Facts and Figures

Geography
Location Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
Area total: 30,528 sq km
land: 30,278 sq km
water: 250 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Maryland
Land boundaries total: 1,385 km
border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km
Coastline 66.5 km
Climate temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrain flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Elevation extremes lowest point: North Sea 0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m
Natural resources coal, natural gas, construction materials, silica sand, carbonates
Land use arable land: 23.28%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 76.32%
note: includes Luxembourg (2001)
Geography - note crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO




People
Population 10,364,388 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure 0-14 years: 16.9% (male 892,995/female 855,177)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,435,282/female 3,373,917)
65 years and over: 17.4% (male 745,178/female 1,061,839) (2005 est.)
Birth rate 10.48 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate 10.22 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate 1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 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 (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate 1.64 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Nationality noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian
Ethnic groups Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%
Religions Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%
Languages Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)




Government

Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium
local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
local short form: Belgique/Belgie
Government type federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch
Capital Brussels
Administrative divisions 10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch: provinces, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions; Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant Walloon, 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 linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities
Independence: 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I ascends to the throne)
National holiday 21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I
Constitution 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state
Legal system civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Franciskus VAN DAELE
chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900
FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Tom C. KOROLOGOS
embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710
telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111
FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725
Flag description three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France




Economy
Economy - overview 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.
GDP purchasing power parity - $316.2 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $30,600 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 25.7%
services: 73% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed) 19.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.9% (2004 est.)
Labor force 4.75 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1.3%, industry 24.5%, services 74.2% (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $173.7 billion
expenditures: $174.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.56 billion (2004 est.)
Public debt 96.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk
Industries engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate 3.5% (2004 est.)
Current account balance $11.4 billion (2004 est.)
Exports $255.7 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
Exports - partners Germany 19.9%, France 17.2%, Netherlands 11.8%, UK 8.6%, US 6.5%, Italy 5.2% (2004)
Imports $235 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products
Imports - partners Germany 18.4%, Netherlands 17%, France 12.5%, UK 6.8%, Ireland 6.3%, US 5.5% (2004)
Currency 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
Fiscal year calendar year




Transportation
Railways total: 3,518 km
standard gauge: 3,518 km 1.435-m gauge (2,631 km electrified) (2003)
Highways: total: 149,028 km
paved: 116,540 km (including 1,729 km of expressways)
unpaved: 32,488 km (2002)
Waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2003)
Pipelines: gas 1,485 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Antwerp (one of the world's busiest ports), Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur,

Oostende, Zeebrugge

Merchant marine: total: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,146,301 GRT/1,588,184 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 15, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 17, petroleum tanker 9
foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 4, France 4, Greece 4)
registered in other countries: 101 (2005)
Airports: 43 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 25
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.)
Heliports: 1 (2004 est.)