| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
50° 50' North Latitude
4° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
30,528 sq km |
| Climate |
Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy |
| Natural Resources |
Coal, natural gas, construction materials, silica sand, carbonates |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Kingdom of Belgium |
| Capital City |
Brussels |
| Government Type |
Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch |
| Administrative Divisions |
10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch: provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions; Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, 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 Day |
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I ascends to the throne) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
10,364,388 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Belgian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% |
| Languages |
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French) |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.15% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Euro (EUR) |
| Industries |
Engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum |
| Labor Force |
4.75 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 1.3%, industry 24.5%, services 74.2% (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk |
| Export Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs |
| Export Partners |
Germany 19.9%, France 17.2%, Netherlands 11.8%, UK 8.6%, US 6.5%, Italy 5.2% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products |
| Import Partners |
Germany 18.4%, Netherlands 17%, France 12.5%, UK 6.8%, Ireland 6.3%, US 5.5% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
3,521 km |
| Highways |
149,028 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 1,485 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2004) |
| Airports |
43 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Antwerp, Brussels, Gent, Liege, Oostende, Zeebrugge |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+32 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.be |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. It has prospered in the past half century as a modern,
technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south
have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. |
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