|
Country
|
Belgium | 
Maldives |
|
Leader
|
King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
|
President: Mohamed Nasheed
|
|
Population
|
10,438,353
| 394,451
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
79.650 years
| 74.690 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Brussels
| Male
|
|
Largest city
|
| Brussels (population: 1,019,020) | Male (population: 84,972) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.948
| 0.749
|
| GDP per capita |
$38,200 US
| $8,800 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99%
| 96.3%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
7.3
| 2.8
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.2%
| 12%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
| NA
|
| Unemployment Rate |
7.700%
| 14.500%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
| 26 July 1965 (from UK)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
| Sunni Muslim
|
| Languages |
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
| Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
| fish
|
| External Debt |
$1,399,000,000,000 $
| $943,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
| rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.300%
| 5.500%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
2
| 0
|
| Location |
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
| Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
|
| Area |
30,528 km sq
| 298 km sq
|
| Coastline |
67 km
| 644 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
| tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
|
|
|
|
