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.

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 64 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specific
Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)
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

Natural resources: coal, natural gas

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

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

Population: 9,921,910 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)

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%, remainder Protestant or other

Birth rate: 12 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Environment
Current issues: air and water pollution

Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)

Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

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

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

Suffrage: universal and compulsory at 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, National Gendarmerie

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

International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Juan CASSIERS; 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. GLITMAN; Embassy at 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels (mailing address is APO New York 9,667-1000; telephone [32] (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 Belgium BelgiumBelgium

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. During the period 1988-90 Belgium's economic performance was marked by buoyant output growth, moderate inflation, and a substantial external surplus. Real GDP grew by an average of 3.9% in 1988-90. However, the economy is likely to slow in 1991-92 to below 3% GDP growth.

Agriculture products: accounts for 2% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production--beef, veal, pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, and tobacco; net importer of farm products

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.3% (1991 est.), accounts for almost 30% of GDP

Labor force: 4,200,000; services 69%, industry 28%, agriculture 3% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 8.2% est. (1991 est.)

Budget: revenues $45.0 billion; expenditures $55.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $106 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
Commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products
Partners: EC 74%, US 5%, Communist countries 2% (1989)

Imports: $108 billion (c.i.f., 1989) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
Commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs
Partners: EC 73%, US 4%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, Communist countries 3% (1989)

Debt external: $28.8 billion (1990 est.)

Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1--31.102 (January 1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 17,325,000 kW capacity; 62,780 million kWh produced, 6,350 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $4.8 billion, 2.5% of GDP (1990)

Airports: 42 total, 42 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

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

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

Merchant marine: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,785,066 GRT/2,927,618 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 6 container, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 9 chemical tanker, 11 bulk, 6 combination bulk