Belgium

Location

• Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
• crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the EU and NATO

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Brussels	1,019,022	Capital
Antwerpen	529,247
Gent	265,086
Charleroi	200,132
Liège	195,278
Anderlecht	160,553
Schaerbeek	132,761
Brugge	118,509
Namur	110,939
Leuven	101,032

Size

• 11,780 square miles
• 30,510 square kilometers
• about the size of Maryland

History

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, longstanding tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. The capital city of Brussels is home to numerous international organizations, including the EU and NATO.

Climate

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Terrain

flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

Languages

Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%major-language sample(s): Het Wereld Feitenboek, een onmisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 2.3%, other Christian, 2.8%, Muslim 6.8%, other 1.7%, atheist 9.1%, nonbeliever/agnostic 20.2% (2018 est.)

Government

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

• Constitution: history: drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state)amendment process: "revisions" proposed as declarations by the federal government in accord with the king or by Parliament followed by dissolution of Parliament and new elections; adoption requires two-thirds majority vote of a two-thirds quorum in both houses of the next elected Parliament
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
• Legal System: civil law system based on the French Civil Code; judicial review of legislative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013)head of government: Prime Minister Bart DE WEVER (since 3 February 2025)cabinet: Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarchelection/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister, which the legislature approves
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof (in Dutch) and Cour Constitutionelle (in French) (consists of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) and Cour de Cassation (in French) (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, fiscal, and armed forces; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a chairperson and 5-6 judges)judge selection and term of office: Constitutional Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by Parliament; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by the High Council of Justice, a 44-member independent body of judicial and non-judicial members; judges appointed for lifesubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, immigration, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Federal Parliament (Parlement fédéral - Federaal Parlement - Föderales Parlament)legislative structure: bicameralnote: the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this results in six governments, each with its own legislative assembly

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• high-income, core EU and eurozone economy; slow growth with weakened domestic consumption and export demand; high public debt and structural deficits linked to social spending; aging workforce with weak productivity growth and participation rates
• Budget: revenues: $220.657 billion (2022 est.)expenditures: $235.767 billion (2022 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land
• Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum
• Agricultural Products: sugar beets, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, maize, chicken, barley, pears (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 44.6% (2022 est.)arable land: 28.3% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.8% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 15.5% (2022 est.)forest: 22.6% (2022 est.)other: 32.8% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: cars, natural gas, vaccines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Netherlands 20%, Germany 13%, France 11%, USA 7%, Ireland 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, vaccines, cars, packaged medicine (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: France 20%, Netherlands 15%, Germany 14%, Italy 6%, USA 5% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports