Belgium
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
Terrain: flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Climate: temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Population: 10,258,762 (July 2001 est.)
Languages: Dutch 58%, French 32%, German 10%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French) The population density is the second-highest in Europe, after the Netherlands.
Government type: federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001)
Economy:
This modern private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base.
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.
Geography:
Area: 30,528 square kilometers (11,800 sq. mi.), about the size of Maryland.
Capital--Brussels (pop. 954,460). Other cities--Antwerp (447,632); Ghent (224,074); Liège (187,538); Charleroi (202,020); Bruges (115,991); and Namur (104,994).
Today, the Belgians are divided ethnically into the Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons, with a mixed population in Brussels representing the remainder. About 70,000 German speakers reside in the east.
Country Notes:
Belgium remains a strong proponent of NATO. It cooperates closely with the United States within the alliance framework, in addition to supporting European defense efforts through the Western European Union (WEU). Because of its location at the crossroads of Western Europe, Belgium has historically been the route of invading armies from its larger neighbors. With virtually defenseless borders, Belgium has traditionally sought to avoid domination by the more powerful nations which surround it through a policy of mediation.
U.S. Relations:
Belgium has welcomed hundreds of U.S. firms to its territory, many of which have their European headquarters here.
The U.S. Embassy in Belgium is located at 27 Boulevard du Regent, 1000 Brussels (tel. 02/501-2111, fax 02/511-2725). The European Logistical Support Office (ELSO) is at Norrderlaan 147, Box 12A, 2030 Antwerp (tel. 03/542-4775, fax 03/542-6567).
Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps
used with permission.
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