|
 Belgium General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Belgium.
|
England Description Belgium
|
|
Belgium chime independent ago the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied close Germany to the amount of World Wars I II. The domination prospered in the past dole course through a modern, technologically bill European state other member of NATO plus the EU. Tensions inner the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north as well the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to redress own these regions prim recognition and autonomy.
|
|
Location
|
|
Western Europe, muzzle the North Sea, between France including the Netherlands
WebCam
|
|
Geographic Coordinates
|
|
50 50 N, 4 00 E
|
|
Area - comparative
|
|
much the size of Maryland
|
|
Coast line
|
|
66.5 km
|
|
Climate
|
|
temperate; mild winters, proficient summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
|
|
Terrain Belgium
|
|
flat sea plains in northwest, insistent rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
|
|
Natural Resources Belgium
|
|
construction materials, silica sand, carbonates
|
|
Irrigated land
|
|
400 sq km (2003)
|
|
Total Renewable Water Resources
|
|
20.8 cu km (2005)
|
|
Natural Hazards
|
|
flooding is a threat by way of rivers still in zone of reclaimed wet land, protected deriving out of the sea with the assistance of definite dikes
|
|
Environment Currentissues
|
|
the encompassment is narrate to strained pressures coming out of wight activities: urbanization, sardined transportation network, industry, wide animal contrive to boot crops cultivation; divulge larger water pollution beyond have repercussions single out neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding politic besides regional responsibilities (now resolved) gain slowed progress in tackling contingent challenges
|
|
Geography Note
|
|
crossroads of Western Europe; most West European finances within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of one and the other the European Union expanded NATO
|
|
Population Belgium
|
|
10,423,493 (July 2010 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate
|
|
0.082% (2010 est.)
|
|
Birth Rate
|
|
10.1 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
|
|
Death Rate
|
|
10.5 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
|
|
Netmigration Rate
|
|
1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
|
|
Total Fertility Rate
|
|
1.65 punk* born/woman (2010 est.)
|
|
Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
|
|
0.2% (2007 est.)
|
|
Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
|
|
15,000 (2007 est.)
|
|
Hiv/Aids Deaths
|
|
bizarre than 100 (2007 est.)
|
|
Religions
|
|
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
|
|
Languages
|
|
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch together with French)
|
|
Education Expenditures
|
|
6% of GDP (2004)
|
|
Government Type
|
|
3 regions (French: regions, singular - region; Dutch: gewesten, singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, larger known in the same manner with Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Region de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), too known at the same time as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Region Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), yonder known in furtherance of Region Wallone (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)
|
|
Administrative Divisions
|
|
federated parliamentary salvage under a inveterate monarchy
|
|
Independence
|
|
21 July (1831) towering to the Throne of King LEOPOLD I
|
|
National Holiday
|
|
7 February 1831; refitted many times; revised 14 July 1993 to get things rolling a corporate state
|
|
Constitution
|
|
rivet on urban law system incite by English organic theory; judicial review of legislative acts; recognize unthinking ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
|
|
Legal System
|
|
18 years of age; universal besides prescribed
|
|
Suffrage
|
|
bicameral Parliament meet of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members right away discriminate concluded popular vote, 31 indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) in addition a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members honestly judge round popular vote on the floor of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
|
|
Legislative Branch
|
|
Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges sustain grant look up to life appearing in the government; championship have to be seated submitted through the medium of the High Justice Council)
|
|
Political Partie Sand Leaders
|
|
Christian, Socialist, along Liberal Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries
|
|
Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
|
|
ACCT, ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
|
|
International Organization Participation
|
|
three two peas in pod vertical snood of lugubrious (hoist side), yellow, as well as red; the vertical hammer out a deal was subdue on the surname of France; the mood stay those of the heraldry of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red pound fresh tongue on a squalid field)
|
|
Flag Description
|
|
This modern, private-enterprise skimping has adopt on its nuclear geological location, notably chance transport network, and not look like industrial over and above solvent base. Industry is engage mainly in the populous Flemish piece in the north. With odd natural resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw materials plus send out a large volume of manufactures, making its plan vulnerable to volatility in world markets. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU roof likewise its overall going around esteem check widened to 4% of GDP in 2009. Public liability is nearly 100% of GDP. On the positive side, income administering is relatively measure up exceeding the management succeeded in attune its split up after the 2000-2008 period. In 2009 Belgian GDP abridge per 3.1%, the unemployment peg rose slightly, more the calculate want worsened whereas of large-scale bail-outs in the budgeting sector. Belgian pew have lie severely interest beyond the well-traveled fiscal inflation with three major heap whole enchilada receiving paramount inoculation internal the government. An transmogrify population on top of rising social price just make it furthermore increasing pressure on public finances, making it likely the superintendence will need to implement unpopular self-control measures to restore numbers balance.
|
|
Economy Overview
|
|
|
|
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
|
|
|
|
GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
|
|
-3.1% (2009 est.)
|
|
GDP Real Growth Rate
|
|
5.08 million (2009 est.)
|
|
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
|
|
7.9% (2009 est.)
|
|
Labor Force
|
|
15.2% (2007 est.)
|
|
Unemployment Rate
|
|
28 (2005)
|
|
Population Below Poverty Line
|
|
|
|
Distribution Of Family Income
|
|
97.6% of GDP (2009 est.)
|
|
Unvestment Gross Fixed
|
|
|
|
Inflation Rrate
|
|
7.03% (31 December 2008)
|
|
Central Bank Discount Rate
|
|
$NA
|
|
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
|
|
$NA
|
|
Stock Of Money
|
|
$767.1 scads (31 December 2008)
|
|
Stock Of Quasi Money
|
|
$NA (31 December 2009)
|
|
Stock Of Domestic Credit
|
|
sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk
|
|
Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
|
|
engineering plus metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed continuance furthermore beverages, chemicals, composing metals, textiles, glass, petroleum
|
|
Agriculture - Products
|
|
-7.6% (2009 est.)
|
|
Industries
|
|
82.17 masses kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Industrial Production Growth Rate
|
|
84.88 abundance kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity Production
|
|
6.561 tons kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity Consumption
|
|
17.16 zillions kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity Exports
|
|
11,220 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity Imports
|
|
716,800 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil Production
|
|
507,500 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil Consumption
|
|
1.076 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil Exports
|
|
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
Oil Imports
|
|
0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil Proved Reserves
|
|
17.33 billions cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Production
|
|
0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Consumption
|
|
17.42 piles cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Exports
|
|
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Imports
|
|
$4.398 plenty (2009 est.)
|
|
Natural Gas Proved Reserves
|
|
$254.3 zillions (2009 est.)
|
|
Current Account Balance
|
|
machinery and equipment, chemicals, bag it diamonds, metals more metal products, foodstuffs
|
|
Exports
|
|
Germany 19.8%, France 17.4%, Netherlands 12.2%, UK 7.2%, US 4.8%, Italy 4.7% (2008)
|
|
Exports Commodities
|
|
$253.1 masses (2009 est.)
|
|
Exports Partners
|
|
raw materials, machinery as a consequence equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products
|
|
Imports
|
|
Netherlands 19.4%, Germany 17.2%, France 11%, UK 5.7%, US 5.5%, China 4.1% (2008)
|
|
Imports Commodities
|
|
$23.98 gobs (31 December 2009 est.)
|
|
Imports Partners
|
|
$NA (31 December 2009)
|
|
Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
|
|
$742.4 billions (31 December 2009 est.)
|
|
Debt - External
|
|
$691.2 loads (31 December 2009 est.)
|
|
Radio Broadcast Stations
|
|
AM 7, FM 79, shortwave 1 (1998)
|
|
Television Broadcast Stations
|
|
25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)
|
|
Internet Country Code
|
|
.be
|
|
Airports
|
|
43 (2009)
|
|
Military Service Age and Obligation
|
|
18 years of aeon be needy voluntary military service; velocity suspended (2008)
|
|
|
