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 | BELGIUM[Belgique = België = Belgien] : |
| General useful information |
| Note: some data are of constant value, while other are due to changes, fluctuations etc. |
| Nation and population |
| official name (short form): België ; or: Belgique ; or: Belgien |
| country code ISO: BE [BEL] //; - FIPS: BE |
| location: Western Europe |
| time zone: +1 UT* [*= applying daylight saving time] |
| surface (land) area: 30510 sq.km = 11783 sq.mi //; - area incl. inland waters: 32545 sq.km = 12566 sq.mi |
| geographical position in extreme co-ordinates: North: 51° N / South: 50° N / East: 6° E / West: 3° E |
| borders (land): Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France |
| borders (coastline): North Sea |
| climate: moderate maritime |
| Government |
| independent since: 1830-10-04 |
| type of government: constitutional monarchy |
| capital: Brussel = Bruxelles = Brüssel (Brussels) |
| administrative division: regio (3) // province (10) + capital district (1) |
| Population |
| population according to the latest census: (1991): 9978,681 |
| total population according to the estimate of midyear 2000: 10241,506 //; or: 10252,000; 2001: 10263,000 ; 2002: 10333,000 |
| population density: 336 per sq.km = 870 per sq.mi |
| population growth: 0,2% //; - doubling time: not applicable; exceeds 100 years |
| birth rate: 11 per 1000 |
| death rate: 10 per 1000 |
| fertility rate: 2 children per female |
| maternal mortality: 9 per 100,000 |
| infant mortality (in the first year of life): 6 per 1000 |
| infant mortality (from 1st - 4th year of life): 5 - 10 per 1000 |
| life expectancy: 78 years (male: 75; female: 81) |
| age breakdown: 0-14 years: 18% //; - 15-59 years: 62% //; - 60+ years: 21% |
| urbanisation: 97% //; - urbanisation growth:0,4 % |
| percentage of urban population in the greatest city: 24% |
| Ethnic composition, language, religion |
| ethnic groups: Fleming 55%; Walloon 32%; Italian 3%; Morrocan 1%; French, Dutch, Turkish, German |
| languages: (all official): Flemish/Dutch 57%, Walloon/French 32%; German 1% |
| religious affiliation: Roman Catholic 72-88%; Protestant 11-25%; Muslim 2% |
| Health |
| daily food intake: 3606 calories per capita |
| population with access to safe water: virtually 100% |
| people per physician: 253 - 259 |
| people per hospital bed: 131 |
| Education, literacy |
| school enrolment: primary education 6-11 years: 100% |
| school enrolment: secondary education: 88% |
| school enrolment: tertiary education 20-24 years: 34% |
| adult literacy: 99% (male: %; female: %) |
| Economy and infrastructure |
| Economy and trade |
| currency: Euro = 100 cents (until 2002: Belgian Franc = 100 centimes) |
| annual inflation rate: 2% |
| population below poverty line: 12% |
| Gross Domestic Product: USD 23900 per capita |
| GNI USD 22940 - 24540 per capita //; - [ppp: 27470 - 28130] |
| GDP growth: 1,8% |
| income: USD 19300 - 24710 per capita |
| import: USD 150624 per capita //; - export: USD 165173 per capita |
| trade: USD 23500 - 24750 per capita //; - or 163% of GDP |
| trade partners: DE NL FR GB US IE |
| human development index: 0,935 //; - position of the country in the world no.: 5 |
| female labour force: 41% |
| unemployment: 7 - 11% |
| tourism: 6,5 million |
| Economic activities in agriculture, fisheries, industry, mining, services, energy |
| land use: arable land: 23-25% //; - grass land: 20-21% //; - wooded area: 21% //; - arid land and desert: % |
| agriculture: labour force: 3% [1%] //; - part of agriculture in GDP: 2% [1%] |
| agricultural products: sugar beet, potatoes, livestock, timber, grain, fruits, vegetables |
| livestock (million): cattle: 3,1-3,4 / goats: 0,012 horses: 0,07 / pigs: 6,8-7,3 / poultry: 35-56 / sheep: 0,15 |
| fish catch: 29876 - 31441 metric tonnes |
| industry: labour force: 20% [24%] //; - part of industry in GDP: 30% [27%] |
| industrial products: engineering, petrochemicals, food processing, chemicals, textiles, glassware, autos |
| mining products: coal, iron ore, sandstone, dolomite, marble, slate |
| CO2 emission per capita: 9,9 |
| services: labour force: 78% [75%] //; - part of services in GDP: 68% [72%] |
| energy use (kg per capita): 5735 |
| electricity use (per capita): 7286 |
| annual water use (per capita): 917 |
| Traffic, communication |
| road network: 142550 - 148216 km //; - of which paved: 78% //; - of which are motorways: 1727 km |
| vehicles: 398 - 457 per 1000 // international license plate: B |
| railways: 3368, 8400 km //; - railways passenger/km: 6757 |
| navigable inland waterways: 1540 - 2043km |
| ownership telephone: 458 - 502 per 1000 // international dialling code: +32 |
| ownership radio receivers: 500 - 792 per 1000 |
| ownership tv-sets: 464 - 523 per 1000 |
| newspaper circulation: 321 per 1000 |
| persons per post office: 6200 |
| personal computers: 345 per 1000 |
| Some physical landmarks |
| mountains: Botrange 694 m, Baraque Michel 675 |
| lowest point: some feet below sea level, in polders near the North Sea coast and the Schelde mouth under Antwerp |
| lakes (natural): unknown |
| lakes (artificial reservoirs): some small artificial lakes in the Gileppe and Vesdre rivers |
| lakes (deepest): unknown |
| rivers: Meuse/Maas, Sambre, Schelde, Leie, Ourthe, Semois, Dijle, Demer, Nete, Amblève, IJzer |
| canals: Albertkanaal, Schelde-Maaskanaal (which partly bears also some other names), Kanal van Willebroek |
| waterfalls: unknown |
| caves: longest system: Han-sur-Lesse / deepest: |
| islands: none |
| deserts: none |
| other natural features: |
| Additional remarks, especially on the statistical information |
| other important features: |
| apart from physical landmarks most of the above figures are changeable, in most cases they date from the 1990's |
| primary sources used for the general information: |
| BB CA DK EV FW PW WA WB WR, and some - local national or international - statistical yearbooks |
| particulars concerning population data: |
To the page containing the population growth statistics of the country
To the page containing the historical population growth statistics of the provinces
To the page containing urban historical population statistics
Back to the homepage of this website: POPULATION STATISTICS
Internet website: Internet website:Latest modification of this page on 2004-12-21 by Jan Lahmeyer
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