Belgium

Kingdom of BelgiumRoyaume de Belgique local short form:

constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

Belgium as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 79 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBrussels

Area30,510 km2

LocationWestern Europe, bordering on the North Sea, between France and the

Populationas each edition published it

10.04 million July 1993 est. · 9.91m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.23% 1993 est. · 0.45% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 40 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

76.72 years 1993 est. · 82.3 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.62 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$17,800 1992 · $63,100 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

0.8% 1992 · 1% in 2025

Geography

Western Europe, bordering on the North Sea, between France and the | Netherlands

14 fields

Land useshare of 30,510 km2

arable land 24%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 20%forest and woodland 21%other 34%irrigated 10 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

30,510km2

land area: 30,230 km2comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Coastline

64km

continental shelf: equidistant line with neighborsexclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,385km

total · France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

Location

Western Europe, bordering on the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

Map references

Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

Note

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

People

14 fields

Population

10,040,939

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.23% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

11.94Death

10.32Net migration

0.7

Ethnic divisions

Fleming 55%Walloon 33%mixed or other 12%

Labor force

4.126million

by occupation: services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1980)total population: 99%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 76.72 years
male:: 73.41 years
female:: 80.21 years (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Belgian(s)
adjective:: Belgian

Religions

Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Languages

Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual 11% divided along ethnic lines

Government

Constitutional monarchy

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

16.7%

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%

Names

conventional long form:: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form:: Belgium
local long form:
Royaume de Belgique local short form:: Belgique

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Flemish: provincien, singular - provincie);
Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen

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

National holiday

National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)

Political parties and leaders

Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman VAN ROMPUY, president;
Walloon Social Christian (PSC) , Melchior WATHELET, president;
Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank VANDENBROUCKE, president;
Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy SPITAELS;
Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president;
Walloon Liberal (PRL), Antoine DUQUESNE, president;
Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president;
Volksunie (VU), Jaak GABRIELS, president;
Communist Party (PCB), Louis VAN GEYT, president;
Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel VAN DILLEN, chairman;
ROSSEM, Jean Pierre VAN ROSSEM;
National Front (FN), Werner van STEEN;
Live Differently (AGALEV; Flemish Green party), Leo COX;
Ecologist (ECOLO; Francophone Green party), NA;
other minor parties

Other political or pressure groups

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 the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal and compulsory

Elections

Senate:: 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:: 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

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Flemish - Senaat, French - Senat) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French - Chambre des Representants)

Judicial branch

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

Leaders

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 Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)

Member of

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, 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 in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Juan CASSIERS
chancery:: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 333-6900
FAX:: (202) 333-3079
consulates general:: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Bruce S. GELB
embassy:: 27 Boulevard du Regent, Brussels
mailing address:: B-1000 Brussels, PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09724
telephone:: [32] (2) 513-3830
FAX:: [32] (2) 511-2725

Flag

three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France

Economy

This small private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central | geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified | industrial and commercial base.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$17,800

(1992)

Real growth rate

0.8%

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 1.6% (1992 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.6%

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

9.8%

(end 1992)

Budget

Revenues

$97.8 billionExpenditures

$109.3 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

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. The economy grew at a strong 4% pace during the period 1988-90, but economic growth slowed to a 1% pace in 1991-92.

The economy is expected to turn in another sluggish 1% performance in 1993. Belgium's public debt remains high at 120% of GDP and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $177.9 billion (1992)

Exports

$118 billion (f.o.b., 1991) 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

$121 billion (c.i.f., 1991) 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)

External debt

$31.3 billion (1992 est.)

Electricity

17,500,000 kW capacity; 68,000 million kWh produced, 6,790 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 2.3% 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

Illicit drugs

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

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion

Currency

1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 33.256 (January 1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 23 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 10oil tanker 5liquefied gas 2chemical tanker 5bulk 123 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 96,949 GRT/133,658 DWT

Networkskm

Highways

103,396Inland waterways

2,043

Highways: ; 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717 km national highway; 1,362 km provincial road; about 38,000 km paved and 51,000 km unpaved rural roads · Inland waterways: (1,528 km in regular commercial use)

Railroads

Belgian National Railways (SNCB) operates 3,568 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned;
2,563 km double track;
2,207 km electrified

Highways

103,396 km total;
1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute;
11,717 km national highway;
1,362 km provincial road;
about 38,000 km paved and 51,000 km unpaved rural roads

Inland waterways

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

Pipelines

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

Ports

Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Airports

total:: 42
usable:: 42
with permanent-surface runways:: 24
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 14
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 3

Telecommunications

highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities;
extensive cable network;
limited microwave radio relay network;
4,720,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 3 AM, 39 FM, 32 TV;
5 submarine cables;
2 satellite earth stations - Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and EUTELSAT systems;
nationwide mobile phone system