1987 Edition

Airfields

44 total, 43 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

47 major transport aircraft

Climate

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

Coastline

64 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

Continental shelf

not specific

Environment

air and water pollution

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Highways

103,396 km total; 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717 km national highway; 1,862 km provincial road; about 38,000 km other paved; about 51,000 km unpaved rural

Inland waterways

2,048 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)

Land boundaries

1,377 km total

Land use

24% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 21% forest and woodland; 34% other; includes NEGL®% irrigated

Pipelines

refined products, 1,115 km; crude, 161 km; natural gas, 3,300 km

Ports

6 major, ] minor

Special notes

majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels; crossroads of Western Europe

Telecommunications

excellent domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; 4.22 million telephones (42.8 per 100 popl.); 6 AM, 39 FM, 32 TV stations, 6 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT stations; 2 EUTELSAT antennas

Terrain

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

Territorial sea

3 nm

Total area

_ 50 km North Sea Antwerp *® RUSSELS = Liege Mons * Charteroi Bastogne,

30,510 km?; land area: 30,230 km?

Ethnic divisions

55% Fleming, 33% Walloon, 12% mixed or other

Infant mortality rate

11.15/1,000 (1979)

Labor force

4 million; 58% services, 37% industry, 5% agriculture; 13.6% unemployed (1985)

Language

56% Flemish (Dutch), 32% French, 1% German; 11% legally bilingual; divided along ethnic lines

Life expectancy

men 68.6, women 75.1

Literacy

98%

Nationality

noun—Belgian(s); adiective— Belgian

Organized labor

70% of labor force

Population

9,873,066 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.07%

Religion

75% Roman Catholic; remainder Protestant, none, or other

Administrative divisions

nine provinces; as of 1 October 1980, Wallonia and Flanders have regional subgovernments with elected regional councils and executive officials; those regional authorities have limited powers over revenues and certain areas of economic, urban, environmental, and housing policy; Wallonia also has a separate Walloon Cultural Council

Branches

executive branch consists of King and Cabinet; Cabinet responsible to bicameral parliament (Senate and Chamber of Representatives); independent judiciary; coalition governments are usual

Communists

under 5,000 members (December 1985 est.)

Elections

held at least once every four years; last held 13 October 1985 Political parties and leaders: Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Frank Swaelen, president; Walloon Social Christian (PSC), Gérard Deprez, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Karel van Miert, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy Spitaels, president, Flemish Liberal (PVV), Annemie NeytsUyttebroeck, president; Walloon Liberal (PRL), Louis Michel, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges Clerfayt, president; Volksunie (VU), Jaak Gabriels, president; Communist Party (PCB), Louis van Geyt, president; Walloon Rally (RW), Fernand Massart; Ecologist Party (ECOLO-AGALEV), loosely organized with no president; Anti-Tax Party (UDRT-RAD), Robert Hendrick, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel Dillen

Government leaders

BAUDOUIN I, King (since August 1950); Wilfried MARTENS, Prime Minister (since April 1979, with a 10-month interruption in 1981)

Legal system

civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; constitution adopted 1831, since amended; fudicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Member of

ADB, Benelux, BLEU, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, ECOSOC, EIB, ELDO, EMS, ESRO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, 1DA, 1DB—Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITC, 1TU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

National holiday

National Day, 21 July

Official name

Kingdom of Belgium

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 Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Type

constitutional monarchy Capital; Brussels

Voting strength

(1985 election) 212-seat Chamber of Representatives—CVP 49 seats, PS 35 seats, PVV 22 seats, SP 32 seats, PRL 24 seats, VU 16 seats, PSC 20 seats, FDF 3, ECOLO-AGALEV 9 seats, UDRT-RAD 1 seat, VB 1

Agriculture

livestock production predominates; main crops—egrains, sugar beets, flax, potatoes, other vegetables, fruits

Aid

ODA and OOF economic aid commitments (1970-84), $3.8 billion

Budget

revenues, $23.3 billion; expenditures, $32.5 billion; deficit, $9.2 billion (1985)

Crude steel

14.6 million metric tons capacity; 10.7 million metric tons produced, 1,086 kg per capita (1985)

Electric power

16,921,000 kW capacity; 57,450 million kWh produced, 5,820 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) $53.8 billion (f.o.b., 1985); iron and steel products (cars), petroleum products, chemicals

Fiscal year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 44,308 metric tons (1985); exports $83.52 million, imports $300.12 million

GNP

$79.9 billion (1985), $8,100 per capita; 65.3% private consumption, 17.9% government consumption, 15.6% investment, 1.2% net foreign balance (1983); 1.1% real growth rate (1985); average exchange rate 59.378 Belgian francs= US$1 (1985)

Imports

(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) $55.8 billion (c.i-f., 1985); fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals

Major industries

engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

Major trade partners

(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union, 1985) exports—69.1% EC (19.0% France, 18.7% FRG, 14.8% Netherlands, 9.7% UK), 6.3% US, 2.8% Communist countries; imports—68.9% EC (21.1% FRG, 18.7% Netherlands, 15.2% France, 9.0% UK), 5.7% US, 3.4% Communist countries

Monetary conversion rate

40.17 Belgian francs=US$1 (8 January 1987)

Natural resources

coal

Railroads

Belgian National Railways (SNCB) operates 8,741 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 1,969 km electrified; 191 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned and operated

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $3.4 billion; 8.8% of the central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 2,500,000; 2,114,000 fit for military service; 80,000 reach military age (19) annually