The Netherlands' Economy

The Netherlands is a highly industrialized, prosperous nation with an open, mixed economy that is one of the top ten richest nations in the world with the 17th largest economy in the world. Historically, the Dutch introduced and invented the stock market by a group of buyers and sellers of stocks by merchandise trading through a charter company established in 1602 called Dutch East India Company, which was an association formed by investors on shareholders for the purpose of trade, exploration, and colonization. The company is considered to have been the first multi-national company in the world and also first to issue stock. The Netherlands have experienced rapid economic growth and almost no inflation from the late 1980’s to 1991 and also has one of the best credit ratings in Europe. Even so, they were still affected by the global recession of the early 1990’s, terrorist attacks on the United States on 9/11, and war in Iraq. The Netherlands is a founding member of the O.E.C.D; Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, as well as the World Trade Organization. They are also noted for their stable industrial relations and fairly low unemployment. The Dutch labor market also has relatively strict regulations on firing employees, but the House of Representatives loosened these regulations to reduce governmental budget deficit to less than 3%. Even though the Netherlands natural resources, such as agricultural land, oil, and gas, are limited, its location plays an important role as a European transportation hub. Entrepot trade, trade based on the transit goods between Europe and the rest of the world, accounts for over half of the countries national income, of which most trade goes through Rotterdam’s Eurooport; one of t...

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...a variety of blub type flowers such as daffodils, tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, and various other species. Large flower and plant auctions are held on a daily basis. The most famous flower auctions take place in Aalsmeer, where more than 20 million cut flowers are sold every day.

The Netherlands’ economy is composed of many things that aid in its overall income. Things such as trade and transportation, technology and manufacturing, agriculture, and horticulture all play a major role in the economy as well as various other things. Trade and transportation make the Netherlands the “Gateway to Europe”. Many multi-national Dutch and non-Dutch electronics companies and industries base in the urban centers. Half of the land is used for agriculture and other various forms of farming. Because of these things, the Netherlands have a thriving economy that continues to grow.