Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

50 50 N, 4 00 E

Europe

about the size of Maryland

66.5 km

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

highest point: Botrange 694 m

construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land

arable land 27.2%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 16.1%

230 sq km (2012)

most of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas

flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries

crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO

11,409,077 (July 2016 est.)

Flemish 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%

Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%

Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%

0.73% (2016 est.)

11.4 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

5.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

most of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas

BRUSSELS (capital) 2.045 million; Antwerp 994,000 (2015)

28.2 (2010 est.)

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

1.78 children born/woman (2016 est.)

70.4%

10.6% of GDP (2014)

3.78 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

6.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 99.5% of population

rural: 99.4% of population

total: 99.5% of population

urban: 0.5% of population

rural: 0.6% of population

total: 0.5% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

22.1% (2014)

6.4% of GDP (2011)

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

3 regions (French: regions, singular - region; Dutch: gewesten, singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Region de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Region Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Region Wallone (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)

4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)

21 July (1831) Ascension Day (ascension to the throne of King LEOPOLD I)

drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state); amended many times, last in 2014 (2016)

civil law system based on the French Civil Code; note - Belgian law continues to be modified in conformance with the legislative norms mandated by the European Union; judicial review of legislative acts

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&V [Wouter BEKE]

Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Gwendolyn RUTTEN]

Groen! [Meyrem ALMACI] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens)

New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER]

Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [John CROMBEZ]

Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Tom VAN GRIEKEN]

Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Patrick DUPRIEZ and Zakia KHATTABI]

Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi [Olivier MAINGAIN]

Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Benoit LUTGEN]

People's Party or PP [Mischael MODRIKAMEN]

Reform Movement or MR [Olivier CHASTEL]

Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]

Workers' Party [Peter MERTENS]

other minor parties

Belgian General Federation of Labor [Rudy DE LEEUW, Marc GOBLET]

Confederation of Christan Trade Unions [Marc LEEMANS, Marie-Helene SKA]

Federation of Enterprises in Belgium [Pieter TIMMERMANS, Michele SIOEN]

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)

lion; national colors: red, black, yellow

This modern, open, and private-enterprise-based economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the more heavily-populated region of Flanders in the north. With few natural resources, Belgium imports substantial quantities of raw materials and exports a large volume of manufactures, making its economy vulnerable to shifts in foreign demand, particularly with Belgium’s EU trade partners. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries.

In 2015, Belgian GDP grew by 1.4%, the unemployment rate stabilized at 8.6%, and the budget deficit was 2.7% of GDP. Prime Minister Charles MICHEL's center-right government has pledged to further reduce the deficit in response to EU pressure to reduce Belgium's high public debt, which remains above 100% of GDP, but such efforts could also dampen economic growth. In addition to restrained public spending, low wage growth and high unemployment promise to curtail a more robust recovery in private consumption.

The government has pledged to pursue a reform program to improve Belgium’s competitiveness, including changes to tax policy, labor market rules, and welfare benefits. These changes risk worsening tensions with trade unions and triggering extended strikes.

$494.1 billion (2015 est.)

$487.4 billion (2014 est.)

$481 billion (2013 est.)

$454.7 billion (2015 est.)

1.4% (2015 est.)

1.3% (2014 est.)

0% (2013 est.)

$43,600 (2015 est.)

$43,500 (2014 est.)

$43,100 (2013 est.)

22.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

22.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

21.9% of GDP (2013 est.)

sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk

engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

0.9% (2015 est.)

5.247 million (2015 est.)

8.5% (2015 est.)

8.6% (2014 est.)

15.1% (2013 est.)

25.9 (2013 est.)

28.7 (1996)

51.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

-2.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

106.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

106.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

calendar year

0.6% (2015 est.)

0.5% (2014 est.)

0.05% (31 December 2013)

0.3% (31 December 2010)

2.46% (31 December 2015 est.)

3.23% (31 December 2014 est.)

$181.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$182.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$606.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$630.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$660.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$750.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$300.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$229.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$269.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$2.359 billion (2015 est.)

-$1.147 billion (2014 est.)

$259.9 billion (2015 est.)

$320.2 billion (2014 est.)

chemicals, machinery and equipment, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs

Germany 16.9%, France 15.5%, Netherlands 11.4%, UK 8.8%, US 6%, Italy 5% (2015)

$259.6 billion (2015 est.)

$325.2 billion (2014 est.)

raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products

Netherlands 16.7%, Germany 12.7%, France 9.6%, US 8.7%, UK 5.1%, Ireland 4.7%, China 4.3% (2015)

$24.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$25.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.312 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.285 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

$1.034 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.055 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.01 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.024 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.885 (2015 est.)

0.7525 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

0.78 (2012 est.)

0.7185 (2011 est.)

68 billion kWh (2014 est.)

81 billion kWh (2014 est.)

4.2 billion kWh (2014 est.)

22 billion kWh (2014 est.)

21 million kW (2014 est.)

39.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

28.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

25.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

73,090 bbl/day (2015 est.)

715,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)

730,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)

647,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)

535,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)

547,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 cu m (2014 est.)

15.78 billion cu m (2014 est.)

848 million cu m (2014 est.)

16.82 billion cu m (2014 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)

141 million Mt (2013 est.)

a segmented market with the three major communities (Flemish, French, and German-speaking) each having responsibility for their own broadcast media; multiple TV channels exist for each community; additionally, in excess of 90% of households are connected to cable and can access broadcasts of TV stations from neighboring countries; each community has a public radio network coexisting with private broadcasters (2007)

.be

OO (2016)

41 (2013)

1 (2013)

gas 3,139 km; oil 154 km; refined products 535 km (2013)

2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2012)

Belgian Armed Forces: Land Operations Command, Naval Operations Command, Air Operations Command (2012)

18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1994 (2012)

0.97% of GDP (2014)

1.01% of GDP (2013)

1.05% of GDP (2012)

1.05% of GDP (2011)

1.08% of GDP (2010)