Belgium

§1. Belgium Introduction

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.

§2. Belgium Geography

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 kmē
  land: 30,230 kmē
  water: 280 kmē

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 exclusive fishing zone:
    median 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

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: North Sea 0 m highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m

Natural resources:
  coal, natural gas

Land use:
  arable land: 24%
  permanent crops: 1%
  permanent pastures: 20%
  forests and woodland: 21%
  other: 34%

Irrigated land:
  NA kmē

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, intense animal
    breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have
    repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal
    and regional responsibilities (now resolved) have impeded 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, 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,
    Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
  crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within
  1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of both the EU and NATO

§3. Belgium People

Population:
  10,258,762 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.48% (male 916,957; female 876,029)
  15-64 years: 65.57% (male 3,390,145; female 3,336,908)
  65 years and over: 16.95% (male 709,212; female 1,029,511) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.16% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  10.74 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.96 years male: 74.63 years
  female: 81.46 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.61 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.15% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  7,700 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 100 (1999 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 58%, French 32%, German 10%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: NA%
  female: NA%

§4. Belgium Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
  conventional short form: Belgium
  local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
  local short form: Belgique/Belgie

Government type:
  federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch

Capital:
  Brussels

Administrative divisions:
  10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Flemish: provincien,
    singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Hainaut, Liege,
    Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams Brabant,
    West-Vlaanderen; note - the Brussels Capitol Region is not included
    within the 10 provinces

Independence:
  21 July 1831 (from the Netherlands)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 21 July (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 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 monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the
    monarch and then approved by Parliament
  note: government coalition - VLD, PRL, 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 13 June 1999 (next to
    be held in NA 2003)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, CVP 14.7%,
    PRL 10.6%, PS 9.7%, VB 9.4%, SP 8.9%, ECOLO 7.4%, AGALEV 7.1%, PSC 6.0%,
    VU 5.1%; seats by party - VLD 11, CVP 10, PS 10, PRL 9, VB 6, SP 6, ECOLO
    6, AGALEV 5, PSC 5, VU 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party
    - VLD 14.3%, CVP 14.1%, PS 10.2%, PRL 10.1%, VB 9.9%, SP 9.5%, ECOLO
    7.4%, AGALEV 7.0%, PSC 5.9%, VU 5.6%; seats by party - VLD 23, CVP 22, PS
    19, PRL 18, VB 15, SP 14, ECOLO 11, PSC 10, AGALEV 9, VU 8, FN 1
  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
    Political parties and leaders

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)

Political parties and leaders:
  AGALEV (Flemish Greens) [Dos GEYSELS]; ECOLO (Francophone Greens) [no
  president]; Flemish Christian Democrats or CVP (Christian People's Party)
  [Stefaan DE CLERCK, president]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Karel DE
  GUCHT, president]; Flemish Socialist Party or SP [Patrick JANSSENS,
  president]; Francophone Christian Democrats or PSC (Social Christian Party)
  [Joelle MILQUET, president]; Francophone Liberal Reformation Party or PRL
  [Daniel DUCARME, president]; Francophone Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI
  RUPO, president]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; Vlaams Blok or VB
  [Frank VANHECKE]; Volksunie or VU [leader vacant]; 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, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
  ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
  Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
  (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK,
  UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Alexis REYN chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900
  FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079
  consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: 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

§5. Belgium Economy

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, although the government is encouraging
  investment in the southern region of Wallonia. 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. About three-quarters of its trade is with other EU
  countries. Belgium's public debt is expected to fall below 100% of GDP in
  2002, and the government has succeeded in balancing is budget. Belgium
  became a charter member of the European Monetary Union (EMU) in January
  1999. Economic growth in 2000 was broad based, putting the government in a
  good position to pursue its energy market liberalization policies and
  planned tax cuts.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $259.2 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  4.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $25,300 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 1.4% industry: 26%
  services: 72.6% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  4%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 20.2% (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.2% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  4.34 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
  services 73%, industry 25%, agriculture 2% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  8.4% (2000 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $114.8 billion
  expenditures: $117 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6 billion
    (1999)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  5.5% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
  79.829 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 40.01% hydro: 0.42%
  nuclear: 58.33%
  other: 1.24% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  75.089 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  8.207 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  9.055 billion kWh (1999)

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

Exports:
  $181.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products

Exports - partners:
  EU 76% (Germany 18%, France 18%, Netherlands 12%, UK 10%) (1999)

Imports:
  $166 billion (c.i.f., 2000)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals and metal products

Imports - partners:
  EU 71% (Germany 18%, Netherlands 17%, France 14%, UK 9%) (1999)

Debt - external:
  $28.3 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
  ODA, $764 million (1997)

Currency:
  Belgian franc (BEF); euro (EUR)
  note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency
    that is now being used by financial institutions in Belgium at a fixed
    rate of 40.3399 Belgian francs per euro and will replace the local
    currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code:
  BEF; EUR

Exchange rates:
  euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999);
  Belgian francs per US dollar - 34.77 (January 1999), 36.229 (1998), 35.774
  (1997), 30.962 (1996)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Belgium Communications

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)

Internet users:
  2.7 million (2000)

§7. Belgium Transportation

Railways:
  total: 3,437 km (2,446 km electrified; 2,563 km double track)
  standard gauge: 3,437 km 1.435-m gauge (1998)

Highways:
  total: 145,774 km
  paved: 116,182 km (including 1,674 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 29,592 km (1999)

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

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

Ports and harbors:
  Antwerp (one of the world's busiest ports), Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege,
  Mons, Namur, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Merchant marine:
  total: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 32,912 GRT/53,161 DWT
  ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 9, petroleum tanker 6 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  42 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 24 over 3,047 m: 6
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 16 (2000 est.)

Heliports:
  1 (2000 est.)

§8. Belgium Military

Military branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Medical Service

Military manpower - military age:
  19 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 2,517,596 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 2,079,624 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 63,247 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $2.5 billion (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.2% (FY99)

§9. Belgium Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none

Illicit drugs:
  growing producer of synthetic drugs; 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
