1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
30,562 km2 ; 28% cultivated, 24% meadow and pasture, 28% waste, urban, or other; 20% forested
Coastline
64 km
Land boundaries
1,377 km WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm (fishing 12 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
55% Flemings, 33% Walloons, 12% mixed or other
Labor force
4.09 million (July 1978); in June 1976, 46.7% in services, 28.0% in mining and manufacturing, 7,4% in construction, 6.6% in transportation, 3.2% in agriculture, 1.0% commuting foreign workers, 0.4% in public works; 10.2% unemployed (January 1982)
Language
French, Flemish (Dutch), German, in small area of eastern Belgium; divided along ethnic lines
Literacy
97%
Nationality
noun—Belgian(s); adjective—Belgian
Organized labor
70% of labor force
Population
9,881,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.1%
Religion
97% Roman Catholic, 3% none or other
Government
Branches
executive branch consists of King and Cabinet; Cabinet responsible to bicameral parliament; independent judiciary; coalition governments are usual
Capital
Brussels
Elections
held 8 November 1981 (held at least once every 4 years) Political parties and leaders: Flemish Social Christian, Frank Swaelen, president; Francophone Social Christian, Gerard Desprez, president; Flemish Socialist, Karel Van Miert, president; Francophone Socialist, Guy Spitaels, president; Flemish Liberal, Guy Verhofstadt, president; Francophone Liberals, Louis Michel, president; Francophone Democratic Front, Antoinette Spaak, president; Volksunie (Flemish Nationalist), Vic Anciaux, president; Communist, Louis Van Geyt, president; Walloon Rally, Henri Mordant Voting strength (1981 election): 61 seats Social Christian, 61 seats Socialist, 52 seats Liberal, 20 seats Volksunie, 8 seats Francophone Democratic Front and Walloon Rally, 4 seats Ecologist, 3 seats Anti-Tax Party (UDRT), 2 seats Communist, 1 seat Flemist Extremist Communists: 10,000 members (est., October 1981)
Government leaders
Head of State, King BAUDOUIN I; Prime Minister Wilfried MARTENS
Legal system
civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; constitution adopted 1831, since amended; judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at four law schools; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Member of
ADB, Benelux, BLEU, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, ECOSOC, ECSC, EEC, EIB, ELDO, EMA, ESRO, EURATOM, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAQ ICAO, ICO, ICES, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IOOC, IPU, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
National holiday
National Day, 21 July
Official name
Kingdom of Belgium
Other political or pressure groups
Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; the Federation of Belgium 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 Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons
Political subdivisions
nine provinces; as of 1 October 1980, Wallonia and Flanders have regional "subgovernments" with elected regional councils and executive officials; those regional authorities will have limited powers over revenues and certain areas of economic, urban, environmental, and housing policy; the authority of the regional sub-governments will increase over a five-year period; Wallonia also has a separate Walloon Cultural Council
Suffrage
universal over age 18 (as of 1981)
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Aid
(1970-79) bilateral economic aid authorized (ODA and OOF), $3,018 million
Budget
(1982 proj.) revenues, Belgian francs (BF) 1,153.5 billion; expenditures, BF 1,507.7 billion; deficit, BF $354.2 billion
Crude steel
18.0 million metric tons capacity (December 1981); 13.4 million metric tons produced, 1,360 kg per capita (1978)
Electric power
12,500,000 kW capacity (1980); 53,643 million kWh produced (1980), 5,440 kWh per capita
Exports
(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) $88.9 billion (f.o.b., 1980); iron and steel products, finished or semifinished precious stones, textile products
Fiscal year
calendar year
GNP
$118.5 billion (1980), $12,017 per capita; 64.3% consumption, 21.1% investment, 18.7% government consumption, 0.08% stock building,-0.91% net foreign balance (1978); 2% real growth rate in 1980 Fishing: catch 33,178 metric tons (1978); exports $60 million (1978), imports $327 million (1978)
Imports
(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) $93.5 billion (c.i.f., 1980); nonelectrical machinery, motor vehicles, textiles, chemicals, fuels
Major industries
engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, and petroleum
Major trade partners
(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union, 1979) 70% EC (22% West Germany, 17% France, 169$ Netherlands, 8% UK, 5% Italy), 5% US
Monetary conversion rate
(1980 average) 29.243 Belgian Francs=US$1
Communications
Airfields
47 total, 46 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
49 major transport aircraft, including 4 leased in and 5 leased out
Highways
104,663 km total; 1,102 km paved, limited access, divided autoroute; 51,780 km other paved; 51,781 km unpaved
Inland waterways
2,043 km, of which 1,528 km are in regular use by commercial transport
Pipelines
refined products, 1,115 km; crude, 161 km; natural gas, 3,218 km
Ports
5 major, 1 minor
Railroads
4,171 km total; 3,971 km standard gauge (1.435 m) and government-owned, 2,536 km double track, 1,413 km electrified; 200 km government-owned, electrified meter gauge (1.000 m)
Telecommunications
excellent domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; 3.45 million telephones (35.0 per 100 popl.); 6 AM, 31 FM, and 31 TV stations; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT station
Military and Security
Military manpower
males 15-49, 2,478,000; 2,096,000 fit for military service; 79,000 reach military age (19) annually