Defense
The defense is based on membership in NATO since its
inception in 1949 and (2008) amounts to 46,000 men with
32,000 men in reserve. The military service was discontinued
in 1998. The army, organized in 3 brigades, comprises 18,000
men. The Navy has 10,000 men with 4 submarines, 4 fighters,
4 frigates, a naval aircraft with 34 armed helicopters and 2
naval infantry battalions. In addition, a mine clearance
function for NATO consisting of 8 vessels intended primarily
for the English Channel. The Air Force comprises 10,000 men
with about 105 fighter aircraft (which will decrease to 87).
The equipment is of a high NATO standard.
Defense costs decreased in 1985–2006 from 3.1% to 1.5% of
GDP. The Netherlands participates in UN peacekeeping
operations with observers or smaller units in four
countries. To see related acronyms about this country, please check ABBREVIATIONFINDER where you can see that NED stands for Netherlands.
Dutch defense overview
The Netherlands is a member of NATO. The first-time
service was discontinued in 1996; all personnel are
enlisted. The total personnel force of the Dutch Armed
Forces is 35,400 active personnel, a reserve of 4,500, and
5900 semi-military police forces (2018, IISS).
The army has a workforce of 18,850 active personnel.
Heavy equipment includes 18 self-propelled PzH 2000
artillery, 170 CV9035 storm armored vehicles and 200 armored
personnel vehicles.
The Air Force has a personnel force of 8050 active
personnel. The equipment includes 61 F-16 fighter aircraft,
two F-35 fighter aircraft under test, two KC-10 tankers,
five transport aircraft, 13 training aircraft, and 73
helicopters of which 28 Apache type helicopters.
The naval personnel has 8500 active personnel, including
2,650 Marines. The fleet includes four submarines, four
fighters, two frigates, four patrol vessels, six
minesweepers, two dock landing vessels, 17 landings, and
eight logistics and auxiliary vessels.
Forces abroad
In 2018, the Netherlands participated in NATO operations
in Afghanistan (Operation Resolute Support) with
160 personnel, in the Mediterranean (SNMG1) with a fighter,
and had deployed 250 personnel in Lithuania (Enhanced
Forward Presence).
The Netherlands also participated in the UN operation in
Mali (MINUSMA) with 241 personnel, and had 300 personnel and
six fighter aircraft deployed in Iraq and Jordan in
connection with Operation Inherent Resolve. Amsterdam - city in the Netherlands
Amsterdam, Dutch city, capital of the Netherlands, but not government city.
The government city is The Hague. With its 743,000 houses (2005) in the
municipality, Amsterdam is Holland's largest city. 1,529,000 people live in
Storamsterdam (17 municipalities). The city is located in the province of
Noord-Holland, where the river Amstel runs along with Het IJ, the southwestern
sea bay to Lake IJsselmeer. The city belongs to Randstad Holland, Holland's
large, cohesive urban area, which also includes Haarlem, The Hague, Rotterdam
and Utrecht.
Amsterdam lies on a subsoil of bog and clay in very low terrain, which has
necessitated the extensive system of characteristic canals, which is why the
houses have mine. 15 m long foundation piles standing on a deep, firm, sandy
layer.
The three famous main canals, Herengracht, Keizergracht and Prinsengracht are
located as semicircles on the central canal, Singel. Single was brought approximately
1420 and was originally part of the fortification of the city. In the early
1600's. population growth was so great that it resulted in extensive settlement
of boats in the canals; it was necessary to further extend the channel network
with the three main channels mentioned. The area west of Prinsengracht was
simultaneously built and developed from a horticultural area to the working area
Jordaan. It has now developed into an urban area with a mixed population, many
of whom are young and wealthy.
Urban Development
The inner city centers are very densely built, and the increased housing
demand has meant that the city's later neighborhoods are built around the city
core in several stages. In these neighborhoods are several of Amsterdam's older
parks. Vondelpark, and sports facilities, including Olympic Stadium from the
1928 Olympics and Arena, which is home to the Ajax football club.
In the 1970's, there was no longer room for the population within the
municipality's former area. Urban growth therefore took place in satellite
neighborhoods such as Bijlmermeer SO for Amsterdam, a social high-rise building
with 32,000 residents, predominantly immigrants.
About half of Amsterdam's residents are of non-Dutch origin. Most come from
Surinam, Morocco and Turkey, but the individual neighborhoods are not dominated
by a single ethnic group. In the Albert Cuyp market in the de Pijp neighborhood,
built around 1900 for industrial workers, many of the foreign cultures are
represented.
Industries
Amsterdam is an administrative and financial center with over 410,000 jobs,
with service subjects (94,000) with many banks and the health sector (54,000)
being among the largest. It is also the largest industrial city in the
Netherlands with an emphasis on the petrochemical, clothing and food industries.
The city's breweries and liquor factories produce world-renowned products such
as Heineken and Bols. Philips headquarters has moved to the city. The diamond
industry is extensive; a very large part of the world's industrial diamonds are
manufactured in Amsterdam.
In addition to the University of Amsterdam (grdl. 1632, but first university
status from 1877) and the city of Frie (Vrije) University (grdl. 1880), the city
has among other things. art academy and music conservatory. The municipality is
investigating the possibilities of attracting "creative industry", as well as
seeking to establish a "knowledge city" where teaching and research are
important functions.
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