The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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the populous Flemish area in the north, although the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. With few natural resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Two-thirds of its trade is with other EU countries. The economy grew at a strong 4% annual pace during the period 1988–90, slowed to 1% in 1991–92, dropped by 1.5% in 1993, and recovered with moderate 2.3% growth in 1994 and 1995. Belgium's public debt has risen to 140% of GDP, and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $197 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2.3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $19,500 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 28% services: 70% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 4.126 million by occupation: services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 14% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle
assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals,
textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity: capacity: 14,040,000 kW production: 66 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,334 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk
Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American
cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine entering the
European market
Exports: $108 billion (f.o.b., 1994) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic
Union (BLEU)
commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors,
diamonds, petroleum products
partners: EU 67.2% (Germany 19%), US 5.8%, former Communist
countries 1.4% (1994)
Imports: $140 billion (c.i.f., 1994) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic
Union
commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs
partners: EU 68% (Germany 22.1%), US 8.8%, former Communist
countries 0.8% (1994)
External debt: $31.3 billion (1992 est.)
Economic aid: donor: ODA, $808 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 30.036 (January 1996), 29.480 (1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation———————
Railways:
total: 3,396 km (2,363 km electrified; 2,563 km double track)
standard gauge: 3,396 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 137,876 km
paved: 129,603 km (including 1,667 km of expressways)
unpaved: 8,273 km (1992 est.)
Waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
Pipelines: crude oil 161 km; petroleum products 1,167 km; natural
gas 3,300 km
Ports: Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur,
Oostende, Zeebrugge
Merchant marine:
total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 64,220 GRT/83,360 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 8, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas
tanker 3, oil tanker 6 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 42
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 6
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 9
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 21
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1995 est.)
Communications———————
Telephones: 5.691 million (1992 est.)
Telephone system: highly developed, technologically advanced, and
completely automated domestic and international telephone and
telegraph facilities
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable
network; limited microwave radio relay network
international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 39, shortwave 0
Radios: 100,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 32 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 3,315,662 (1993 est.)
Defense———
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability: males age 15–49: 2,571,588 males fit for military service: 2,135,375 males reach military age (19) annually: 61,986 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $4.6 billion, 1.7% of GDP (1995)
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@Belize———
Map—
Location: 17 15 N, 88 45 W—Middle America, bordering the
Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico
Flag——
Description: blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland
Geography————
Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Guatemala and Mexico
Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area: 22,960 sq km
land area: 22,800 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts
Land boundaries: total: 516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
Coastline: 386 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from