GDP (official exchange rate):
$60.3 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
10% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
8.2% (2007 est.)
9.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,800 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
$10,700 (2007 est.)
$9,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.5%
industry: 41.2%
services: 50.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.869 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 77
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 34.7%
services: 51.3% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
1.6% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 12
note: officially registered unemployed; large number of
underemployed workers
Population below poverty line:
27.1% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 22% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
27.9 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 122
21.7 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
31.9% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Budget:
revenues: $25.15 billion
expenditures: $25.97 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14.8% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
8.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 37
10% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.55% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 99
8.58% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$4.872 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 55
$4.065 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$8.784 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 55
$6.823 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$18.42 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 60
$12.16 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk
Industries:
metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers,
motorcycles, televisions, synthetic fibers, fertilizer, textiles,
radios, refrigerators
Industrial production growth rate:
12% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Electricity - production:
29.92 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Electricity - consumption:
30.54 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity - exports:
5.062 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
9.406 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
32,950 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Oil - consumption:
184,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Oil - exports:
303,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Oil - imports:
444,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Oil - proved reserves:
198 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - production:
152 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Natural gas - consumption:
21.75 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - imports:
21.6 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Current account balance:
-$5.063 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
-$3.042 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$33.04 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
$24.33 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals,
textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Russia 32.2%, Netherlands 16.9%, Ukraine 8.5%, Latvia 6.6%, Poland
5.5%, UK 4.4% (2008)
Imports:
$39.16 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
$28.4 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs,
metals
Imports - partners:
Russia 59.8%, Germany 7.1%, Ukraine 5.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.687 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
$3.952 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$15.15 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 77
$12.49 billion (31 December 2007)
Exchange rates:
Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 2,130 (2008 est.), 2,145
(2007), 2,144.6 (2006), 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004)
Communications ::Belarus
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.718 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 41
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.693 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 66
Telephone system:
general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading
telecommunications infrastructure; state-owned Beltelcom is the sole
provider of fixed-line local and long distance service; fixed-line
teledensity of roughly 35 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone
density of about 90 per 100 persons; modernization of the network
progressing with roughly two-thirds of switching equipment now
digital
domestic: fixed-line penetration is improving although rural areas
continue to be underserved; 3 GSM wireless networks are experiencing
rapid growth; strict government controls on telecommunications
technologies
international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the
Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line,
and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic
segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and
Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this
infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat,
Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.by
Internet hosts:
113,115 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 70
Internet users:
3.107 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 57
Transportation ::Belarus
Airports:
65 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 75
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 35
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 30
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 25 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 5,250 km; oil 1,528 km; refined products 1,730 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 5,538 km
country comparison to the world: 32
broad gauge: 5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 94,797 km
country comparison to the world: 48
paved: 84,028 km
unpaved: 10,769 km (2005)
Waterways:
2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by
shallowness) (2003)
country comparison to the world: 36
Ports and terminals:
Mazyr
Military ::Belarus
Military branches:
Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 18 months (2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,491,643
females age 16-49: 2,528,779 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,720,049
females age 16-49: 2,069,898 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 60,009
female: 56,834 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Transnational Issues ::Belarus
Disputes - international:
Boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania in 2006; 1997 boundary
delimitation treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved
financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border
security
Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the
domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via
Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly
regulated financial center; anti-money-laundering legislation does
not meet international standards and was weakened further when
know-your-customer requirements were curtailed in 2008; few
investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Belgium (Europe)
Introduction ::Belgium
Background:
Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was
occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country
prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically
advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions
between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the
French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to
constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition
and autonomy.
Geography ::Belgium
Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the
Netherlands
Geographic coordinates:
50 50 N, 4 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 30,528 sq km
country comparison to the world: 140
land: 30,278 sq km
water: 250 sq km
Area - comparative:
about the size of Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 1,385 km
border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,
Netherlands 450 km
Coastline:
66.5 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit
continental shelf: median line with neighbors
Climate:
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrain:
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged
mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: North Sea 0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m
Natural resources:
construction materials, silica sand, carbonates
Land use:
arable land: 27.42%
permanent crops: 0.69%
other: 71.89%
note: includes Luxembourg (2005)
Irrigated land:
400 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
20.8 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 7.44 cu km/yr (13%/85%/1%)
per capita: 714 cu m/yr (1998)
Natural hazards:
flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal
land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
Environment - current issues:
the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human
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) had slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals within
1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO
People ::Belgium
Population:
10,414,336 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 857,373/female 822,303)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,480,072/female 3,419,721)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 760,390/female 1,074,477) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.7 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 43 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.094% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
Birth rate:
10.15 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Death rate:
10.44 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Net migration rate:
1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Urbanization:
urban population: 97% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.44 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 201
male: 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.22 years
country comparison to the world: 33
male: 76.06 years
female: 82.53 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.65 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
15,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
Nationality:
noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian
Ethnic groups:
Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 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: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 40
Government ::Belgium
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium
local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
local short form: Belgique/Belgie
Government type:
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Brussels
geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
3 regions (French: regions, singular - region; Dutch: gewesten,
singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels
Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Region de Bruxelles-Capitale (French
long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region
(Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form),
Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Region Flamande (French long form),
Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known
as Region Wallone (French long form), Wallonie (French short form),
Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)
note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
complex division of responsibilities
Independence:
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from
the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the
throne)
National holiday:
21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King LEOPOLD I
Constitution:
7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to create
a federal state
Legal system:
based on 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 Herman VAN ROMPUY (30 December
2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers are formally appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; 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
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat
in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular
vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and
a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch,
Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly
elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 June 2007
(next to be held no later than June 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA
19.4%, Open VLD 12.4%, MR 12.3%, VB 11.9%, PS 10.2%, SP.A-Spirit
10%, CDH 5.9%, Ecolo 5.8%, Groen! 3.6%, Dedecker List 3.4%, FN 2.3%,
other 2.8%; seats by party - CDV 12, MR 11, Open VLD 9, VB 8, PS 7,
SP.A 6, CDH 5, Ecolo 5, Groen! 2, LDD 1, FN 1, independents 4;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CDV/N-VA 18.5%, MR
12.5%, VB 12%, Open VLD 11.8%, PS 10.9%, SP.A-Spirit 10.3%, CDH
6.1%, Ecolo 5.1%, Dedecker List 4%, Groen! 4%, FN 2%, other 2.8%;
seats by party - CDV 23, N-VA 7, MR 23, VB 17, Open VLD 18, PS 20,
SP.A 14, CDH 10, Ecolo 8, Dedecker List 5, Groen! 4, FN 1
note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered
devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of
government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a
complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six
governments, each with its own legislative assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de
Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the
government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice
Council)
Political parties and leaders:
Flemish parties: Christian Democratic and Flemish or CDV [Marianne
THYSSEN]; Dedecker List [Jean-Marie DEDECKER]; Flemish Liberals and
Democrats or Open VLD [Bart SOMERS]; Groen! [Mieke VOGELS] (formerly
AGALEV, Flemish Greens); New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE
WEVER]; Social Liberal Party or SLP [Geert LAMBERT]; note - prior to
19 April 2008, known as Spirit; Social Progressive Alternative or
SP.A [Caroline GENNEZ]; Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB
[Bruno VALKENIERS]
Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX,
Isabelle DURANT]; Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Joelle
MILQUET]; National Front or FN [Daniel HUYGENS]; Reform Movement or
MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; other
minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation of
Belgian Industries
other: 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 Pax Christi
and groups representing immigrants
International organization participation:
ACCT, ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members),
Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA,
EU, FAO, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen
Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jan MATTHYSEN
chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900
FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Wayne BUSH
embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan], B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710
telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111
FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red;
the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are
those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red
claws and tongue on a black field)
Economy ::Belgium
Economy - overview:
This modern, 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. 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. Roughly
three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt
is more than 80% of GDP. On the positive side, the government
succeeded in balancing its budget during the 2000-2008 period, and
income distribution is relatively equal. Belgium began circulating
the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth and foreign
direct investment dropped in 2008. In 2009 Belgium is likely to have
negative growth, growing unemployment, and a 3% budget deficit,
stemming from the worldwide banking crisis.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$390.2 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
$386.3 billion (2007 est.)
$376.5 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$506.2 billion (2008)
GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
2.6% (2007 est.)
3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,500 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
$37,200 (2007 est.)
$36,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.8%
industry: 23.2%
services: 76.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.99 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 72
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 25%
services: 73% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
7.5% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
15.2% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 28.4% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 120
28.7 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Budget:
revenues: $239.4 billion
expenditures: $245.7 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
89.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
96.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
1.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 100
5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal
lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro
area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.03% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
NA (31 December 2008)
NA (31 December 2007)