*Belgium, Geography

Location:   Western Europe, bordering on the North Sea, between France and the
  Netherlands
Map references:
  Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  30,510 km2
 land area:
  30,230 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
  total 1,385 km, France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,
  Netherlands 450 km
Coastline:
  64 km
Maritime claims:
 continental shelf:
  equidistant line with neighbors
 exclusive fishing zone:
  equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International 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%
Irrigated land:
  10 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  air and water pollution
Note:
  crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within
  1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of the EC

*Belgium, People

Population:   10,040,939 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.23% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  11.94 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  10.32 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  76.72 years
 male:
  73.41 years
 female:
  80.21 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.62 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Belgian(s)
 adjective:
  Belgian
Ethnic divisions:
  Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%
Languages:
  Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual 11% divided
  along ethnic lines
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
 total population:
  99%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  4.126 million
 by occupation:
  services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)

*Belgium, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Kingdom of Belgium
 conventional short form:
  Belgium
 local long form:
  Royaume de Belgique  local short form:
  Belgique
Digraph:
  BE
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)
Political parties and leaders:
  Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman VAN ROMPUY, president; Walloon Social
  Christian (PSC) , Melchior WATHELET, president; Flemish Socialist (SP),
  Frank VANDENBROUCKE, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy SPITAELS;
  Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, 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 VAN DILLEN, chairman; ROSSEM, Jean Pierre VAN ROSSEM; National
  Front (FN), Werner van STEEN; Live Differently (AGALEV; Flemish Green
  party), Leo COX; Ecologist (ECOLO; Francophone Green party), NA; other minor
  parties
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
Suffrage:
  18 years of age, universal and compulsory
Elections:
 Senate:
  last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (184 total; of which 106 are directly
  elected) CVP 20, SP 14, PVV (now VLD) 13, VU 5, AGALEV 5, VB 5, ROSSEN 1, PS
  18, PRL 9, PSC 9, ECOLO 6, FDF 1

*Belgium, Government

 Chamber of Representatives:
  last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results - CVP
  16.7%, PS 13.6%, SP 12.0%, PVV (now VLD) 11.9%, PRL 8.2%, PSC 7.8%, VB 6.6%,
  VU 5.9%, ECOLO 5.1%, AGALEV 4.9%, FDF 2.6%, ROSSEM 3.2%, FN 1.5%; seats -
  (212 total) CVP 39, PS 35, SP 28, PVV (now VLD) 26, PRL 20, PSC 18, FB 12,
  VU 10, ECOLO 10, AGALEV 7, FDF 3, ROSSEM 3, FN 1
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)
Member of:
  AG (observer), ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australian Group, 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, NSG,
  OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP,
  UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
  ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Juan CASSIERS
 chancery:
  3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 333-6900
 FAX:
  (202) 333-3079
 consulates general:
  Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Bruce S. GELB
 embassy:
  27 Boulevard du Regent, Brussels
 mailing address:
  B-1000 Brussels, PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09724
 telephone:
  [32] (2) 513-3830
 FAX:
  [32] (2) 511-2725
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. The economy grew at a strong 4% pace during the period 1988-90,
  but economic growth slowed to a 1% pace in 1991-92. The economy is expected
  to turn in another sluggish 1% performance in 1993. Belgium's public debt
  remains high at 120% of GDP and the government is trying to control its
  expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized
  countries.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $177.9 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
  0.8% (1992)
National product per capita:
  $17,800 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.6% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  9.8% (end 1992)
Budget:
  revenues $97.8 billion; expenditures $109.3 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
  $118 billion (f.o.b., 1991) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
 commodities:
  iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum
  products
 partners:
  EC 75.5%, US 3.7%, former Communist countries 1.4% (1991)
Imports:
  $121 billion (c.i.f., 1991) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
 commodities:
  fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs
 partners:
  EC 73%, US 4.8%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, former Communist
  countries 1.8% (1991)
External debt:
  $31.3 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 1.6% (1992 est.)
Electricity:
  17,500,000 kW capacity; 68,000 million kWh produced, 6,790 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, 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,
  tobacco; net importer of farm products
Illicit drugs:
  source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors;
  increasingly important gateway country for cocaine entering the European
  market

*Belgium, Economy

Economic aid:
  donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion
Currency:
  1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 33.256 (January 1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148
  (1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Belgium, Communications

Railroads:
  Belgian National Railways (SNCB) operates 3,568 km 1.435-meter standard
  gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 2,207 km electrified
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 96,949 GRT/133,658 DWT; includes 10
  cargo, 5 oil tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 5 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
Airports:
 total:
  42
 usable:
  42
 with permanent-surface runways:
  24
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  14
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  3
Telecommunications:   highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated
  domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; extensive
  cable network; limited microwave 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 age 15-49 2,556,189; fit for military service 2,133,051; reach
  military age (19) annually 63,532 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $4 billion, 2% of GDP (1992)