|
Country
|
Belgium | 
Belarus |
|
Leader
|
King: Albert II
|
President: Alexander Lukashenko
|
|
Population
|
10,444,268
| 9,625,888
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
79.780 years
| 71.810 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Brussels
| Minsk
|
|
Largest city
|
| Brussels (population: 1,019,020) | Minsk (population: 1,742,120) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.948
| 0.817
|
| GDP per capita |
$38,100 US
| $16,000 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99%
| 99.6%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
7.3
| 2
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.2%
| 32.5%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
| NA
|
| Unemployment Rate |
7.600%
| 1.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
| republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
| 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
| Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
|
| Languages |
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
| Belarusian, Russian, other
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
| machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
|
| External Debt |
$1,399,000,000,000 $
| $1,067,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
| Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 2,130 (2008 est.), 2,145 (2007), 2,144.6 (2006), 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.300%
| 1.400%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
2
| 19
|
| Location |
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
| Eastern Europe, east of Poland
|
| Area |
30,528 km sq
| 207,600 km sq
|
| Coastline |
67 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
| cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
|
|
|
|
