:Belgium Geography Total area: 30,510 km2 Land area: 30,230 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland Land boundaries: 1,385 km total; France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km Coastline: 64 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: not specific Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast) Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: none 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 Natural resources: coal, natural gas Land use: arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%, includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: air and water pollution Note: majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels; crossroads of Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of the EC :Belgium People Population: 10,016,623 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992) Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Belgian(s); adjective - Belgian Ethnic divisions: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12% Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, remainder Protestant or other Languages: Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%; legally bilingual 11%; divided along ethnic lines Literacy: 99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) Labor force: 4,126,000; services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988) Organized labor: 70% of labor force :Belgium Government Long-form name: Kingdom of Belgium Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Brussels Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French - provinces, singular - province; Flemish - provincien, singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands) 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 Legal system: civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831) Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet 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) Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van Cassatie, French - Cour de Cassation) Leaders: Chief of State: King BAUDOUIN I (since 17 July 1951); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liege (brother of the King; born 6 June 1934) Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992) 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 Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 Elections: 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 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 :Belgium 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 the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi 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 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 Flag: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France :Belgium Economy 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. GDP: purchasing power equivalent - $171.8 billion, per capita $17,300; real growth rate 1.4% (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2% (1991 est.) Unemployment rate: 9.4% est. (1991 est.) Budget: revenues $45.0 billion; expenditures $55.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989) 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) 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) External debt: $28.8 billion (1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 1.2% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP Electricity: 17,400,000 kW capacity; 67,100 million kWh produced, 6,767 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal 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 Economic aid: donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion Currency: Belgian franc (plural - francs); 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes 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) Fiscal year: calendar year :Belgium Communications 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 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) Pipelines: petroleum products 1,167 km; crude oil 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km Ports: Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge 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 Civil air: 47 major transport aircraft 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 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 :Belgium Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,550,088; 2,133,483 fit for military service; 66,249 reach military age (19) annually Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $4.2 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1991)