"text":"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."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands"
"text":"flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes"
},
"Environment - current issues":{
"text":"the environment is exposed to 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; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) had slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling"
},
"signed, but not ratified":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO"
"text":" ++ urban: 100% of population ++ rural: 100% of population ++ total: 100% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 0% of population ++ rural: 0% of population ++ total: 0% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Sanitation facility access":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 99.5% of population ++ rural: 99.4% of population ++ total: 99.5% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 0.5% of population ++ rural: 0.6% of population ++ total: 0.5% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"NA"
},
"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":{
"text":"NA"
},
"HIV/AIDS - deaths":{
"text":"NA"
},
"Obesity - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"22.1% (2014)"
},
"Education expenditures":{
"text":"6.5% of GDP (2011)"
},
"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{
"total":{
"text":"16 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"16 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"17 years (2012)"
}
},
"Unemployment, youth ages 15-24":{
"total":{
"text":"19.8%"
},
"male":{
"text":"20.4%"
},
"female":{
"text":"19.8% (2012 est.)"
}
}
},
"Government":{
"Country name":{
"conventional long form":{
"text":"Kingdom of Belgium"
},
"conventional short form":{
"text":"Belgium"
},
"local long form":{
"text":"Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German)"
},
"local short form":{
"text":"Belgique/Belgie/Belgien"
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Brussels"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"50 50 N, 4 20 E"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
},
"daylight saving time":{
"text":"+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October"
}
},
"Administrative divisions":{
"text":"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)",
"note":{
"text":"as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; the 2012 sixth state reform transferred additional competencies from the federal state to the regions and linguistic communities"
}
},
"Independence":{
"text":"4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King LEOPOLD I"
},
"Constitution":{
"text":"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 2012 (2012)"
},
"Legal system":{
"text":"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"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
"text":"18 years of age; universal and compulsory"
},
"Executive branch":{
"chief of state":{
"text":"King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013); Heir Apparent Princess ELISABETH, daughter of the monarch"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Prime Minister Charles MICHEL (since 11 October 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers Alexander DE CROO (since 22 October 2012), Jan JAMBON (since 11 October 2014), Kris PEETERS, Didier REYNDERS (since 30 December 2008)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and approved by Parliament"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 31 indirectly elected by Community Parliaments; members serve 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"note":{
"text":"the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments, each with its own legislative assembly; changes above occurred since the sixth state reform"
"text":"Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof in Dutch and Cour constitutionelle in French (consists of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie in Dutch and Cour de Cassation in French (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, fiscal, and armed forces; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a chairperson and 5-6 judges)"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"Constitutional Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by Parliament; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by the High Council of Justice, a 44-member independent body of judicial and non-judicial members; judges appointed for life"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace"
}
},
"Political parties and leaders":{
"Flemish parties":{
"text":" ++ Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&V [Wouter BEKE] ++ Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Gwendolyn RUTTEN] ++ Groen! [Meyren ALMACI] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) ++ Libertarian, Direct, Democratic or LDD (formerly Dedecker's List) [Jean-Marie DEDECKER] ++ New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER] ++ People's Party [Mischael MODRIKAMEN] ++ Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [Bruno TOBBACK] ++ Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Tom VAN GRIEKEN]"
},
"Francophone parties":{
"text":" ++ Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Patrick DUPRIEZ and Zakia KHATTABI] ++ Francophone Federalist Democrats or FDF [Olivier MAINGAIN] ++ Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Benoit LUTGEN] ++ People's Party [Mischael MODRIKAMEN] ++ Reform Movement or MR [Olivier CHASTEL] ++ Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO] ++ Workers' Party [Peter Mertens] ++ other minor parties"
}
},
"Political pressure groups and leaders":{
"text":"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]",
"other":{
"text":"numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; trade unions; various organizations representing the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants"
"text":"Ambassador Johan VERBEKE (since 10 March 2014)"
},
"chancery":{
"text":"3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[1] (202) 333-6900"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (202) 333-3079"
},
"consulate(s) general":{
"text":"Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US":{
"chief of mission":{
"text":"Ambassador Denise Campbell BAUER (since 26 September 2013)"
},
"embassy":{
"text":"27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan], B-1000 Brussels"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[32] (2) 811-4000"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[32] (2) 811-4500"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"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)"
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"lion; national colors: red, black, yellow"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"La Brabanconne\" (The Song of Brabant)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Louis-Alexandre DECHET[French] Victor CEULEMANS [Dutch]/Francois VAN CAMPENHOUT"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1830; according to legend, Louis-Alexandre DECHET, an actor at the theater in which the revolution against the Netherlands began, wrote the lyrics with a group of young people in a Brussels cafe"
"text":"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 in Belgium’s EU trade partners. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries. In 2014 Belgian GDP grew by 0.9%, the unemployment rate stabilized at 8.5%, and the budget deficit was 3.2% 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."
"text":"engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum"
},
"Industrial production growth rate":{
"text":"0.2% (2014 est.)"
},
"Labor force":{
"text":"5.225 million (2014 est.)"
},
"Labor force - by occupation":{
"agriculture":{
"text":"1.3%"
},
"industry":{
"text":"18.6%"
},
"services":{
"text":"80.1% (2013 est.)"
}
},
"Unemployment rate":{
"text":"8.5% (2014 est.) ++ 8.4% (2013 est.)"
},
"Population below poverty line":{
"text":"15.1% (2013 est.)"
},
"Household income or consumption by percentage share":{
"lowest 10%":{
"text":"3.4%"
},
"highest 10%":{
"text":"28.4% (2006)"
}
},
"Distribution of family income - Gini index":{
"text":"25.9 (2013 est.) ++ 28.7 (1996)"
},
"Budget":{
"revenues":{
"text":"$267.9 billion"
},
"expenditures":{
"text":"$280.8 billion (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Taxes and other revenues":{
"text":"50.7% of GDP (2014 est.)"
},
"Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)":{
"text":"-2.5% of GDP (2014 est.)"
},
"Public debt":{
"text":"101.9% of GDP (2014 est.) ++ 101.2% of GDP (2013 est.)",
"note":{
"text":"data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; general government debt is defined by the Maastricht definition and calculated by the National Bank of Belgium as consolidated gross debt; the debt is defined in European Regulation EC479/2009 concerning the implementation of the protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Maastricht) of 7 February 1992; the sub-sectors of consolidated gross debt are: federal government, communities and regions, local government, and social security funds"
}
},
"Fiscal year":{
"text":"calendar year"
},
"Inflation rate (consumer prices)":{
"text":"0.5% (2014 est.) ++ 1.2% (2013 est.)"
},
"Central bank discount rate":{
"text":"0.75% (31 December 2013) ++ 1.5% (31 December 2010)",
"note":{
"text":"this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area"
}
},
"Commercial bank prime lending rate":{
"text":"3.5% (31 December 2014 est.) ++ 3.49% (31 December 2013 est.)"
},
"Stock of narrow money":{
"text":"$202.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.) ++ $205.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)",
"note":{
"text":"see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders"
}
},
"Stock of broad money":{
"text":"$606.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.) ++ $630.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)"
},
"Stock of domestic credit":{
"text":"$568.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.) ++ $596 billion (31 December 2013 est.)"
},
"Market value of publicly traded shares":{
"text":"$300.1 billion (31 December 2012 est.) ++ $229.9 billion (31 December 2011) ++ $269.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.)"
"text":"country code - 32; landing point for a number of submarine cables that provide links to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2007)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"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 co-existing with private broadcasters (2007)"
"text":"3,592 km 1.435-m gauge (2,960 km electrified) (2014)"
}
},
"Roadways":{
"total":{
"text":"154,012 km"
},
"paved":{
"text":"120,514 km (includes 1,756 km of expressways)"
},
"unpaved":{
"text":"33,498 km (2010)"
}
},
"Waterways":{
"text":"2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2012)"
},
"Merchant marine":{
"total":{
"text":"87"
},
"by type":{
"text":"bulk carrier 23, cargo 15, chemical tanker 5, container 4, liquefied gas 23, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 7"
},
"foreign-owned":{
"text":"15 (Denmark 4, France 7, Russia 1, UK 2, US 1)"
},
"registered in other countries":{
"text":"107 (Bahamas 6, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 3, France 7, Gibraltar 1, Greece 17, Hong Kong 26, Liberia 1, Luxembourg 11, Malta 7, Marshall Islands 1, Mozambique 2, North Korea 1, Panama 1, Portugal 8, Russia 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7, Singapore 1, Vanuatu 1) (2010)"
"text":"Belgian Armed Forces: Land Operations Command, Naval Operations Command, Air Operations Command (2012)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1994 (2012)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"2,359,232"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"2,291,689 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"1,934,957"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"1,877,268 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"59,665"
},
"female":{
"text":"57,142 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"1% of GDP (2013) ++ 1.05% of GDP (2012) ++ 1.08% of GDP (2011) ++ 1.05% of GDP (2010)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"none"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons":{
"refugees (country of origin)":{
"text":"5,038 (Afghanistan) (2014)"
},
"stateless persons":{
"text":"2,554 (2014)"
}
},
"Illicit drugs":{
"text":"growing producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco; significant domestic consumption of ecstasy"
