Background: Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital Brussels is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.

Geographic coordinates: 50 50 N 4 00 E

Area
Rank: 141
Land: 30,278 km²
Water: 250 km²
Comparative: about the size of Maryland

Land boundaries
Border countries: (4) France 556 km; Germany 133 km; Luxembourg 130 km; Netherlands 478 km

Coastline: 66.5 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit
Continental shelf: median line with neighbors

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
Extremes highest point: Botrange 694 m

Natural resources: construction materials silica sand carbonates

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.72%
Other: 72.22%

Irrigated land: 233.5 km² (2007)

Total renewable water resources: 18.3 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land protected from the sea by concrete dikes

Geography
Note: crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals within 1000 km of Brussels the seat of both the European Union and NATO

Population: 10,449,361 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 84
Growth rate: 0.05% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 188
Below poverty line: 15.2% (2007 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Belgian

Ethnic groups: Fleming 58% Walloon 31% mixed or other 11%

Languages: Dutch (official) 60% French (official) 40% German (official) less than 1% legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

Religions: Roman Catholic 75% other (includes Protestant) 25%

Age structure
15-24 years: 11.7% (male 624,486/female 598,904)
25-54 years: 40.4% (male 2,131,869/female 2,086,212)
55-64 years: 13.3% (male 690,395/female 704,284)
65 years and over: 19% (male 836,685/female 1,147,922) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 26.4 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 28.4 %
Potential support ratio: 3.5 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 41.7 years
Female: 44.4 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.05% (2014 est.)
Rank: 188

Birth rate: 9.99 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 193

Death rate: 10.76 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 38

Net migration rate: 1.22 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 57

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.32% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: BRUSSELS (capital) 1.949 million; Antwerp 959,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human activities: urbanization dense transportation network industry extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) had slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 28 (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 194
Male: 4.67 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.66 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 37
Male: 76.76 years
Female: 83.22 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 176

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 70.4%

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 3.78 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 6.5 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 108
People living with hivaids: 14,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 94
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 125

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.1% (2008)
Rank: 83

Education expenditures: 6.6% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 30

Literacy
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2011)

Country name
Conventional short form: Belgium
Local long form: Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German)
Local short form: Belgique/Belgie/Belgien

Government type: federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 50 50 N 4 20 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 3 regions (French: regions singular - region; Dutch: gewesten singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch) Region de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form) Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders) also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form) Vlaanderen (Dutch short form) Region Flamande (French long form) Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia) also known as Region Wallone (French long form) Wallonie (French short form) Waals Gewest (Dutch long form) Wallonie (Dutch short form)

Independence: 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)

National holiday: 21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King LEOPOLD I

Constitution: drafted 25 November 1830 approved 7 February 1831 entered into force 26 July 1831 revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state); amended many times last in 2012 (2012)

Legal system: civil law system based on the French Civil Code; note - Belgian law continues to be modified in conformance with the legislative norms mandated by the European Union; judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Elio DI RUPO (since 6 December 2011); Deputy Prime Minister Alexander DE CROO (since 22 October 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Joelle MILQUET (since 20 March 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Laurette ONKELINX (since 30 December 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Didier REYNDERS (since 30 December 2008); Depurty Prime Minister Johan VANDE LANOTTE (since i6 December 2011); Deputy Prime Minister Pieter DE CREM (since 5 March 2013)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers are formally appointed by the monarch
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and approved by parliament

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch Senat in French (71 seats indirectly elected serve five-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held on 23 May 2014 (next to be held May 2019); note - elections will coincide with the EU's elections
Election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - N-VA 20.3% PS 11.7% CD&V 11.6% Open VLD 9.8% MR 9.6% SP.A 8.8% Groen! 5.3% CDH 5.0% Workers' Party 3.7% VB 3.7% Ecolo 3.3% FDF 1.8% the People's Party 1.5% other 7.2%; seats by party - N-VA 33 PS 23 CD&V 18 Open VLD 14 MR 20 SP.A 13 Groen! 6 CDH 9 Workers' Party 2 VB 3 Ecolo 6 FDF 2 the People's Party 1

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Constitutional Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by Parliament; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by the High Council of Justice a 44-member independent body of judicial and non-judicial members; judges appointed for life
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative commercial labor and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional members) AfDB (nonregional members) Australia Group Benelux BIS CD CE CERN EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EITI (implementing country) EMU ESA EU FAO FATF G-9 G-10 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD (partners) IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MONUSCO NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIF OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA Schengen Convention SELEC (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNRWA UNTSO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 3,330 Garfield Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 333-6,900
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 338-4,960
In the us consulate general: Atlanta Los Angeles New York
From the us embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan] B-1000 Brussels
From the us mailing address: PSC 82 Box 002 APO AE 9,710
From the us telephone: [32] (2) 811-4,000
From the us FAX: [32] (2) 811-4,500

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side) yellow and red; the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)

National symbols: lion

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Louis-Alexandre DECHET[French] Victor CEULEMANS [Dutch]/Francois VAN CAMPENHOUT

Economy overview: This modern open and private-enterprise-based economy has capitalized on its central geographic location highly developed transport network and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the more heavily-populated region of Flanders in the north. With few natural resources Belgium imports substantial quantities of raw materials and exports a large volume of manufactures making its economy vulnerable to volatility in world markets. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries and Belgium has benefited most from its proximity to Germany. In 2013 Belgian GDP grew by 0.1% the unemployment rate increased to 8.8% from 7.6% the previous year and the government reduced the budget deficit from a peak of 6% of GDP in 2009 to 3.2%. Despite the relative improvement in Belgium's budget deficit public debt hovers around 100% of GDP a factor that has contributed to investor perceptions that the country is increasingly vulnerable to spillover from the euro-zone crisis. Belgian banks were severely affected by the international financial crisis in 2008 with three major banks receiving capital injections from the government and the nationalization of the Belgian retail arm of a Franco-Belgian bank.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 33

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 197

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 31

Gross national saving:
Rank: 81

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 25%
Investment in fixed capital: 20.2%
Investment in inventories: 0.8%
Exports of goods and services: 81.8%
Imports of goods and services: -81.5%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 22.6%
Services: 76.6% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: sugar beets fresh vegetables fruits grain tobacco; beef veal pork milk

Industries: engineering and metal products motor vehicle assembly transportation equipment scientific instruments processed food and beverages chemicals base metals textiles glass petroleum

Industrial production growth rate: 0.2% (2013 est.)
Rank: 163

Labor force: 5.15 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 73
By occupation industry: 25%
By occupation services: 73% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.6% (2012 est.)
Rank: 97

Population below poverty line: 15.2% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 28.4% (2006)

Distribution of family income gini index: 28.7 (1996)
Rank: 125

Budget
Expenditures: $258.2 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 128

Taxes and other revenues: 47.7% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 16

Public debt: 99.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 15

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2012 est.)
Rank: 36

Central bank discount rate: 1.5% (31 December 2010)
Rank: 127

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 3.62% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 161

Stock of narrow money: $185.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 21

Stock of broad money: $585 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 21

Stock of domestic credit: $574.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 23

Market value of publicly traded shares:

Current account balance: -$6.65 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 175

Exports: $302.4 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 21
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals finished diamonds metals and metal products foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 18% France 16.1% Netherlands 13% UK 7.3% US 5.3% Italy 4.4% (2012)

Imports: $311.1 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 18
Commodities: raw materials machinery and equipment chemicals raw diamonds pharmaceuticals foodstuffs transportation equipment oil products
Partners: Netherlands 20.9% Germany 14.2% France 10.6% US 6.1% UK 5.5% Ireland 4.4% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $29.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Debt external: $1.417 trillion (31 December 2011)
Rank: 14

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $1.159 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 6

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $1.185 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 7

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 83.37 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 38
Consumption: 84.68 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 37
Exports: 6.911 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 24
Imports: 16.85 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 12
Installed generating capacity: 18.32 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 41
Generation sources fossil fuels: 43.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 164
Generation sources nuclear: 32.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 2
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 144
Generation sources other renewable sources: 16.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 12

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 10,530 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 89
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 83
Crude oil imports: 667,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 16
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 107

Refined petroleum
Products production: 720,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 24
Products consumption: 644,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 28
Products exports: 442,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 16
Products imports: 355,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 17

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 102
Consumption: 13.46 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 42
Exports: 21.18 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 18
Imports: 38.9 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 14
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 113

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 131.1 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.631 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 33
Mobile cellular: 12.88 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 67

Telephone system
Domestic: nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network
International: country code - 32; landing point for a number of submarine cables that provide links to Europe the Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2007)

Broadcast media: a segmented market with the three major communities (Flemish French and German-speaking) each having responsibility for their own broadcast media; multiple TV channels exist for each community; additionally in excess of 90% of households are connected to cable and can access broadcasts of TV stations from neighboring countries; each community has a public radio network co-existing with private broadcasters (2007)

Internet
Country code: .be
Hosts: 5.192 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 21
Users: 8.113 million (2009)
Users rank: 36

Military expenditures:
Rank: 99

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1994 (2012)

Airports: 41 (2013)
Rank: 102
With paved runways over 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (2013)
With unpaved runways: 15 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 3,139 km; oil 154 km; refined products 535 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 55
Standard gauge: 3,233 km 1.435-m gauge (2,950 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 31
Paved: 120,514 km (includes 1756 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 33,498 km (2010)

Waterways: 2,043 km (1528 km in regular commercial use) (2012)
Rank: 42

Merchant marine
Rank: 56
By type: bulk carrier 23 cargo 15 chemical tanker 5 container 4 liquefied gas 23 passenger 2 petroleum tanker 8 roll on/roll off 7
Foreign owned: 15 (Denmark 4 France 7 Russia 1 UK 2 US 1)
Registered in other countries: 107 (Bahamas 6 Cambodia 1 Cyprus 3 France 7 Gibraltar 1 Greece 17 Hong Kong 26 Liberia 1 Luxembourg 11 Malta 7 Marshall Islands 1 Mozambique 2 North Korea 1 Panama 1 Portugal 8 Russia 4 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7 Singapore 1 Vanuatu 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals
River port: Antwerp Gent (Schelde River); Brussels (Senne River); Liege (Meuse River)
Container port: Antwerp (8,664,243) Zeebrugge (2,207,257) (2011)
LNG terminal: Zeebrugge

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: growing producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine heroin hashish and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics automobiles alcohol and tobacco; significant domestic consumption of ecstasy