Belgium

Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie

federal parliamentary democracy under aIndependence 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

Belgium as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 101 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
Position50 50 N, 4 00 E
Area30,510 sq km
LocationWestern Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and
1997

Every edition of Belgium

Populationas each edition published it
10.17 million July 1997 est. · 9.91m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.11% 1997 est. · 0.23% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 40 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
77.19 years 1997 est. · 76.72 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.5 children per woman 1997 est. · 1.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 6 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$20,300 1996 est. · $17,800 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1.4% 1996 est. · 0.8% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 30,510 sq km

arable land 24%permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 20%forests and woodland 21%other 34%irrigated 10 sq km including Luxembourg (1993 est.)
Area
30,510sq km
land: 30,230 sq kmwater: 280 sq kmabout the size of 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
Highest point
694m
Signal de Botrangelowest point: North Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
1,385km
border countries : France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

50 50 N, 4 00 E

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

Natural hazards

flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

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

Environment - international agreements

party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, 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-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Law of the Sea

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

People

15 fields
Population
10,165,059
(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 0.11% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth
10.43Death
10.41Net migration
1.08

Ethnic groups

Fleming 55%Walloon 33%mixed or other 12%
Literacy
99%
(1980 est.)definition : age 15 and over can read and writemale: NA%female: NA%

Age structure

0-14 years:
17% (male 911,881; female 868,361)
15-64 years:
66% (male 3,385,319; female 3,318,940) 65 years and over : 17% (male 681,432; female 999,126) (July 1997 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:
0.68 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
77.19 years
male :
73.95 years
female:
80.59 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.5 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Belgian(s)
adjective:
Belgian

Religions

Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Languages

Flemish 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual 11%

Government

Federal parliamentary democracy under a; Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)

21 fields

Senate, 150 seatsone dot, one seat

CVP 29PS 21SP 20VLD 21PRL 18PSC 12VB 11VU 5ECOLO 6AGALEV 5FN 2

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

Administrative divisions

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

note: constitutional reforms passed by Parliament in 1993 theoretically increased the number of provinces to 10 by splitting the province of Brabant into two new provinces,

Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, but this has not been confirmed by the US Government

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

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:
Council of Ministers appointed by the king and approved by Parliament
elections:
  • none;
  • the king is a constitutional monarch;
  • prime minister appointed by the king and then approved by Parliament

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Flemish, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected, 31 will be indirectly elected at a later date; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Flemish, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held by the end of 1999)
election results:
  • Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
  • seats by party - CVP 7, SP 6, VLD 6, VU 2, AGALEV 1, VB 3, PS 5, PRL 5, PSC 3, ECOLO 2;
  • note - before the 1995 elections, there were 184 seats;
  • Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CVP 17.2%, PS 11.9%, SP 12.6%, VLD 13.1%, PRL 10.3%, PSC 7.7%, VB 7.8%, VU 4.7%, ECOLO 4.0%, AGALEV 4.4%, FN 2.3%;
  • seats by party - CVP 29, PS 21, SP 20, VLD 21, PRL 18, PSC 12, VB 11, VU 5, ECOLO 6, AGALEV 5, FN 2;
  • note - before the 1995 elections, there were 212 seats

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 Flemish, Cour de Cassation in French, judges are appointed for life by the Belgian monarch

Political parties and leaders

  • Flemish Christian Democrats or CVP (Christian People's Party) [Marc VAN PEEL, president];
  • Francophone Christian Democrats or PSC (Social Christian Party) [Gerard DEPREZ, president];
  • Flemish Socialist Party or SP [Louis TOBBACK, president];
  • Francophone Socialist Party or PS [Philippe BUSQUIN, president];
  • Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Herman DE CROO, president];
  • Francophone Liberal Reformation Party or PRL [Louis MICHEL, president];
  • Francophone Democratic Front or FDF [Olivier MAINGAIN, president];
  • Volksunie or VU [Bert ANCIAUX, president];
  • Vlaams Blok or VB;
  • National Front or FN [Frank VANHECKE, president];
  • AGALEV (Flemish Greens) [no president];
  • ECOLO (Francophone Greens) [no president];
  • 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 the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi

International organization participation

ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, 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, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UNTAES, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Andre ADAM
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 Alan J. BLINKEN
embassy:
27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address:
APO AE 09724, PSC 82, Box 002, Brussels
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

Economy

22 fields
Real growth rate
1.4%
(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 3.4% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate
14%
(1996 est.)
Labor force
4.126million
by occupation: services 69.7%, industry 27.7%, agriculture 2.6% (1992)

GDP - composition by sector(1994)

agriculture 2%industry 28%services 70% (1994)

Economy - overview

This highly developed 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. Two-thirds of its trade is with other EU countries. The economy grew at a strong 4% annual pace during the period 1988-90, slowed to 1% in 1991-92, dropped by 1.5% in 1993, recovered with moderate 2.3% growth in 1994 and 1995, and fell off again to 1.4% in 1996, with continued substantial unemployment.

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.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $204.8 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $20,300 (1996 est.)

Budget

revenues :
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

13.59 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production

74.4 billion kWh (1995)

Agriculture - products

sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk

Exports

total value:
$108 billion (f.o.b., 1994) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU)
commodities:
iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products
partners :
EU 67.2% (Germany 19%), US 5.8%, former Communist countries 1.4% (1994)

Imports

total value:
$140 billion (c.i.f., 1994) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
commodities:
fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs
partners:
EU 68% (Germany 22.1%), US 8.8%, former Communist countries 0.8% (1994)

Debt - external

$31.3 billion (1992 est.)

Economic aid

donor: ODA, $808 million (1993)

Currency

1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 33.067 (January 1997), 30.962 (1996), 29.480 (1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields
Fixed lines
5.691 million
(1992 est.)

Telephone system

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

AM 3, FM 39, shortwave 0

Radios

100,000 (1992 est.)

Televisions

3,315,662 (1993 est.)

Transportation

10 fields

Merchant marine, 25 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1996 est.)

bulk 1cargo 7chemical tanker 4combination bulk 2liquefied gas tanker 1oil tanker 10

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

total
39under 914 m
21
over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1

Networkskm

Highways
142,563Railways
3,396Waterways
2,043
Highways: paved: 142,563 km (including 1,667 km of expressways) · unpaved: 0 km (1995 est.) · Railways: (2,363 km electrified; 2,563 km double track) · standard gauge : 3,396 km 1.435-m gauge (1995) · Waterways: (1,528 km in regular commercial use)

Railways

total:
3,396 km (2,363 km electrified; 2,563 km double track)
standard gauge :
3,396 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)

Highways

total:
142,563 km
paved:
142,563 km (including 1,667 km of expressways)
unpaved:
0 km (1995 est.)

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

Airports

42 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)

Heliports

1 (1996 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49 : 2,559,951 (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Illicit drugs

  • source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors;
  • transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe BELIZE

Central Intelligence Agency. “Belgium.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/belgium/1997.

How to cite ← 1996 edition 1998 edition →