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.

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

Area
Total 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

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: equidistant line with neighbors
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%

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1989 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

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

Population: 10,062,836 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.2% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Belgian(s)

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

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

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

Population growth rate: 0.2% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 11.71 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 10.26 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: Meuse River, a major source of drinking water, polluted from steel production wastes; other rivers polluted by animal wastes and fertilizers; industrial air pollution contributes to acid rain in neighboring countries

Infant mortality rate: 7.2 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.96 years
Male: 73.67 years
Female: 80.44 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
Conventional short form:

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 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: King ALBERT II (since NA August 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Senate: (Flemish - Senaat, French - Senat); elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (184 total; of which 106 are directly elected) CVP 20, SP 14, PVV (now VLD) 13, VU 5, AGALEV 5, VB 5, ROSSEN 1, PS 18, PRL 9, PSC 9, ECOLO 6, FDF 1
Chamber of Representatives: (Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French - Chambre des Representants); elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results - CVP 16.7%, PS 13.6%, SP 12.0%, PVV (now VLD) 11.9%, PRL 8.2%, PSC 7.8%, VB 6.6%, VU 5.9%, ECOLO 5.1%, AGALEV 4.9%, FDF 2.6%, ROSSEM 3.2%, FN 1.5%; seats - (212 total) CVP 39, PS 35, SP 28, PVV (now VLD) 26, PRL 20, PSC 18, FB 12, VU 10, ECOLO 10, AGALEV 7, FDF 3, ROSSEM 3, FN 1

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

International organization participation: AG (observer), ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australian Group, 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, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. BLINKEN
From the us chancery: 3,330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: [32] (2) 513-3,830
From the us fax: (202) 333-3,079
From the us consulates general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
From the us embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, Brussels
From the us mailing address: B-1000 Brussels, APO AE 9,724
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

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 substantial quantities of raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Three fourths of its 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 and dropped by 1.5% in 1993. Belgium's public debt has risen to 140% of GDP, and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries.

Real gdp growth rate: -1.5% (1993)

Real gdp per capita: $17,700 (1993)

Agriculture products: accounts for 2.0% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production - beef, veal, pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; net importer of farm products

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

Industrial production growth rate: -0.1% (1993 est.), accounts for 25% of GDP

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: 13.5% (March 1994)

Budget: revenues:$97.8 billion

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $117 billion (f.o.b., 1992) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
Commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products
Partners: EC 75.5%, US 3.7%, former Communist countries 1.4% (1991)

Imports: $120 billion (c.i.f., 1992) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
Commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs
Partners: EC 73%, US 4.8%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, former Communist countries 1.8% (1991)

Debt external: $31.3 billion (1992 est.)

Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 36.242 (January 1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 17,500,000 kW
Production: 68 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 6,790 kWh (1992)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $3.8 billion, 1.8% of GDP (1993)

Airports: 42
Usable: 42
With permanentsurface runways: 24
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 15
With runways 1220-2439 m: 3

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

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

Merchant marine: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 36,200 GRT/52,039 DWT, bulk 1, cargo 9, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas 1, oil tanker 5

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; important gateway country for cocaine entering the European market