Map of Belgium | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. In the half century following, it has prospered as a small, modern, technologically advanced European state and member of the European Union. Its unique political circumstance is the long-standing differences between the wealthier Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the poorer French-speaking Walloons of the south, differences that are becoming increasingly acute.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 64 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specific
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Terrain: flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

Elevation

Natural resources: coal, natural gas

Land use: 24% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 21% forest and woodland; 34% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels; crossroads of Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of the EC


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Population: 9,887,998 (July 1989), growth rate 0.1% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Belgian(s; adjective - Belgian

Ethnic groups: 55% Fleming, 33% Walloon, 12% mixed or other

Languages: 56% Flemish (Dutch), 32% French, 1% German; 11% legally bilingual; divided along ethnic lines

Religions: 75% Roman Catholic; remainder Protestant or other

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 12 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air and water pollution

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 79 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 98%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Brussels

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French - provinces, singular - province; Flemish - provincien, singular - provincie; Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen

Dependent areas

Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)

Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the process of revising the Constitution, with the aim of federalizing the Belgian state

Legal system: civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State - King BAUDOUIN I (since 17 July 1951; Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liege (brother of the King) (born 6 June 1934; Head of Government - Prime Minister Wilfried MARTENS, (since April 1979, with a 10-month interruption in 1981)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ADB, Benelux, BLEU, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, ECOSOC, EIB, EMS, ESA, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Herman DEHENNIN; Chancery at 3,330 Garfield Street NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 333-6,900; there are Belgian Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York; US - Ambassador Maynard W. GUTMAN; Embassy at 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels (mailing address is APO New York 9,667; telephone Õ32å (2) 513-3,830; there is a US Consulate General in Antwerp

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is based on diversified industrial and commercial activities. Industry is mostly concentrated in the populous Flemish area in the north, though the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. Belgium has few natural resources so must import essential raw materials, making its economy highly dependent on the state of world markets. In 1988 over 70% of trade was with other EC countries. During the period 1986-88 the economy profited from falling oil prices and a lower dollar, which helped to improve the terms of trade. Consequently, real GDP grew by 2.9%, up from 1.5% in 1985. However, a large budget deficit, equal to about 7.7% of GNP, and a nearly 11% unemployment rate, cast a shadow on the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 2% of GNP; principal crops - sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; emphasis on livestock products - beef, veal, pork, milk; net importer of farm products livestock production predominates; grains, sugar beets, flax, potatoes, other vegetables, fruits

Industries: engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal

Industrial production growth rate: 2.3% (1988 est.)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 10.8% est. (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $41.0 billion; expenditures $54.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1988 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $99 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union commodities - iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products
Partners: EC 72%, US 5%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, Communist countries 3%

Imports: $93 billion (c.i.f., 1988 est.) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union commodities - fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $14.9 billion (1988 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 38.349 (January 1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: 17,271,000 kW capacity; 60,951 million kWh produced, 6,160 kWh per capita (1988)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4.29 billion, 7.6% of central government budget (1988 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 42 total, 42 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines: refined products 1,167 km; crude 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)

Merchant marine: 72 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,922,873 GRT/3,180,240 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 1 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 7 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 container, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 9 chemical tanker, 20 bulk

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs