Map of Belgium | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: Western Europe, bordering on the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 30,510 km²
Land: 30,230 km²

Land boundaries: total 1,385 km, France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

Coastline: 64 km
Continental shelf: equidistant line with neighbors
Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

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
Arable land: 24%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 20%
Forest and woodland: 21%
Other: 34%

Land use

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 10,040,939 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.23% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Belgian(s)
Adjective: Belgian

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

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.23% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 11.94 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 10.32 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.7 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air and water pollution
Current issues note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of the EC

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 7.4 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.72 years
Male: 73.41 years
Female: 80.21 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.62 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Total population: 99%
Male: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
Conventional short form: Belgium
Local long form: Royaume de Belgique
Local short form: Belgique

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Brussels

Administrative divisions
9 provinces French:

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

Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Flemish - Senaat, French - Senat) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French - Chambre des Representants)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van Cassatie, French - Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Juan CASSIERS
In the us chancery: 3,330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 333-6,900
In the us fax: (202) 333-3,079
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bruce S. GELB
From the us embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, Brussels
From the us telephone: 32 (2) 513-3,830
From the us fax: 32 (2) 511-2,725

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: This small private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north, although the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. With few natural resources Belgium must import essential raw materials, making its economy closely dependent on the state of world markets. Over 70% of trade is with other EC countries. The economy grew at a strong 4% pace during the period 1988-90, but economic growth slowed to a 1% pace in 1991-92. The economy is expected to turn in another sluggish 1% performance in 1993. Belgium's public debt remains high at 120% of GDP and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 0.8% (1992)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal beef, veal, pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; net importer of farm products

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 1.6% (1992 est.)

Labor force: 4.126 million
By occupation services: 63.6%
By occupation industry: 28%
By occupation construction: 6.1%
By occupation agriculture: 2.3% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 9.8% (end 1992)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $97.8 billion; expenditures $109.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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: $118 billion (f.o.b., 1991) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
Commodoties: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products
Partners: EC 75.5%, US 3.7%, former Communist countries 1.4% (1991)

Imports: $121 billion (c.i.f., 1991) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
Commodoties: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs
Partners: EC 73%, US 4.8%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, former Communist countries 1.8% (1991)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 33.256 (January 1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 17,500,000 kW capacity; 68,000 million kWh produced, 6,790 kWh per capita (1992)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $4 billion, 2% of GDP (1992)

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
Usable: 42
With permanentsurface runways: 24
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 14
With runways 1220-2439 m: 3

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

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

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: