the activities of a number of large private firms.