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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 10,392,226 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.5% (male 873,130/female 836,785) 15-64 years: 66.1% (male 3,467,044/female 3,406,030) 65 years and over: 17.4% (male 746,969/female 1,062,268) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 41.1 years male: 39.9 years female: 42.4 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 0.12% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 10.29 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 10.32 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.043 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.018 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.703 male(s)/female total population: 0.959 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 4.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.13 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.92 years male: 75.75 years female: 82.24 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (2007 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.) H

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IV/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%, other (includes Protestant) 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: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

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 90% 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 2004-06.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $342.8 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $369.6 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $33,000 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 24% services: 74.9% (2005 est.)

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Labor force: 4.89 million (2006 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: 8.1% (2006 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: 25 (1996)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 19.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $195.7 billion expenditures: $195.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.56 billion (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 90.3% of GDP (2006 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% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 80.22 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 82.41 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 6.8 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 14.6 billion kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 10,690 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - consumption: 641,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: 523,400 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - imports: 1.109 million bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 17.06 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 16.88 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: $6.925 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $335.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 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%, Netherlands 12%, UK 7.9%, US 6.1%, Italy 5.2% (2006)

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Imports: $333.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products

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Imports - partners: Netherlands 18.4%, Germany 17.5%, France 11.3%, UK 6.6%, Ireland 5.9%, US 5.3% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $9.626 billion (August 2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $1.053 trillion (30 June 2006 est.)

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Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.072 billion (2002)

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Currency (code): 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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Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Belgium Top of Page

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Telephones - main lines in use: 4.719 million (2006)

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Telephones - mobile cellular: 9.66 million (2006)

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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; submarine cables - 5; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2005)

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Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 79, shortwave 1 (1998)

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Television broadcast stations: 25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)

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Internet country code: .be

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Internet hosts: 2.871 million (2006)

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Internet users: 4.8 million (2005)