Belgium

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

Civil air

47 major transport aircraft

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)

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

Pipelines

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

Ports

Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge

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

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

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $4.2 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1991)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 2,550,088; 2,133,483 fit for military service; 66,249 reach military age (19) annually

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

Budget

revenues $45.0 billion; expenditures $55.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)

Currency

Belgian franc (plural - francs); 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion

Electricity

17,400,000 kW capacity; 67,100 million kWh produced, 6,767 kWh per capita (1991)

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)

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)

External debt

$28.8 billion (1990 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $171.8 billion, per capita $17,300; real growth rate 1.4% (1991 est.)

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)

Industrial production

growth rate 1.2% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.2% (1991 est.)

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.

Unemployment rate

9.4% est. (1991 est.)

Climate

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

Coastline

64 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

Disputes

none

Environment

air and water pollution

Land area

30,230 km2

Land boundaries

1,385 km total; France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km

Land use

arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%, includes irrigated NEGL%

Maritime claims

Continental shelf: not specific Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast) Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

coal, natural gas

Note

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

Terrain

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

Total area

30,510 km2

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (French - provinces, singular - province; Flemish - provincien, singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen

Capital

Brussels

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

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

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

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet

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)

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)

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 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)

Long-form name

Kingdom of Belgium

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

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 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

Type

constitutional monarchy

Birth rate

12 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

4,126,000; services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

73 years male, 80 years female (1992)

Literacy

99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

Nationality

noun - Belgian(s); adjective - Belgian

Net migration rate

1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

70% of labor force

Population

10,016,623 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)

Religions

Roman Catholic 75%, remainder Protestant or other

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (1992)