|
Country
|
Belgium | 
Thailand |
|
Leader
|
King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
|
Head of state: Prime minister - elect : Yingluck Shinawatra
|
|
Population
|
10,438,353
| 67,091,089
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
79.650 years
| 73.830 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Brussels
| Bangkok
|
|
Largest city
|
| Brussels (population: 1,019,020) | Bangkok (population: 5,104,480) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.948
| 0.786
|
| GDP per capita |
$38,200 US
| $9,500 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99%
| 92.6%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
7.3
| 3.5
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.2%
| 12.7%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
| Chaleo Yoovidhya ($3.7bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
7.700%
| 0.700%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
| constitutional monarchy
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
| 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
| Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)
|
| Languages |
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
| Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
| textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances
|
| External Debt |
$1,399,000,000,000 $
| $115,600,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
| baht per US dollar - 33.37 (2008 est.), 34.52 (2007), 37.882 (2006), 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.300%
| 1.800%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
2
| 4
|
| Location |
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
| Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
|
| Area |
30,528 km sq
| 513,120 km sq
|
| Coastline |
67 km
| 3,219 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
| tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
|
|
|
|
