Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it 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.

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

50 50 N, 4 00 E

total: 30,528 sq km
land: 30,278 sq km
water: 250 sq km

total: 1,385 km
border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

66.5 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit
continental shelf: median line with neighbors

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

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

construction materials, silica sand, carbonates

arable land: 27.42%
permanent crops: 0.69%
other: 71.89%
note: includes Luxembourg (2005)

400 sq km (2003)

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

the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges

crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO

10,379,067 (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 16.7% (male 883,254/female 846,099)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,450,879/female 3,389,565)
65 years and over: 17.4% (male 746,569/female 1,062,701) (2006 est.)

total: 40.9 years
male: 39.6 years
female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)

0.13% (2006 est.)

10.38 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

10.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 78.77 years
male: 75.59 years
female: 82.09 years (2006 est.)

1.64 children born/woman (2006 est.)

0.2% (2003 est.)

10,000 (2003 est.)

less than 100 (2003 est.)

noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian

Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%

Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

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

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch

Brussels

10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch: provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions; Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Brussels* (Bruxelles), Flanders*, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams-Brabant, Wallonia*, West-Vlaanderen
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 four linguistic communities) with a complex division of responsibilities

4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I ascends to the throne)

21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I

7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to create a federal state

civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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 18 May 2003 (next to be held no later than May 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit 15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH 5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5, VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR 11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit 23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8, Ecolo 4, other 2
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

Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice Council)

ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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. 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. Roughly three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt is nearly 100% of GDP. On the positive side, the government has succeeded in balancing its budget, and income distribution is relatively equal. Belgium began circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth in 2001-03 dropped sharply because of the global economic slowdown, with moderate recovery in 2004-05.

$330.6 billion (2005 est.)

$352.6 billion (2005 est.)

1.5% (2005 est.)

$31,900 (2005 est.)

agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 24.7%
services: 74% (2004 est.)

4.77 million (2005 est.)

agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 24.5%
services: 74.2% (2003 est.)

8.4% (2005 est.)

4% (1989 est.)

lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 23% (1996)

25 (1996)

2.7% (2005 est.)

18.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

revenues: $180.4 billion
expenditures: $180.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.56 billion (2005 est.)

93.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

1.1% (2005 est.)

78.77 billion kWh (2003)

79.66 billion kWh (2003)

8.3 billion kWh (2003)

14.7 billion kWh (2003)

13,060 bbl/day (2003)

624,200 bbl/day (2003 est.)

450,000 bbl/day (2001)

1.042 million bbl/day (2001)

15.48 billion cu m (2003 est.)

15.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)

$6.983 billion (2005 est.)

$269.6 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs

Germany 19.9%, France 17.2%, Netherlands 11.8%, UK 8.6%, US 6.5%, Italy 5.2% (2004)

$264.5 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products

Germany 18.4%, Netherlands 17%, France 12.5%, UK 6.8%, Ireland 6.3%, US 5.5% (2004)

$13.99 billion (2004 est.)

$980.1 billion (30 June 2005 est.)

ODA, $1.072 billion (2002)

euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

calendar year

4.801 million (2004)

9,131,700 (2004)

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: country code - 32; submarine cables - 5; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2005)

FM 79, AM 7, shortwave 1 (1998)

25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)

.be

2,238,900 (2005)

5.1 million (2005)

43 (2005)

total: 25
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 7 (2005)

total: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 16 (2005)

1 (2005)

gas 1,485 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2004)

total: 3,521 km
standard gauge: 3,521 km 1.435-m gauge (2,927 km electrified) (2004)

total: 149,757 km
paved: 117,110 km (including 1,747 km of expressways)
unpaved: 32,647 km (2003)

2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2003)

total: 68 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,116,336 GRT/6,962,448 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 20, cargo 3, chemical tanker 2, container 12, liquefied gas 19, petroleum tanker 12
foreign-owned: 14 (Denmark 4, France 2, Germany 1, Greece 4, Hong Kong 1, Italy 1, UK 1)
registered in other countries: 105 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, The Bahamas 11, Belize 1, Cyprus 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 5, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 11, Hong Kong 3, Luxembourg 15, Malta 11, Mozambique 2, Netherlands 2, Netherlands Antilles 4, Panama 13, Portugal 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Singapore 9, Sweden 3) (2005)

Antwerp, Brussels, Gent, Liege, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Belgian Armed Forces: Land, Naval, and Air Operations Commands (2005)

none

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; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco