Belgium

constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

Belgium as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 123 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
LocationWestern Europe, bordering on the North Sea, between France and the
1994

Every edition of Belgium

Populationas each edition published it
10.06 million July 1994 est. · 9.91m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.2% 1994 est. · 0.23% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 40 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 76.72 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.62 children per woman 1994 est. · 1.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 6 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$17,700 1993 · $17,800 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-1.5% 1993 · 0.8% in 1993

Geography

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

24 fields
Land boundaries
1,385km
total · France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km
Irrigated land
10sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

30,510 sq km

land area

30,230 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

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

arable land

24%

permanent crops

1%

meadows and pastures

20%

forest and woodland

21%

other

34%

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

natural hazards

NA

international agreements

  • party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note

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

People

21 fields
Population
10,062,836
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 0.2% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
11.71Death
10.26Net migration
0.6

Ethnic divisions

Fleming 55%Walloon 33%mixed or other 12%
Labor force
4.126million
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1980 est.)

Infant mortality rate

7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

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.)

noun

Belgian(s)

adjective

Belgian

Religions

Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Languages

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

total population

99%

male

NA%

female

NA%

by occupation

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy

34 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%

Legislature, 212 seatsone dot, one seat

CVP 39PS 35SP 28PVV (now VLD) 26PRL 20PSC 18FB 12VU 10ECOLO 10AGALEV 7FDF 3ROSSEM 3FN 1

conventional long form

Kingdom of Belgium

conventional short form

Belgium

local long form

Royaume de Belgique

local short form

Belgique

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

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal and compulsory

chief of state

King ALBERT II (since NA August 1993)

head of government

Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)

cabinet

Cabinet; the king appoints the ministers who are chosen by the legislature

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

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)

Political parties and leaders

  • Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Johan van HECKE, president;
  • Francophone Social Christian (PSC), Melchior WATHELET, president;
  • Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank VANDENBROUCKE, president;
  • Francophone Socialist (PS), Philippe BUSQUIN;
  • Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president;
  • Francophone Liberal (PRL), Jean GOL, president;
  • Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president;
  • Volksunie (VU), Bert ANCIAUX, president;
  • Communist Party (PCB), Louis VAN GEYT, president;
  • Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman;
  • ROSSEM, Jean Pierre VAN ROSSEM;
  • National Front (FN), Werner van STEEN;
  • AGALEV (Flemish Greens), no president;
  • ECOLO (Francophone Ecologists), no president;
  • 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

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, 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

chief of mission

Ambassador Juan CASSIERS

chancery

3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 333-6900

FAX

(202) 333-3079

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

chief of mission

Ambassador Alan J. BLINKEN

embassy

27 Boulevard du Regent, Brussels

mailing address

B-1000 Brussels, 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.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$17,700
(1993)
Real growth rate
-1.5%
(1993)industrial production growth: growth rate -0.1% (1993 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Unemployment rate
13.5%
(March 1994)

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.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $177.5 billion (1993)

revenues

$97.8 billion

enditures

$109.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Exports

7 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)

External debt

$31.3 billion (1992 est.)

capacity

17,500,000 kW

production

68 billion kWh

consumption per capita

6,790 kWh (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • 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

Illicit drugs

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

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 - 36.242 (January 1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

15 fields

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

total

137,876 km

paved

129,603 km (including 1,631 km of limited access divided highway)

unpaved

8,273 km (1989)

Inland 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

Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge

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

total

42

usable

42

with permanent-surface runways

24

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

15

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

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie

3 fields

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 2,558,109;
  • fit for military service 2,130,172;
  • reach military age (19) annually 61,710 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $3.8 billion, 1.8% of GDP (1993)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Belgium.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/belgium/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →