|
Country
|
| 
Belgium |
|
Leader
|
|
King: Albert II
|
|
Population
|
| 10,444,268
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
| 79.780 years
|
|
Capital City
|
| Brussels
|
|
Largest city
|
| (population: ) | Brussels (population: 1,019,020) |
|
Human Development Index
|
NA
| 0.948
|
| GDP per capita |
| $38,100 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
NA
| 7.3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
NA
| 36.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
| 7.600%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
NA
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
| federal parliamentary democracy under a 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)
|
| Religions |
| Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
|
| Languages |
| Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
|
| Exports |
| machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
|
| External Debt |
| $1,399,000,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
| euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
| 1.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 2
|
| Location |
| Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
|
| Area |
| 30,528 km sq
|
| Coastline |
| 67 km
|
| Climate |
| temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
|
|
|
|
