The 1992 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Merchant marine:

       none - landlocked

       Civil air:

       NA major transport aircraft

       Airports:

       NA

       Telecommunications:

       telephone network has 1.7 million lines, 15% of which are switched

       automatically; Minsk has 450,000 lines; telephone density is approximately

       17 per 100 persons; as of 31 January 1990, 721,000 applications from

       households for telephones were still unsatisfied; international connections

       to other former Soviet republics are by landline or microwave and to other

       countries by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway

       switch

      :Belarus Defense Forces

      Branches:

       Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops); CIS Forces (Ground,

       Air, Air Defense, Strategic Rocket)

       Manpower availability:

       males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)

       annually

       Defense expenditures:

       $NA, NA% of GDP

      :Belgium Geography

      Total area:

       30,510 km2

       Land area:

       30,230 km2

       Comparative area:

       slightly larger than Maryland

       Land boundaries:

       1,385 km total; France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,

       Netherlands 450 km

       Coastline:

       64 km

       Maritime claims:

       Continental shelf:

       not specific

       Exclusive fishing zone:

       equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)

       Territorial sea:

       12 nm

       Disputes:

       none

       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

       Natural resources:

       coal, natural gas

       Land use:

       arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and

       woodland 21%; other 34%, includes irrigated NEGL%

       Environment:

       air and water pollution

       Note:

       majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels; crossroads

       of Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of the EC

      :Belgium People

      Population:

       10,016,623 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)

       Birth rate:

       12 births/1,000 population (1992)

       Death rate:

       10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

       Net migration rate:

       1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)

       Infant mortality rate:

       8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

       Life expectancy at birth:

       73 years male, 80 years female (1992)

       Total fertility rate:

       1.6 children born/woman (1992)

       Nationality:

       noun - Belgian(s); adjective - Belgian

       Ethnic divisions:

       Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%

       Religions:

       Roman Catholic 75%, remainder Protestant or other

       Languages:

       Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%; legally bilingual 11%; divided

       along ethnic lines

       Literacy:

       99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

       Labor force:

       4,126,000; services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3%

       (1988)

       Organized labor:

       70% of labor force

      :Belgium Government

      Long-form name:

       Kingdom of Belgium

       Type:

       constitutional monarchy

       Capital:

       Brussels

       Administrative divisions:

       9 provinces (French - provinces, singular - province; Flemish - provincien,

       singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg,

       Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen

       Independence:

       4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

       Constitution:

       7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the

       process of revising the Constitution with the aim of federalizing the

       Belgian state

       Legal system:

       civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial

       review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with

       reservations

       National holiday:

       National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)

       Executive branch:

       monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet

       Legislative branch:

       bicameral Parliament consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Flemish -

       Senaat, French - Senat) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives

       (Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French - Chambre des

       Representants)

       Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van Cassatie, French - Cour de

       Cassation)

       Leaders:

       Chief of State:

       King BAUDOUIN I (since 17 July 1951); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liege

       (brother of the King; born 6 June 1934)

       Head of Government:

       Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)

       Political parties and leaders:

       Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman van ROMPUY, president; Walloon Social

       Christian (PSC) , Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank