1996 Edition

Description

three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France

Location

50 50 N, 4 00 E -- Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

land area

30,230 sq km

total area

30,510 sq km

Climate

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

Coastline

64 km

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

international agreements

party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

natural hazards

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

Geographic coordinates

50 50 N, 4 00 E

Geographic note

crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of the EU

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

total

1,385 km

Land use

arable land

24%

forest and woodland

21%

meadows and pastures

20%

other

34%

permanent crops

1%

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

median line with neighbors

exclusive fishing zone

median line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

coal, natural gas

Terrain

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

highest point

Signal de Botrange 694 m

lowest point

North Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 930,919; female 886,632) 15-64 years: 66% (male 3,380,105; female 3,326,853) 65 years and over: 16% (male 663,760; female 981,972) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

10.3 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.51 years (1996 est.)

male

73.86 years

total population

77.09 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

99%

Nationality

adjective

Belgian

noun

Belgian(s)

Net migration rate

1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

10,170,241 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.33% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.06 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 fertility rate

1.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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 increased the number of provinces to 10 by splitting the province of Brabant into two new provinces, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant

Capital

Brussels

Chamber of Deputies(Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordig

elections last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held by the end of 1999); results - 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 - (150 total) 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

Constitution

7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state

Data code

BE

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Andre ADAM

telephone

[1] (202) 333-6900

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet is appointed by the king and approved by Parliament

chief of state

King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993) is a constitutional monarch

head of government

Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992) was appointed by the king and then approved by Parliament

FAX

[1] (202) 333-3079

[32] (2) 511-2725

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

Flag

three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France

Independence

4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

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, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van Cassatie, French - Cour de Cassation), judges are appointed for life by the Belgian monarch

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

Name of country

conventional long form

Kingdom of Belgium

conventional short form

Belgium

local long form

Royaume de Belgique

local short form

Belgique

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 Christian Democrats (CVP - Christian People's Party), Johan VAN HECKE, president; Francophone Christian Democrats (PSC - Social Christian Party), Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist Party (SP), Louis TOBBACK, president; Francophone Socialist Party (PS), Philippe BUSQUIN, president; Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD), Herman DE CROO, president; Francophone Liberal Reformation Party (PRL), Louis MICHEL, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Olivier MAINGAIN, president; Volksunie (VU), Bert ANCIAUX, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman; National Front (FN), Daniel FERET, president; AGALEV (Flemish Greens), no president; ECOLO (Francophone Greens), no president; other minor parties

Senate (Flemish - Senaat French - Senat)

elections last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held by the end of 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (71 total, 40 directly elected; 31 will be indirectly elected at a later date) 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type of government

constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

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

Agriculture

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

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

revenues

$NA

Currency

1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

donor

ODA, $808 million (1993)

Economic 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 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, and recovered with moderate 2.3% growth in 1994 and 1995. 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.

Electricity

capacity

14,040,000 kW

consumption per capita

6,334 kWh (1993)

production

66 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 30.036 (January 1996), 29.480 (1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991)

Exports

$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)

External debt

$31.3 billion (1992 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $197 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

2%

industry

28%

services

70% (1994)

GDP per capita

$19,500 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2.3% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine entering the European market

Imports

$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)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.6% (1995 est.)

Labor force

4.126 million

by occupation

services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)

Unemployment rate

14% (1995 est.)

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $4.6 billion, 1.7% of GDP (1995)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

2,571,588

males fit for military service

2,135,375

males reach military age (19) annually

61,986 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 39, shortwave 0

Radios

100,000 (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

Telephones

5.691 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

32 (1987 est.)

Televisions

3,315,662 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

42

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

9

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1

with paved runways over 3 047 m

6

with paved runways under 914 m

21

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

3 (1995 est.)

Heliports

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

129,603 km (including 1,667 km of expressways)

total

137,876 km

unpaved

8,273 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 8, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 6 (1995 est.)

total

23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 64,220 GRT/83,360 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 161 km; petroleum products 1,167 km; natural gas 3,300 km

Ports

Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Railways

standard gauge

3,396 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)

total

3,396 km (2,363 km electrified; 2,563 km double track)

Waterways

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