Merchant marine:
none - landlocked
Civil air:
NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
NA
Telecommunications:
telephone network has 1.7 million lines, 15% of which are switched
automatically; Minsk has 450,000 lines; telephone density is approximately
17 per 100 persons; as of 31 January 1990, 721,000 applications from
households for telephones were still unsatisfied; international connections
to other former Soviet republics are by landline or microwave and to other
countries by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway
switch
:Belarus Defense Forces
Branches:
Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops); CIS Forces (Ground,
Air, Air Defense, Strategic Rocket)
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
: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
Disputes:
none
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
:Belgium People
Population:
10,016,623 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
73 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Belgian(s); adjective - Belgian
Ethnic divisions:
Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 75%, remainder Protestant or other
Languages:
Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%; legally bilingual 11%; divided
along ethnic lines
Literacy:
99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Labor force:
4,126,000; services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3%
(1988)
Organized labor:
70% of labor force
:Belgium 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, three 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 Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman van ROMPUY, president; Walloon Social
Christian (PSC) , Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank