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 .BE - Belgium - Belgien
Registration · Transfer · Renewal
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Payable by
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Special Requirements:
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Anyone can register a .BE domain.
Pre-configuration requred
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Registration, Transfer, Renewal
1 Year - 18.95
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Important! This is NOT a recurring order. The NIC BE rules require a renewal payment minimum 1 month before the period ends. We'll send you a payment request 6 weeks before period ends by email. If we do not get the renewal amount right early we give the registration back to NIC and the domain will be deleted at end of period, or you have to pay again a setup fee again.
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Background: |
Belgium became independent from
the Netherlands in 1830 and was occupied by Germany during World Wars I
and II. It has 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. |
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Location: |
Western Europe, bordering the
North Sea, between France and the Netherlands |
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Geographic coordinates: |
50 50 N, 4 00 E |
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Map references: |
Europe |
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Area: |
total: 30,528 sq km
land: 30,278 sq km
water: 250 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
about the size of Maryland
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Land boundaries: |
total: 1,385 km
border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148
km, Netherlands 450 km |
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Coastline: |
66.5 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer
limit
continental shelf: median line with neighbors |
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Climate: |
temperate; mild winters, cool
summers; rainy, humid, cloudy |
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Terrain: |
flat coastal plains in
northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in
southeast |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: North Sea
0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m |
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Natural resources: |
coal, natural gas, construction
materials, silica sand, carbonates |
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Land use: |
arable land: 23.28%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 76.32%
note:
includes Luxembourg (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
40 sq km (includes Luxembourg)
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
flooding is a threat along
rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by
concrete dikes |
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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) have slowed progress in tackling
environmental challenges |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, 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
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
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Geography - note: |
crossroads of Western Europe;
majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat
of both the European Union and NATO |
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Population: |
10,364,388 (July 2005 est.)
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 16.9% (male
892,995/female 855,177)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male
3,435,282/female 3,373,917)
65 years and over: 17.4% (male
745,178/female 1,061,839) (2005 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 40.55 years
male: 39.29 years
female: 41.81 years (2005 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.15% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
10.48 births/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
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Death rate: |
10.22 deaths/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
1.23 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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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: 0.7
male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 4.68 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 5.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 78.62
years
male: 75.44 years
female: 81.94 years (2005
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.64 children born/woman (2005
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.2% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
10,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
less than 100 (2003 est.)
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Nationality: |
noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian |
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Ethnic groups: |
Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed
or other 11% |
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Religions: |
Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant
or other 25% |
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Languages: |
Dutch (official) 60%, French
(official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch
and French) |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 98%
male:
NA%
female: NA% |
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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 |
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Government type: |
federal parliamentary democracy
under a constitutional monarch |
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Capital: |
Brussels |
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Administrative divisions: |
10 provinces (French:
provinces, singular - province; Dutch: provincies, singular - provincie)
and 3 regions* (French: regions; Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant
Wallon, Brussels* (Bruxelles), Flanders*, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg,
Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams-Brabant, Wallonia*,
West-Vlaanderen
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 |
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Independence: |
4 October 1830 (a provisional
government declares independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King
Leopold I ascends to the throne) |
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National holiday: |
21 July (1831) ascension to the
Throne of King Leopold I |
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Constitution: |
7 February 1831, last revised
14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a
federal state |
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Legal system: |
civil law system influenced by
English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal and
compulsory |
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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 Guy VERHOFSTADT
(since 13 July 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers formally
appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is
hereditary; 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
note:
government coalition - VLD, MR, PS, SP.A-Spirit |
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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 18 May
2003 (next to be held no later than May 2007)
election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit 15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD &
V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH 5.6%; seats by party -
SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5, VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note
- there are also 31 indirectly elected senators); Chamber of Deputies -
percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%,
PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR 11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD
25, SP.A-Spirit 23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8 Ecolo 4,
other 2
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 |
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Flemish parties:
Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V [Jo VANDEURZEN]; Flemish
Liberal Democrats or VLD [Bart SOMERS]; GROEN! (formerly AGALEV, Flemish
Greens) [Vera DUA]; New Flemish Alliance or NVA [Bart DE WEVER]; Socialist
Party.Alternative or SP.A [Caroline GENNEZ]; Spirit [Els VAN WEERT] (new
party now associated with SP.A); Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB
[Frank VANHECKE]
Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone
Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX, Evelyne HUYTEBROECK, Claude BROUIR]; Humanist
and Democratic Center of CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; National Front or FN
[Daniel FERET]; Reformist Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist
Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; other minor parties |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Christian, Socialist, and
Liberal 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
Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants |
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International organization participation: |
ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9,
G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB
(nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Franciskus VAN DAELE
chancery: 3330 Garfield Street
NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900
FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079
consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Tom C. KOROLOGOS
embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du
Regent, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO
AE 09710
telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111
FAX: [32] (2)
511-2725 |
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Flag description: |
three equal vertical bands of
black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of
France |
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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 nearly 100% of GDP. On the positive side, the government has
succeeded in balancing its budget, and income distribution is relatively
equal. Belgium began circulating the euro currency in January 2002.
Economic growth in 2001-03 dropped sharply because of the global economic
slowdown, with moderate recovery in 2004. |
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GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$316.2 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
2.6% (2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$30,600 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 25.7%
services: 73% (2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
19.1% of GDP (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
4% (1989 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 23% (1996) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
28.7 (1996) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.9% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force: |
4.75 million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 1.3%, industry
24.5%, services 74.2% (2003 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
12% (first half, 2004) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $173.7 billion
expenditures: $174.8 billion, including capital expenditures of
$1.56 billion (2004 est.) |
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Public debt: |
96.2% of GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
sugar beets, fresh vegetables,
fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk |
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Industries: |
engineering and metal products,
motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments,
processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass,
petroleum |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
3.5% (2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
76.58 billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 38.4%
hydro: 0.6%
nuclear: 59.3%
other: 1.8%
(2001) |
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Electricity - consumption: |
78.82 billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports: |
9.1 billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports: |
16.7 billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
595,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
450,000 bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports: |
1.042 million bbl/day (2001)
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Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
15.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports: |
15.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Current account balance: |
$11.4 billion (2004 est.)
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Exports: |
$255.7 billion f.o.b. (2003
est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment,
chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs |
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Exports - partners: |
Germany 19.9%, France 17.2%,
Netherlands 11.8%, UK 8.6%, US 6.5%, Italy 5.2% (2004) |
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Imports: |
$235 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
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Imports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment,
chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation
equipment, oil products |
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Imports - partners: |
Germany 18.4%, Netherlands 17%,
France 12.5%, UK 6.8%, Ireland 6.3%, US 5.5% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$14.45 billion (2003) |
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Debt - external: |
$28.3 billion (1999 est.)
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Economic aid - donor: |
ODA, $1.072 billion (2002)
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Currency: |
euro (EUR)
note: on
1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a
common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries;
on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday
transactions within the member countries |
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Currency code: |
EUR |
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Exchange rates: |
euros per US dollar - 0.8054
(2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
5,120,400 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
8,135,500 (2002) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
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:
country code - 32; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
FM 79, AM 7, shortwave 1 (1998)
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Radios: |
8.075 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)
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Televisions: |
4.72 million (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.be |
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Internet hosts: |
166,799 (2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
61 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
3.4 million (2002)
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Railways: |
total: 3,518 km
standard gauge: 3,518 km 1.435-m gauge (2,631 km electrified)
(2003) |
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Highways: |
total: 149,028 km
paved: 116,540 km (including 1,729 km of expressways)
unpaved: 32,488 km (2002) |
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Waterways: |
2,043 km (1,528 km in regular
commercial use) (2003) |
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Pipelines: |
gas 1,485 km; oil 158 km;
refined products 535 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Antwerp (one of the world's
busiest ports), Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur, Oostende,
Zeebrugge |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 53 ships (1,000
GRT or over) 1,146,301 GRT/1,588,184 DWT
by type: bulk carrier
15, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 17, petroleum
tanker 9
foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 4, France 4, Greece 4)
registered in other countries: 101 (2005) |
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Airports: |
43 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 25
over
3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m:
3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 18
914 to
1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports: |
1 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches: |
Land, Naval, and Air Components
(2005) |
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Military manpower - military age and obligation: |
16 years of age for voluntary
military service; women comprise some 7% of the Belgian armed forces
(2001) |
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Military manpower - availability: |
males age 16-49:
2,436,736 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 16-49:
1,998,003 (2005 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age
annually: |
males: 64,263 (2005
est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$3.999 billion (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.3% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues |
Belgium |
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Disputes - international: |
none |
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Illicit drugs: |
growing producer of synthetic
drugs; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals
for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine,
heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a
strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money
laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco
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