Belgium Fact Sheet
Last update : March 2008
Demography
Population: 10.3 million
Population Density (inhabitant/km2): 336 (national average), 6,309 (Brussels-Capital Region - highest), 55.6 (province of Luxembourg - lowest)
Largest Cities (pop. in million): Brussels (1m), Liege (0.61m), Antwerp (0.45m), Ghent (0.23m), Charleroi (0.20m)
Number of communes: 589 (2,663 before the commune merger of 1971)
Home Ownership: 74% (2006)
Houses heating and isolation: central heating (72.7%), double-glazing (70.5%), roof isolation (57.4%), exterior wall isolation (41.6%)
Urban Population: 97%
Life Expectancy: 78.7 (average), 75.6 years (men), 81.7 years (women)
Birth Rate: 10.59 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate: 10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Ethnic Composition: Caucasians (95%), Arabs (4%), Black Africans
Registered foreigners (2007, sources) : 1,025,000, among which 171,500 Italians, 129,500 French, 122,000 Dutch, 79,500 Moroccans, 43,000 Spaniards, 42,000 Turks, 39,000 Germans, 30,000 Americans, 28,000 Poles.
Official Language: Dutch, French, German
Major Religions: Roman Catholicism, Agnosticism, Atheism
Geography
Area: 30 545 sq km
Coastline: 66.5 km
Highest Peak: Signal de Botrange: (694m)
Lowest Elevation: 0 m (North Sea)
Political map of Belgium
Geological map of Belgium
Economy
Monetary unit: Euro (€, EUR)
Fiscal Year: 1 January - 31 December
GDP: US$393 billion (2006 est.)
GNI per capita (Atlas methodology): US$38,600 (2006)
GDP per capita at PPP: US$37,214 (2006)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.2% (2006)
Inflation (consumer prices): 2.8 % (2005)
Unemployment: 7.4% (2006)
Public Debt (% of GDP) : 87.5 (2006)
Main Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum
Main Exports: machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
Main Imports: machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products
Main Trading Partners: Germany, France, Netherlands, UK, USA, Italy
Government
Type of Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Parliamentary System : bicameral Diet (House of Representatives and Senate)
Administrative Division : 3 regions, 3 communities, 10 provinces
Capital: Brussels (since 1830)
Head of State: King Albert II (since 1993)
Prime Minister: Yves Leterme (since 2008)
Vice Prime Minister & Foreign Minister: Karel De Gucht (since 2004)
Finance Minister: Didier Reynders (since 1999)
Justice Minister: Jo Vandeurzen (since 2008)
Interior Minister: Patrick Dewael (since 2003)
Miscellaneous
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1
Electricity: 220V AC, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Internet domain: .be
International dialling code: +32
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