1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Coastline
64 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Maryland
Continental shelf
not specific
Disputes
none
Environment
air and water pollution
Exclusive fishing zone
equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)
Land area
30,230 km2
Land boundaries
1,385 km total; France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km
Land use
arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%, includes irrigated NEGL%
Natural resources
coal, natural gas
Note
majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels; crossroads of Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of the EC
Terrain
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
30,510 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%
Infant mortality rate
8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
4,126,000; services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)
Languages
Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%; legally bilingual 11%; divided along ethnic lines
Life expectancy at birth
73 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Literacy
99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Nationality
noun - Belgian(s); adjective - Belgian
Net migration rate
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
70% of labor force
Population
10,016,623 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Religions
Roman Catholic 75%, remainder Protestant or other
Total fertility rate
1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
9 provinces (French - provinces, singular - province; Flemish - provincien, singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
Capital
Brussels
Chamber of Representatives
last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (212 total) number of seats by party NA
Chief of State
King BAUDOUIN I (since 17 July 1951); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liege (brother of the King; born 6 June 1934)
Constitution
7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the process of revising the Constitution with the aim of federalizing the Belgian state
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Juan CASSIERS; Chancery at 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-6900; there are Belgian Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York US: Ambassador Bruce S. GELB; Embassy at 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels (mailing address is APO AE 09724); telephone [32] (2) 513-3830; FAX [32] (2) 511-2725; there is a US Consulate General in Antwerp
Executive branch
monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
Flag
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France
Head of Government
Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)
Independence
4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van Cassatie, French - Cour de Cassation)
Legal system
civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Flemish - Senaat, French - Senat) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French - Chambre des Representants)
Long-form name
Kingdom of Belgium
Member of
ACCT, AfDB, AG, AsDB, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
National holiday
National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)
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
Political parties and leaders
Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman van ROMPUY, president; Walloon Social Christian (PSC) , Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank VANDENBROUCKE, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), NA; Flemish Liberal (PVV), Guy VERHOF STADT, president; Walloon Liberal (PRL), Antoine DUQUESNE, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president; Volksunie (VU), Jaak GABRIELS, president; Communist Party (PCB), Louis van GEYT, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman; ROSSEM, Jean Pierre VAN ROSSEM; National Front (FN), Werner van STEEN; Live Differently (AGALEV), Leo COX; Ecologist (ECOLO), NA; other minor parties
Senate
last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (106 total) number of seats by party NA
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age 18
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 2.3% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production - beef, veal, pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, and tobacco; net importer of farm products
Budget
revenues $45.0 billion; expenditures $55.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
Currency
Belgian franc (plural - francs); 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion
Electricity
17,400,000 kW capacity; 67,100 million kWh produced, 6,767 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 32.462 (January 1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987)
Exports
$118 billion (f.o.b., 1990) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products partners: EC 74%, US 5%, former Communist countries 2% (1989)
External debt
$28.8 billion (1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power equivalent - $171.8 billion, per capita $17,300; real growth rate 1.4% (1991 est.)
Imports
$120 billion (c.i.f., 1990) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs partners: EC 73%, US 4%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, former Communist countries 3% (1989)
Industrial production
growth rate 1.2% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP
Industries
engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.2% (1991 est.)
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 essential raw materials, making its economy closely dependent on the state of world markets. Over 70% of trade is with other EC countries. During the period 1988-90, Belgium's economic performance was marked by 4% average growth, moderate inflation, and a substantial external surplus. Growth fell to 1.4% in 1991.
Unemployment rate
9.4% est. (1991 est.)
Communications
Airports
42 total, 42 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
47 major transport aircraft
Highways
103,396 km total; 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717 km national highway; 1,362 km provincial road; about 38,000 km paved and 51,000 km unpaved rural roads
Inland waterways
2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
Merchant marine
23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 62,979 GRT/88,738 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 4 petroleum tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 chemical tanker, 1 bulk, 2 refrigerated cargo
Pipelines
petroleum products 1,167 km; crude oil 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km
Ports
Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge
Railroads
Belgian National Railways (SNCB) operates 3,667 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 1,978 km electrified; 191 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned and operated
Telecommunications
highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; extensive cable network; limited radio relay network; 4,720,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 39 FM, 32 TV; 5 submarine cables; 2 satellite earth stations - Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and EUTELSAT systems; nationwide mobile phone system
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $4.2 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1991)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 2,550,088; 2,133,483 fit for military service; 66,249 reach military age (19) annually