Belgium country profile

26 August 2006
by eub2 -- last modified 04 January 2008

Belgium is a founder member of the European Union and a member of the euro zone. It is a hereditary Constitutional Monarchy and a Federal State. The country is divided into three main regions: Flanders, Walloon and Brussels, the capital city.

België/Belgique

Belgium is a federal state divided into three regions: Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, Wallonia in the south where the language is French, and Brussels, the bilingual capital, where French and Dutch share official status. There is also a small German-speaking minority of some 70 000 in the eastern part of the country.

Belgium’s landscape varies widely: 67 kilometres of seacoast and flat coastal plains along the North Sea, hills in the centre and the uplands forests of the Ardennes region in the southeast.

Brussels hosts several international organisations: most of the European institutions are located there as well as the NATO headquarters.

Independent since 1830, Belgium is a constitutional monarchy.The two houses of Parliament are the Chamber of Representatives, whose members are elected for a maximum period of four years, and the Senate or upper house, whose members are elected or co-opted. Given its political make-up, Belgium is generally run by coalition governments.

Among the best known Belgians are Georges Rémi (Hergé), creator of Tintin, writers Georges Simenon and Hugo Claus, composer and singer Jacques Brel and cyclist Eddy Merckx. Painters like James Ensor, Paul Delvaux and René Magritte are the modern-day successors of Rubens and the other Flemish masters of yesteryear.

Belgium is famous for its chocolates, which are appreciated the world over. Its favourite dish is mussels and chips (French fries) which, according to legend, are a Belgian invention.

Area: 30 528 km²
Population: 10.5 million
Capital city: Brussels
Currency: 1 euro = 100 cent
National day: 21 July
EU-membership: 23 July 1952 (ECSC, founding member)

Head of State: King Albert II
Head of Government: Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
Foreign Minister: Karel de Gucht
Government:  
Parliament: Chamber of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants/Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers): 150 members
Senate: 71 members

GDP: € 303 billion (2005)
GDP per capita in PPS: € 27 800 (2005)
Economic growth in real terms: + 1,5% (2005)



Links:
Head of State: http://www.monarchie.be
Head of Government: http://premier.fgov.be
Federal Portal: http://www.belgium.fgov.be
Foreign Minister: http://diplobel.fgov.be
Parliament: http://www.fed-parl.be

Source: European Commission, Slovenia EU presidency