[?] Subscribe To This Site

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)

Now you know all the information on belgium you can check out your French skills

More information on Belgium, a French-speaking nation
Flag of Belgium | Map of Belgium | Learn French in Belgium |

Information on Belgium
Learn French Help – A Resource for the those Learning to speak French
32 Alverton, Great Linford, Milton Keynes, MK14 5EF, United Kingdom

Custom Search

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FRENCH TO BLAST OFF!

Get French lessons and verbs emailed direct to you free

Get lots of useful French lessons and French verbs sent to you each week free by email, from the 200 Words a Day accelerated language learning team. Great for learning, review and consolidating your French knowledge.

Yes, send me my free Learn French newsletters. My details are:

Your privacy is important to us. We do not sell our mailing lists.