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Sep 14: Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Europe
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Geography
Area: 41,785 sq kmNorthwestern Europe occupying the Rhine delta; over 20% is below sea level.
Population: 16,653,346 Annual Growth: 0.41%
Capital: Amsterdam (administrative capital); The Hague (seat of government)
Urbanites: 82.9%
HDI Rank: 6 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 60 (20% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Dutch (Nederlands), Frisian. Many also speak English Languages: 38 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Non-religious| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 7,752,133 | 46.55 | -0.8 |
| Evangelicals | 716,883 | 4.3 | 0.6 |
| Non-religious | 7,803,758 | 46.86 |
Challenge for Prayer
Christianity in the Netherlands seems to have hit rock bottom. Less than 20% attend church with any regularity – the lowest figure in centuries. Possibly 65% of Dutch claim no affiliation with a church. Half of the nation’s church buildings have been destroyed or converted for other purposes, such as bars and mosques. The Church has effectively withdrawn from engaging society in the public sphere. But many think that hedonism and secular materialism’s emptiness are becoming apparent, and that church decline is slowing and even reversing. Pray for this opportunity to be seized by astute believers to regain momentum for church growth and spread the leaven of the Kingdom.For an additional 9 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Netherlands.
Netherlands Antilles
Caribbean
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Geography
Area: 800 sq kmTwo larger, barren islands, Curaçao and Bonaire off the coast of Venezuela, as well as three islands in the Leeward Islands 800 km to the northeast – St Eustatius, Saba and the Dutch half of St Martin (St Maarten). In 1986, Aruba withdrew from the Netherlands Antilles as an autonomous territory of the Netherlands.
Population: 200,726 Annual Growth: 1.49%
Capital: Willemstad
Urbanites: 93.2%
Peoples
Peoples: 15 (20% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Dutch. Common languages Papiamento predominates, but use of English is widespread Languages: 7 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 183,825 | 91.58 | 1.2 |
| Evangelicals | 15,427 | 7.7 | 2.1 |
Challenge for Prayer
The Papiamento Bible was published in 1997 (TEAM) (Dutch and English are available as well). Pray for impact on the majority of the population who use it. Pray also for literacy programmes and more Christian literature in the language. There is a Christian bookstore on Curaçao. Biblical literacy will go a great distance in discipling and renewing the Christian population.For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
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