1985 Edition

Agriculture

livestock production predominates; main crops — grains, sugar beets, flax, potatoes, other vegetables, fruits Belize (formerly British Honduras)

Aid

donor — bilateral economic aid commitments(ODA and OOF), $3.3billion (1970-82)

Airfields

46 total, 45 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 3 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Area

30,540 km2; slightly larger than Maryland; 28% cultivated; 24% meadow and pasture; 20% forest; 28% waste, urban, or other

Branches

executive branch consists of King and Cabinet; Cabinet responsible to bicameral parliament (Senate and Chamber of Representatives); independent judiciary; coalition governments are usual

Army, Navy, Air Force

Budget

(1983) revenues, $24.5 billion; expenditures, $35.7 billion; deficit, $11.2 billion

Capital

Brussels

Civil air

47 major transport aircraft

Coastline

64 km People

386 km People

Communists

10,000 members (est, October 1981)

Crude steel

17.9 million metric tons capacity (December 1981); 10 million metric tons produced, 1,015 kg per capita (1983)

Elections

held at least once every four years; last held 8 November 1981 Political parties and leaders: Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Frank Swaelen, president; Walloon Social Christian (PSC), Gerard Deprez, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Karel van Miert, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy Spitaels, president; Flemish Liberal (PVV), Guy Verhofstadt, president; Walloon Liberal (PRL), Louis Michel, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges Clerfayt, president; Volksunie(VU), Vic Anciaux, president; Communist Party (PCB), Louis van Geyt, president; Walkxm Rally (RW), Fernand Massart; Ecologist Party (ECOLO-AGALEV), loosely organized, has no president; Anti-Tax Party (UDRT-RAD), Robert Hendrickand Thomas Delahaye, presidents; Vlaams Blok (VB), president unknown

Electric power

14,941,000 kW capacity (1984); 54.198 billion kWh produced (1984), 5,490 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

55% Fleming, 33% Walloon, 12% mixed or other

51% black, 22% mestizo, 19% Amerindian, 8% other

Exports

(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) $51.7 billion (f.o.b., 1983); iron and steel products (cars), petroleum products, precious stones

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 40,580 metric tons (1983); exports $29,991 million, imports $25,787 million

GNP

$81.24 billion (1983), $8,243 per capita; 66% consumption, 16% investment, 18% government consumption, 0.0% net foreign balance (1982); 0.3% real growth rate in 1983

Government leaders

BAUDOUIN I, King (since August 1950); Wilfried MARTENS, Prime Minister (since 1981)

Highways

103,396 km total; approximately 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 1 1,717 km national highway; 1,362 km provincial road; approximately 38,000 km other paved; approximately 51,000 km unpaved

Imports

(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) $53.7 billion (c.i.f., 1983); motor vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs

Inland waterways

2,043 km, of which 1,528 km are in regular use by commercial transport

Labor force

4 million (1983); 36% transportation, 33% industry and commerce, 21% public services, 2.3% agriculture; 11% unemployed (1983)

51,500(1984); 30% agriculture. 16% services, 15. 4% government, 11. 2% commerce, 10.3% manufacturing; shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel; over 14% are unemployed

Land boundaries

1,377 km Water

515 km Water

Language

56% Flemish (Dutch), 32% French, 1% German; 11% legally bilingual; divided along ethnic lines

English (official), Spanish Maya, Carib

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

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

3 nm (fishing 200 nm)

3 nm

Literacy

98%

over 80%

Major industries

engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, and petroleum

Major trade partners

(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union, 1983) exports — 70% EC (21. 3% ERG, 18.3% France, 14.3% Netherlands, 9.8% UK), 5.1% US, 2.6% Communist; imports— 68% EC (21.1% FRG, 18.7% Netherlands, 14.5% France, 8.7% UK), 6.6% US, 3.1% Communist

Member of

ADB, Benelux, BLEU, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, ECOSOC, EIB, ELDO, EMS, ESRO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB — Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1983, $2.7 billion; 8.0% of the central government budget 70 km * / »,;' 8ELMOPANV • Caribbean Sea unta Gorda Srf regional map HI Land 22,963 km2; slightly larger than Massachusetts; 46% exploitable forest, 38% agricultural (5% cultivated); 16% urban, waste, water, offshore islands, or other

Military manpower

males 15-49, 2,497,000; 2,112,000 fit for military service; 80,000 reach military age (19) annually

Monetary conversion rate

62.0 Belgian francs=US$l (December 1984)

National holiday

National Day, 21 July

Nationality

noun — Belgian(s); adjective — Belgian

noun — Belizean(s); adjective — Belizean

Official name

Kingdom of Belgium

Organized labor

70% of labor force Government

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 Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi

Pipelines

refined products, 1,115 km; crude, 161 km; natural gas, 3,218 km

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 have limited powers over revenues and certain areas of economic, urban, environmental, and housing policy; the authority of the regional subgovernments will increase over a five-year period; Wallonia also has a separate Walloon Cultural Council

Population

9,856,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 0%

161,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 2.3%

Ports

5 major, 1 minor

Railroads

4,111 km total; 3,920 km 1.435meter standard gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 1,763 km electrified; 191 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, electrified

Religion

75% Roman Catholic, remainder Protestant, none, or other

50% Roman Catholic; Anglican, Seventh-Day Adventist, Methodist, Baptist, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mennonite

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Telecommunications

excellent domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; 3.96 million telephones (47.0 per 100 popl.); 6 AM, 36 FM, 32 TV stations; 5 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT stations Defense Forces

Type

constitutional monarchy

Voting strength

(1981 election) Chamber of Representatives — CVP 43 seats, PS 35 seats, PVV 28 seats, SP 26 seats, PRL 24 seats, VU 20 seats, PSC 18 seats, FDF and RW 7 seats, ECOLO-AGALEV 4 seats, UDRT-RAD 3 seats, PCB 2 seats, VB 1 seat