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Belgium

OFFICIAL NAME:
Kingdom of Belgium

Geography
Area: 32,547 square kilometers (12,566 sq. mi.), about the size of Maryland.
Cities: Capital--Brussels (pop. 1,018,804). Other cities--Antwerp (466,203); Ghent (235,143); Charleroi (201,550); Liège (188,907); Bruges (116,982); and Namur (107,653).

People
Population (2006): 10,511,382.
Annual population growth rate (2006.): 0.7%.
Density: 861 per sq. mi. Linguistic regions--(Dutch-speaking) Flanders 57.9%; (French-speaking) Wallonia 31.7%; (legally bilingual) Brussels Capital Region 9.7%; German-speaking 0.7%.
Religions: Predominantly Roman Catholic, with Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Anglican, Greek and Russian Orthodox, as well as secularism, "recognized" religions receiving government subsidies.
Languages: Dutch, French, German.
Education: Literacy--99%.

Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch.
Independence: 1830.
Constitution: 1994 (revised).
Branches: Executive--King (head of state), Prime Minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--bicameral parliament (Senate and House of Representatives).
Major political parties: Christian Democratic, Liberal, Socialist, Green, Vlaams Belang.
Suffrage: Over 18, compulsory.
Political subdivisions: Ten provinces, three regions, three communities, 589 municipalities.

Economy
GDP (PPP, 2006 est.): $342.5 billion.
Annual real growth rate (2006): 3%.
Per capita income (PPP, 2006): $33,000.
Natural resources: Coal.
Agriculture: (1% of GDP) Products--livestock, including dairy cattle, grain, sugarbeets, milk, tobacco, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.
Industry: (24.3% of GDP) Types--engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum
Trade: Exports--$283.8 billion (2006 est.): transportation equipment, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs, chemicals. Export partners: Germany 19.7%, France 16.9%, Netherlands 12%, U.K. 7.9%, U.S. 6.2%, Italy 5.2%. Imports--$279.9 billion (2006 est.): Machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, transportation equipment, oil products. Import partners (2006): Netherlands 18.3%, Germany 17.3%, France 11.4%, U.K. 6.6%, Ireland 5.7%, U.S. 5.4%.

GEOGRAPHY AND PEOPLE
Belgium is located in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. Although generally flat, the terrain becomes increasingly hilly and forested in the southeast (Ardennes) region. Climate is cool, temperate, and rainy; summer temperatures average 77°F, winters average 45°F. Annual extremes (rarely attained) are 10°F and 100°F.

Geographically and culturally, Belgium is at a crossroads of Europe, and during the past 2,000 years has witnessed a constant ebb and flow of different races and cultures. Consequently, Belgium is one of Europe's true melting pots with Celtic, Roman, Germanic, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Austrian cultures having made an imprint.

Belgium is divided ethnically into the Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons, the 70,000 residents of the eastern German cantons, and the bilingual capital of Brussels. The population density is the second highest in Europe, after the Netherlands.