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activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry,

       extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water

       pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries;

       uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now

       resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air

       Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Air

       Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,

       Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic

       Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered

       Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto

       Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,

       Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical

       Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

       signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

      Geography - note:

       crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals

       within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and

       NATO

      People Belgium

      Population:

       10,289,088 (July 2003 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 17.2% (male 905,856; female 865,589)

       15–64 years: 65.6% (male 3,400,419; female 3,346,182)

       65 years and over: 17.2% (male 725,162; female 1,045,880) (2003 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 40 years

       male: 38.7 years

       female: 41.3 years (2002)

      Population growth rate:

       0.14% (2003 est.)

      Birth rate:

       10.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Death rate:

       10.07 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 4.57 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 3.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

       male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 78.29 years

       male: 74.97 years

       female: 81.78 years (2003 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.62 children born/woman (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.2% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       8,500 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       less than 100 (2001 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Belgian(s)

       adjective: Belgian

      Ethnic groups:

       Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%

      Religions:

       Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

      Languages:

       Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less

       than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 98%

       male: NA%

       female: NA%

      Government Belgium

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium

       conventional short form: Belgium

       local short form: Belgique/Belgie

       local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie

      Government type:

       federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch

      Capital:

       Brussels

      Administrative divisions:

       10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch:

       provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions;

       Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Brussels* (Bruxelles),

       Flanders*, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur,

       Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams-Brabant, Wallonia*, West-Vlaanderen

      Independence:

       4 October 1830 a provisional government declared independence from

       the Netherlands; 21 July 1831 the ascension of King Leopold I to the

       throne

      National holiday:

       21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I

      Constitution:

       7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a

       constitutional package creating a federal state

      Legal system:

       civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory;

       judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ

       jurisdiction, with reservations

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal and compulsory

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent

       Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch

       head of government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July

       1999)

       cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch and approved

       by Parliament

       elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative

       elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the

       majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the

       monarch and then approved by Parliament

       note: government coalition - VLD, MR, PS, SP, AGALEV, and ECOLO

      Legislative branch:

       bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat

       in French (71 seats; 40 members are

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