Belgium

Kingdom of BelgiumRoyaume de Belgique

constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

Belgium as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 84 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 sq km

LocationWestern Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and

Populationas each edition published it

10.08 million July 1995 est. · 9.91m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.17% 1995 est. · 0.23% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 40 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.21 years 1995 est. · 76.72 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.62 children per woman 1995 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$18,040 1994 est. · $17,800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2.3% 1994 est. · 0.8% in 1993

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 30,510 sq km

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

Area

30,510sq km

land area: 30,230 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Coastline

64km

continental shelf: median line with neighborsexclusive fishing zone: median 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 the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

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

Environment

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:: flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
international agreements:: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, 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 EU

People

15 fields

Population

10,081,880

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 0.17% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

11.46Death

10.22Net migration

0.5

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 est.)total population: 99%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 18% (female 875,079; male 919,939)
15-64 years:: 66% (female 3,303,219; male 3,363,250)
65 years and over:: 16% (female 969,966; male 650,427) (July 1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 77.21 years
male:: 73.94 years
female:: 80.67 years (1995 est.)

Nationality

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy; King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

16.7%

CVP 16.7%PS 13.6%SP 12.0%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

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

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)
head of government:: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)
cabinet:: Cabinet; the king appoints the ministers who are approved by the legislature

Senate

(Flemish - Senaat, French - Senat);
elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by the end of 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (184 total; of which 106 are directly elected; in the 1995 elections, seats will decrease to 71) CVP 20, SP 14, VLD 13, VU 5, AGALEV 5, VB 5, ROSSEN 1, PS 18, PRL 9, PSC 9, ECOLO 6, FDF 1

Chamber of Deputies

(Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French - Chambre des Representants);
elections last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by 21 May 1995);
results - CVP 16.7%, PS 13.6%, SP 12.0%, 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; in 1995 elections, seats will decrease to 150) CVP 39, PS 35, SP 28, VLD 26, PRL 20, PSC 18, VB 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 Christian Democrats (CVP - Christian People's Party), Johan van HECKE, president;
Francophone Christian Democrats (PSC - Social Christian Party), Gerard DEPREZ, president;
Flemish Socialist Party (SP), Louis TOBBACK, president;
Francophone Socialist Party (PS), Philippe BUSQUIN, president;
Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president;
Francophone Liberal Reform Party (PRL), Jean GOL, president;
Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president;
Volksunie (VU), Bert ANCIAUX, president;
Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman;
ROSSEM, Jean Pierre VAN ROSSEM;
National Front (FN), Daniel FERET, president;
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

ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G- 9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Andre ADAM (appointed 3 October 1994)
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

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Alan J. BLINKEN
embassy:: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address:: APO AE 09724; PSC 82, Box 002, Brussels
telephone:: [32] (2) 513 38 30

FAX

[32] (2) 511 27 25

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.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$18,040

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

2.3%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -0.1% (1993 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

2.5%

(1994)

Unemployment rate

14.1%

(December 1994)

Budget

Revenues

$97.8 billionExpenditures

$109.3 billion (1989)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 14,040,000 kW

Electricity production

66 billionElectricity consumption per capita

6,334 (1993)

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 EU countries. The economy grew at a strong 4% pace during the period 1988-90, slowed to 1% in 1991-92, dropped by 1.5% in 1993, and recovered with 2.3% growth in 1994.

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 parity - $181.5 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

$117 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.)

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; transshipment point 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 - 31.549 (January 1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 43 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

137,912Railroads

3,410Inland waterways

2,043

Highways: paved: 129,639 km (including 1,667 km of limited access divided highway) · unpaved: 8,273 km (1992) · Railroads: (2,362 km electrified; 2,563 km double track) · standard gauge: 3,410 km 1.435-m gauge (1994) · Inland waterways: (1,528 km in regular commercial use)

Railroads

total:: 3,410 km (2,362 km electrified; 2,563 km double track)
standard gauge:: 3,410 km 1.435-m gauge (1994)

Highways

total:: 137,912 km
paved:: 129,639 km (including 1,667 km of limited access divided highway)
unpaved:: 8,273 km (1992)

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, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Merchant marine

total:: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,055 GRT/56,842 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 1, cargo 9, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 2, oil tanker 5

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

4,720,000 telephones; highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities

local:: NA
intercity:: extensive cable network;
limited microwave radio relay network;
nationwide mobile phone system
international:: 5 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations and 1 EUTELSAT earth station