This information has been taken fron several "official" sites and as far as I am aware is the truth
GENERAL INFORMATION
National name (French), (Flemish)/ Royaume de Belgique
Koninkrijk Belgi Kingdom of Belgium Area 30,510 sq km/11,779 sq mi Capital Brussels Major towns/cities Antwerp, Ghent, Lige,
Charleroi, Bruges, Mons, Namur, Louvain Major ports Antwerp, Ostend, Zeebrugge Physical features fertile coastal plain in
northwest, central rolling hills rise eastwards, hills and forest in southeast Ardennes Forest rivers Schelde and Meuse
Background:
Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was occupied by Germany during World Wars I
and II. It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO
and the EU. Tensions 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.
GOVERNMENT
Head of state King Albert II from 1993 Head of government Guy
Verhofstadt from 1999 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions ten provinces
within three regions (including the capital, Brussels) Political parties Flemish Christian Social Party (CVP), left of centre
French Social Christian Party (PSC), left of centre Flemish Socialist Party (SP), left of centre French Socialist Party (PS),
left of centre Flemish Liberal Party (PVV), moderate centrist French Liberal Reform Party (PRL), moderate centrist Flemish
People's Party (VU), federalist Flemish Vlaams Blok, right wing Flemish Green Party (Agalev) French Green Party (Ecolo), ecological
Armed forces 43,700 (1998) Conscription abolished in 1995 Death penalty abolished in 1996 Defence spend ( GDP) 1.5 (1998)
Education spend ( GNP) 3.2 (1996) Health spend ( GDP) 7.6 (1997)
 ECONOMY AND RESOURCES
Currency Belgian franc GDP (US) 248.4
billion (1999) Real GDP growth ( change on previous year) 2.5 (1999) GNP (US) 250.6 billion (1999) GNP per capita (PPP) (US)
24,200 (1999) Consumer price inflation 1.1 (1999) Unemployment 8.8 (1998) Major trading partners Germany, the Netherlands,
France, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, USA Resources coal, coke, natural gas, iron Industries wrought and finished steel, cast iron,
sugar refining, glassware, chemicals and related products, beer, textiles, rubber and plastic products Exports food, livestock
and livestock products, gem diamonds, iron and steel manufacturers, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and related
products. Principal market Germany 17.8 (1999) Imports food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, precious
metals and stones, mineral fuels and lubricants, chemicals and related products. Principal source Germany 17.7 (1999) Arable
land 22 (1996) Agricultural products wheat, barley, potatoes, beet (sugar and fodder), fruit, tobacco livestock (pigs and
cattle) and dairy products
POPULATION AND SOCIETY
Population 10,161,000 (2000 est)
Population growth rate 0.14 (19952000) 0.1 (200005) Population density (per sq km) 333 (1999 est) Urban population ( of total)
97 (2000 est) Age distribution ( of total population) 014 17, 1559 61, 60 22 (2000 est) Ethnic groups mainly Flemings in north,
Walloons in south Language Flemish (a Dutch dialect, known as official) (spoken by 56, mainly in Flanders, in the north),
French (especially the dialect Walloon official) (spoken by 32, mainly in Wallonia, in the south), German (0.6 mainly near
the eastern border) Vlaams Religion Roman Catholic 75, various Protestant denominations Education (compulsory years) 12 Literacy
rate 99 (men) 99 (women) (2000 est) Labour force 2.3 agriculture, 26 industry, 71.7 services (1997) Life expectancy 74 (men)
81 (women) (19952000) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 8 (19952000) Physicians 1 per 268 people (1996)
Hospital beds 1 per 132 people (1996) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 510 (1997) Radios (per 1,000 people) 793 (1997) Internet
users (per 10,000 people) 1,379.0 (1999) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 31.5 (1999)
TRANSPORT
Airports international airports Brussels (Zaventem),
Antwerp (Deurne), Ostend, Lige, Charleroi total passenger km 11,277 million (1997 est) Railways total length 3,368 km/2,093
mi total passenger km 6,984 million (1997) Roads total road network 145,774 km/91,827 mi, of which 79.7 paved (1996) passenger
cars 433 per 1,000 people (1997)
CHRONOLOGY
BC 57 Romans conquered the Belgae (the indigenous
Celtic people), and formed the province of Belgica. AD 3rd4th centuries The region was overrun by Franks and Saxons. 8th9th
centuries Part of Frankish Empire peace and order fostered growth of Ghent, Bruges, and Brussels. 843 Division of Holy Roman
Empire became part of Lotharingia, but frequent repartitioning followed. 10th11th centuries Several feudal states emerged
Flanders, Hainaut, Namur, Brabant, Limburg, and Luxembourg, all nominally subject to French king or Holy Roman Emperor, but
in practice independent. 12th century The economy began to flourish. 15th century One by one, the states came under rule of
the dukes of Burgundy. 1477 Passed into Habsburg dominions through the marriage of Mary of Burgundy to Maximilian, archduke
of Austria. 1555 Division of Habsburg dominions Low Countries allotted to Spain. 1648 Independence of Dutch Republic recognized
south retained by Spain. 1713 Treaty of Utrecht transferred Spanish Netherlands to Austrian rule. 179297 Austrian Netherlands
invaded by revolutionary France and finally annexed. 1815 The Congress of Vienna reunited north and south Netherlands as one
kingdom under the House of Orange. 1830 The largely French-speaking people in south rebelled against union with Holland and
declared Belgian independence. 1831 Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the first king of Belgium. 1839 The Treaty of London
recognized the independence of Belgium and guaranteed its neutrality. 191418 Belgium was invaded and occupied by Germany.
Belgian forces under King Albert I fought in conjunction with the Allies. 1919 Belgium acquired the Eupen-Malmdy region from
Germany. 1940 Second invasion by Germany King Leopold III ordered the Belgian army to capitulate. 194445 Belgium was liberated.
1948 Belgium formed the Benelux customs union with Luxembourg and the Netherlands. 1949 Belgium was a founding member of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Brussels became its headquarters in 1967. 1958 Belgium was a founding member of
the European Economic Community (EEC), which made Brussels its headquarters. 1971 The constitution was amended to safeguard
cultural rights of Flemish- (Flanders in north) and French-speaking communities (Walloons in southeast). 1974 Separate regional
councils and ministerial committees were established for Flemings and Walloons. 1980 There was violence over language divisions
regional assemblies for Flanders and Wallonia and a three-member executive for Brussels were created. 1999 In the general
election, Guy Verhofstadt became liberal prime minister of a coalition government together with socialists and Greens. 2000
Local elections were marked by the rise of the far-right party Vlaams Blok, which campaigned against immigration.
Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
Geographic coordinates:
50 50 N, 4 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 30,510 sq km
land: 30,230 sq km
water: 280
sq km
Area - comparative: about the size of Maryland
Land boundaries: total: 1,385 km
border countries:
France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km
Coastline: 66 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: median line with neighbors
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: median line with neighbors
(extends about 68 km from coast)
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: lowest point: North Sea 0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m
Natural resources: coal, natural
gas
Land use: arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 0%
note: includes Luxembourg (1998 est.)
other: 75%
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (includes Luxembourg) (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding is a threat in areas of
reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
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) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges
Environment
- international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic
Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants
Geography - note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of
Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO
People
Population:
10,289,088 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.2% (male 905,856; female 865,589)
15-64 years: 65.6%
(male 3,400,419; female 3,346,182)
65 years and over: 17.2% (male 725,162; female 1,045,880) (2003 est.)
Median
age: total: 40 years
male: 38.7 years
female: 41.3 years (2002)
Population growth rate: 0.14% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 10.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 10.07 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under
15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 4.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.96 deaths/1,000
live births (2003 est.)
male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.29
years
male: 74.97 years
female: 81.78 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.62 children born/woman (2003
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 8,500
(2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Belgian(s)
adjective:
Belgian
Ethnic groups: Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%
Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant
or other 25%
Languages: Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual
(Dutch and French)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male:
NA%
female: NA%
Economy - overview:
This modern 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. 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. Roughly three-quarters of its
trade is with other EU countries. Public debt is about 100% of GDP, and the government has succeeded in balancing its budget.
Belgium, together with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth in 2001-03
dropped sharply due to the global economic slowdown. Prospects for 2004 again depend largely on recovery in the EU and the
US.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $299.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.7% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $29,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 24.4%
services: 74.3% (2001)
Population below poverty line: 4%
Household income or consumption
by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 23% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 28.7
(1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 4.44 million (2001)
Labor
force - by occupation: services 73%, industry 25%, agriculture 2% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 7.2% (2002 est.)
Budget: revenues: $113.4 billion
expenditures: $106 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.17 billion (2000)
Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals,
textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:
74.28 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 38.4%
hydro: 0.6%
other: 1.8%
(2001)
nuclear: 59.3%
Electricity - consumption: 78.18 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 6.712
billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: 15.82 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 595,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: 450,000 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
1.042 million bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 15.5
billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 15.4 billion
cu m (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products: sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork,
milk
Exports: $162 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals,
diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
Exports - partners: Germany 18.6%, France 16.3%, Netherlands 11.6%,
UK 9.6%, US 7.9%, Italy 5.4% (2002)
Imports: $152 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery
and equipment, chemicals, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Germany 17.2%, Netherlands 15.6%,
France 12.8%, UK 7.3%, Ireland 7%, US 6.4%, Italy 4% (2002)
Debt - external: $28.3 billion (1999 est.)
Economic
aid - donor: ODA, $764 million (1997)
Currency: euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union
introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the
euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code: EUR
Exchange
rates: euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999), 36.3 (1998)
Fiscal year: calendar
year
Communications Belgium
Telephones - main lines in use: 4.769
million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 974,494 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: highly
developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network
international:
5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
FM 79, AM 7, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 8.075 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 25 (plus 10
repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 4.72 million (1997)
Internet country code: .be
Internet Service
Providers (ISPs): 61 (2000)
Government Belgium
Country
name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium
local short form: Belgique/Belgie
local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
Government type: federal parliamentary democracy under
a constitutional monarch
Capital: Brussels
Administrative
divisions: 10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch: provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French:
regions; Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Brussels* (Bruxelles), Flanders*, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg,
Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams-Brabant, Wallonia*, West-Vlaanderen
Independence: 4 October 1830 a provisional government
declared independence from the Netherlands; 21 July 1831 the ascension of King Leopold I to the throne
National
holiday: 21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I
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 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister
Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch and approved by Parliament
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and then approved by Parliament
note:
government coalition - VLD, MR, PS, SP, AGALEV, and ECOLO
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of a
Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected;
members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants
in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year
terms)
elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 June 2003 (next to be held in NA May 2007)
note: as
a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves
six governments each with its own legislative assembly; for other acronyms of the listed parties see the Political parties
and leaders entry
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit 15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%,
PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH 5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5, VB 5, CDH 2, other
2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, SP.A-Spirit
14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR 11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit 23, CD &
V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8 Ecolo 4, other 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie
(in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the monarch, although selected by the Government)
Political parties and leaders: AGALEV (Flemish Greens) [Dirk HOLEMANS]; Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V
[Yves LETERME]; note - used to be the Flemish Christian Democrats or CVP; Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUK,
Evelyne HUYTEBROECK, Claude BROUIR]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Karel DE GUCHT]; Francophone Humanist and Democratic
Center of CDH (used to be Social Christian Party or PSC) [Joelle MILQUET]; Francophone Reformist Movement or MR (used to be
Liberal Reformation Party or PRL) [Antoine DUQUESNE]; Francophone Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; National Front or
FN [Daniel FERET]; New Flemish Alliance or NVA [Geert BOURGEOIS]; note - new party that emerged after the demise of the People's
Union or VU; Social Progressive Alternative Party or SP.A [Steve STEVAERT]; note - was Flemish Socialist Party or SP; Spirit
[Els VAN WEERT]; note - new party that emerged after the demise of the People's Union or VU; Vlaams Blok or VB [Frank VANHECKE];
other minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian
Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical
professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as
Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL,
WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Franciskus
VAN DAELE
chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles,
and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079
telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen Franklin BRAUER
embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
mailing
address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710
telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111
FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France
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