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Fun facts, stats & information on Belgium

General overview and information on Belgium:

Belgium is a modern, prosperous and technologically sophisticated European state. It is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the EU, where it houses, in Brussels, the HQ of European Union.

The Flemish North, where Dutch is spoken, is a separate region from the French speaking Wallonia area of the South.

Geographical Point of Interest-information on Belgium:

Geographical Position: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

Map Ref Latitude & Longitude 50 50 North, 4 00 East

Total Land & Sea Area Total: 30,500 square kms land area: 30,250 square kms Sea Area300 square kms Land boundaries: Total: 1,390 kms Border countries: France 630 kms, Germany 160 kms, Luxembourg 155 kms, Netherlands 450 kms Coastal Length: 60 kms

Climatological information on Belgium:

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy terrain of country flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

Highest & Lowest Elevations: Lowest elevation: North Sea 0 meters highest point: Signal de Botrange 695 meters

Natural resources: coal, natural gas Land use: arable land area: 30 percent permanent crops: none note: includes Luxembourg (1998 estimate.) other: 75 percent Irrigated land area: 40 square kms (includes Luxembourg) (1998 estimate.)

Natural hazards: flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

People-information on Belgium:

Population: 10,289,100 (July 2003 estimate.) Age structure: Under 15: 17 percent From 15 to 65: 66 percent Over 65: 17 percent Median age: Total: 40 years male: 39 years female: 41 years (2002) Population growth rate: 0.15 percent (2003 estimate.) Birth rate: 10.50 births/1,000 population (2003 estimate.) Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (2003 estimate.) Net migration rate: 1 migrant /1,000 population (2003 estimate.) infant mortality rate: Total: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 estimate.) male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.3 years male: 75 years female: 82 years (2003 estimate.) Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (2003 estimate.)

Nationality: Belgian

Ethnic groups: Fleming 60 percent, Walloon 30 percent, mixed or other 10 percent

Religious information on Belgium: Roman Catholic 74 percent, Protestant or other 26 percent Languages: Dutch (official) 60 percent, French (official) 40 percent, German (official) less than 1 percent, legally bilingual (Dutch and French) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over that can read and write total population: 99 percent

Government-information on Belgium:

Kingdom of Belgium
Government type: federal parliamentary democracy with constitutional monarch Capital city: Brussels

Independence: 4 October 1830 a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands ; 21 July 1831 the ascension of King Leopold I to the throne National holiday: 21 July (1831) Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; Legal system: Civil law Suffrage: All citizens get the vote at 18 years of age

Executive branch: Head of State: Monarch Head of government: Prime Minister ; Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch and approved by Parliament

Economy information on Belgium:

Gross Domestic Product: - $USD300 billion (2002 estimate.) Gross Domestic Product - growth rate: 1 percent (2002 estimate.) Gross Domestic Product - per capita: - $USD29,000 (2002 estimate.) Gross Domestic Product - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.5 percent industry: 24.5 percent services: 74 percent (2001) Population below poverty line: 4 percent Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.8 percent (2002 estimate.) Labor force: 4.5 million (2001) Labor force - by occupation: services 75 percent, industry 23 percent, agriculture 2 percent (1999 estimate.) rate of unemployment: 7.5 percent (2002 estimate.)

Budget information on Belgium:: incomes: $USD113 billion spending: $USD106 billion,

Industrial production growth rate: 4 percent (2000 estimate.)

Agriculture - products:

sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk Exports: $USD160 billion (2002 estimate.) Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs Exports - partners: Germany 19 percent, France 16 percent, Netherlands 11.5 percent, UK 9.5 percent, US 8 percent, Italy 5.5 percent (2002) Imports: $USD150 billion (2001)

Imports - partners: Germany 17 percent, Netherlands 15.5 percent, France 13 percent, UK 7.5 percent, Ireland 7 percent, US 6.5 percent, Italy 4 percent (2002) Debt - external: $USD28.5 billion (1999 estimate.) Economic aid - donor: ODA, $USD765 million (1997)

Currency: euro (EUR) Currency code: EUR

Communications information on Belgium:

Telephones: 4.770 million (1997) Radio broadcast stations: Frequency Modulation 79, Amplitude Modulation 7, SW 1 (1998) Television stations: 25 (1997) Internet country code: .be Internet users: 3.76 million (2002)

Transportation in & Travel to:

Railroad networks: Total: 3,500 kms Roading System: Total: 148,000 kms Waterways: 1,600 kms (route length in regular commercial use) (2001) Pipelines: gas 1,490 kms; oil 160 kms; refined products 540 kms (2003)

Airports: 42 (2002)

Military information on Belgium:

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Components, Federal Police Military spending: $USD3.100 billion (Fiscal Year 01/02) Military spending: - percent of Gross Domestic Product: 1.5 percent (Fiscal Year 01/02)

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