BELGIUM                                                                         
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 30,510 km2; land area: 30,230 km2                                   
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland                                 
                                                                                
Land boundaries: 1,385 km total; France 620 km, Germany 167 km,                 
Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 64 km                                                                
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Continental shelf: not specific;                                                
                                                                                
Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighbors (extends                
about 68 km from coast);                                                        
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
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%, includes irrigated            
NEGL%                                                                           
                                                                                
Environment: air and water pollution                                            
                                                                                
Note: majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of                     
Brussels; crossroads of Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of the EC          
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 9,921,910 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)                      
                                                                                
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                          
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                        
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Belgian(s); adjective--Belgian                               
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%                  
                                                                                
Religion: Roman Catholic 75%, remainder Protestant or other                     
                                                                                
Language: Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%; legally                   
bilingual 11%; divided along ethnic lines                                       
                                                                                
Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can                        
read and write (1980 est.)                                                      
                                                                                
Labor force: 4,200,000; services 69%, industry 28%, agriculture                 
3% (1988)                                                                       
                                                                                
Organized labor: 70% of labor force                                             
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: Kingdom of Belgium                                              
                                                                                
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)                                                          
                                                                                
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, five 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 Wilfried MARTENS,                            
(since April 1979, with a 10-month interruption in 1981)                        
                                                                                
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), Guy SPITAELS, president;                                
Flemish Liberal (PVV), 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 DILLEN;                                                 
other minor parties                                                             
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18                                    
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
Senate--last held 13 December 1987 (next to be held by                          
January 1992);                                                                  
results--CVP 19.2%, PS 15.7%, SP 14.7%, PVV 11.3%, PRL 9.3%,                    
VU 8.1%, PSC 7.8%, ECOLO-AGALEV 7.7%, VB 2.0%, VDF 1.3%,                        
other 1.96%;                                                                    
seats--(106 total) CVP 22, PS 20, SP 17, PRL 12, PVV 11, PSC 9, VU 8,           
ECOLO-AGALEV 5, VB 1, FDF 1;                                                    
                                                                                
Chamber of Representatives--last held 13 December 1987                          
(next to be held by January 1992);                                              
results--CVP 19.45%, PS 15.66%, SP 14.88%, PVV 11.55%, PRL 9.41%,               
PSC 8.01%, VU 8.05%, ECOLO-AGALEV 7.05%, VB 1.90%, FDF 1.16%, other             
2.88%;                                                                          
seats--(212 total) CVP 43, PS 40, SP 32, PVV 25, PRL 23,                        
PSC 19, VU 16, ECOLO-AGALEV 9, FDF 3, VB 2                                      
                                                                                
Communists: under 5,000 members (December 1985 est.)                            
                                                                                
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                
                                                                                
Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), 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, NATO, NEA, OAS         
(observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP,               
UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO                                       
                                                                                
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, Houston, Los          
Angeles, and New York;                                                          
                                                                                
US--Ambassador Maynard W. GLITMAN; Embassy at 27 Boulevard du                   
Regent, B-1000 Brussels (mailing address is APO New York 09667-1000);           
telephone  32  (2) 513-3830; there is a US Consulate General in Antwerp         
                                                                                
Flag: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow,                 
and red; the design was based on the flag of France                             
                                                                                
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. During                   
the period 1988-90 Belgium's economic performance was marked by buoyant         
output growth, moderate inflation, and a substantial external surplus.          
Real GDP grew by an average of 3.9% in 1988-90. However, the economy            
is likely to slow in 1991-92 to below 3% GDP growth.                            
                                                                                
GDP: $144.8 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 3.3%                  
(1990)                                                                          
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1991 est.)                                
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 8.2% est. (1991 est.)                                        
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $45.0 billion; expenditures $55.3 billion,                     
including capital expenditures of NA (1989)                                     
                                                                                
Exports: $106 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) Belgium-Luxembourg                    
Economic Union;                                                                 
                                                                                
commodities--iron and steel, transportation equipment,                          
tractors, diamonds, petroleum products;                                         
                                                                                
partners--EC 74%, US 5%, Communist countries 2% (1989)                          
                                                                                
Imports: $108 billion (c.i.f., 1989) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic                
Union;                                                                          
                                                                                
commodities--fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs;                              
                                                                                
partners--EC 73%, US 4%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%,             
Communist countries 3% (1989)                                                   
                                                                                
External debt: $28.8 billion (1990 est.)                                        
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate 1.3% (1991 est.); accounts                   
for almost 30% of GDP                                                           
                                                                                
Electricity: 17,325,000 kW capacity; 62,780 million kWh produced,               
6,350 kWh per capita (1989)                                                     
                                                                                
Industries: engineering and metal products, processed food and                  
beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal            
                                                                                
Agriculture: accounts for 2% 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           
                                                                                
Economic aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8                    
billion                                                                         
                                                                                
Currency: Belgian franc (plural--francs); 1 Belgian franc (BF) =                
100 centimes                                                                    
                                                                                
Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1--31.102 (January                   
1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672       
(1986), 59.378 (1985)                                                           
                                                                                
Fiscal year: calendar year                                                      
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
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                                                                        
                                                                                
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)                 
                                                                                
Ports: Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge                               
                                                                                
Merchant marine: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,785,066                
GRT/2,927,618 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 6 container, 7        
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 3                
combination ore/oil, 9 chemical tanker, 11 bulk, 6 combination bulk             
                                                                                
Pipelines: refined products 1,167 km; crude 161 km; natural gas                 
3,300 km                                                                        
                                                                                
Civil air: 47 major transport aircraft                                          
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                                                           
                                                                                
Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international telephone              
and telegraph facilities; 4,720,000 telephones; stations--8 AM, 19 FM (42       
relays), 25 TV (10 relays); 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations        
operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and EUTELSAT systems                     
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie                           
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,521,178; 2,115,935 fit for                
military service; 64,634 reach military age (19) annually                       
                                                                                
Defense expenditures: $4.8 billion, 2.5% of GDP (1990)                          
                                                                                
