Political pressure groups and leaders: 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, AsDB,
Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB,
EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alexis REYN
chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Paul CEJAS
embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist
side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France
Economy
Economy—overview: This highly developed private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north, although the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Wallonia. 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. Belgium's public debt fell from 127% of GDP in 1996 to 122% of GDP in 1998 and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries. Belgium became a charter member of the European Monetary Union (EMU) in January 1999.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$236 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 2.8% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$23,400 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 1.9% industry: 27.2% services: 70.9% (1996)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 20.2% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 4.283 million (1997)
Labor force—by occupation: services 69.7%, industry 27.7%, agriculture 2.6% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1998 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: 9.7% (1995)
Electricity—production: 71.066 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 41.73% hydro: 0.33% nuclear: 57.93% other: 0.01% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 75.266 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 5.4 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 9.6 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk
Exports: $145.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products
Exports—partners: EU 67.2% (Germany 19%), US 5.8% (1994)
Imports: $137.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports—commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports—partners: EU 75% (Germany 22.1%), US 5% (1997)
Debt—external: $22.3 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid—donor: ODA, $1 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1—34.77 (January
1999), 36.229 (1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996), 29.480 (1995),
33.456 (1994)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common
currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some
member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed
rate of 40.3399 Belgian francs per euro; the euro will replace the
local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 5.691 million (1992 est.); 1.7 million cellular
telephone subscribers (1998)
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 5, FM 77, shortwave 1 (Belgium's single shortwave station, Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal, transmits its programs internationally in Dutch, English, French, and German, using 21 shortwave frequencies)
Radios: 100,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 24 (in addition, there are Dutch programs on cable, TV-5 Europe by satellite relay, and American Forces Network by relay from Germany) (1997)
Televisions: 3,315,662 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,380 km (2,459 km electrified; 2,563 km double track)
standard gauge: 3,380 km 1.435-m gauge (1996)
Highways:
total: 143,175 km
paved: 143,175 km (including 1,674 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1996 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 and harbors: Antwerp (one of the world's busiest ports),