|
Country
|
Belgium | 
Japan |
|
Leader
|
King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
|
Head of state: Emperor Akihito Prime minister: Yoshihiko Noda
|
|
Population
|
10,438,353
| 127,368,088
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
79.650 years
| 83.910 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Brussels
| Tokyo
|
|
Largest city
|
| Brussels (population: 1,019,020) | Tokyo (population: 8,336,600) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.948
| 0.956
|
| GDP per capita |
$38,200 US
| $35,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
7.3
| 7.3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.2%
| 12.3%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
| Tadashi Yanai & family ($6.0bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
7.700%
| 4.600%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
| constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
| 660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
| observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
|
| Languages |
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
| Japanese
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
| transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals
|
| External Debt |
$1,399,000,000,000 $
| $2,719,000,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
| yen (JPY) per US dollar - 103.58 (2008 est.), 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006), 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.300%
| 0.800%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
2
| 25
|
| Location |
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
| Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
|
| Area |
30,528 km sq
| 377,915 km sq
|
| Coastline |
67 km
| 29,751 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
| varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
|
|
|
|
