The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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Population growth rate: 0.33% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 10.3 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.09 years male: 73.86 years female: 80.51 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian
Ethnic divisions: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%
Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%
Languages: Dutch 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual 11%
(divided along ethnic lines)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
total population: 99%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government—————
Name of country:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium
local long form: Royaume de Belgique
local short form: Belgique
Data code: BE
Type of government: 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 note: constitutional reforms passed by Parliament in 1993 increased the number of provinces to 10 by splitting the province of Brabant into two new provinces, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant
Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King LEOPOLD
to the throne in 1831)
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) is a
constitutional monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March
1992) was appointed by the king and then approved by Parliament
cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the king and approved by Parliament
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate (Flemish - Senaat French - Senat): elections last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held by the end of 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (71 total, 40 directly elected; 31 will be indirectly elected at a later date) CVP 7, SP 6, VLD 6, VU 2, AGALEV 1, VB 3, PS 5, PRL 5, PSC 3, ECOLO 2; note - before the 1995 elections, there were 184 seats Chamber of Deputies(Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordig: elections last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held by the end of 1999); results - CVP 17.2%, PS 11.9%, SP 12.6%, VLD 13.1%, PRL 10.3%, PSC 7.7%, VB 7.8%, VU 4.7%, ECOLO 4.0%, AGALEV 4.4%, FN 2.3%; seats - (150 total) CVP 29, PS 21, SP 20, VLD 21, PRL 18, PSC 12, VB 11, VU 5, ECOLO 6, AGALEV 5, FN 2; note - before the 1995 elections, there were 212 seats
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van
Cassatie, French - Cour de Cassation), judges are appointed for life
by the Belgian monarch
Political parties and leaders: Flemish Christian Democrats (CVP -
Christian People's Party), Johan VAN HECKE, president; Francophone
Christian Democrats (PSC - Social Christian Party), Gerard DEPREZ,
president; Flemish Socialist Party (SP), Louis TOBBACK, president;
Francophone Socialist Party (PS), Philippe BUSQUIN, president;
Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD), Herman DE CROO, president;
Francophone Liberal Reformation Party (PRL), Louis MICHEL,
president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Olivier MAINGAIN,
president; Volksunie (VU), Bert ANCIAUX, president; Vlaams Blok
(VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman; National Front (FN), Daniel FERET,
president; AGALEV (Flemish Greens), no president; ECOLO (Francophone
Greens), no president; other minor parties
Other political or pressure groups: Christian and Socialist Trade
Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other
associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class
artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various
organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and
Wallonia; various peace groups such as the Flemish Action Committee
Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG
(observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR,
NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCRO,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andre ADAM
chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333–6900
FAX: [1] (202) 333–3079
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. BLINKEN
embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: APO AE 09724, PSC 82, Box 002, Brussels
telephone: [32] (2) 508–2111
FAX: [32] (2) 511–2725
Flag: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow,
and red; the design was based on the flag of France
Economy———
Economic overview: This small private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial