The 1997 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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СКАЧАТЬ 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

      National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King LEOPOLD to the throne in 1831)

      Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state

      Legal system: 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) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the king and approved by Parliament elections: none; the king is a constitutional monarch; prime minister appointed by the king and then approved by Parliament

      Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Flemish, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected, 31 will be indirectly elected at a later date; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Flemish, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held by the end of 1999) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CVP 7, SP 6, VLD 6, VU 2, AGALEV 1, VB 3, PS 5, PRL 5, PSC 3, ECOLO 2; note - before the 1995 elections, there were 184 seats; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CVP 17.2%, PS 11.9%, SP 12.6%, VLD 13.1%, PRL 10.3%, PSC 7.7%, VB 7.8%, VU 4.7%, ECOLO 4.0%, AGALEV 4.4%, FN 2.3%; seats by party - CVP 29, PS 21, SP 20, VLD 21, PRL 18, PSC 12, VB 11, VU 5, ECOLO 6, AGALEV 5, FN 2; note - before the 1995 elections, there were 212 seats 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; for other acronyms of the listed parties see Political parties and leaders

      Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie in Flemish, Cour de Cassation in French, judges are appointed for life by the Belgian monarch

      Political parties and leaders: Flemish Christian Democrats or CVP (Christian People's Party) [Marc VAN PEEL, president]; Francophone Christian Democrats or PSC (Social Christian Party) [Gerard DEPREZ, president]; Flemish Socialist Party or SP [Louis TOBBACK, president]; Francophone Socialist Party or PS [Philippe BUSQUIN, president]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Herman DE CROO, president]; Francophone Liberal Reformation Party or PRL [Louis MICHEL, president]; Francophone Democratic Front or FDF [Olivier MAINGAIN, president]; Volksunie or VU [Bert ANCIAUX, president]; Vlaams Blok or VB; National Front or FN [Frank VANHECKE, president]; AGALEV (Flemish Greens) [no president]; ECOLO (Francophone Greens) [no president]; other minor parties

      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, AG (observer),

       AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB,

       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, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS

       (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,

       UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UNTAES, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO,

       WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

      Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andre ADAM chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333–6900 FAX: [1] (202) 333–3079 consulate(s) general : Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

      Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. BLINKEN embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: APO AE 09724, PSC 82, Box 002, Brussels telephone : [32] (2) 508–2111 FAX: [32] (2) 511–2725

      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 Walloon. 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. The economy grew at a strong 4% annual pace during the period 1988–90, slowed to 1% in 1991–92, dropped by 1.5% in 1993, recovered with moderate 2.3% growth in 1994 and 1995, and fell off again to 1.4% in 1996, with continued substantial unemployment. Belgium's public debt has risen to 140% of GDP, and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries.

      GDP: purchasing power parity - $204.8 billion (1996 est.)

      GDP - real growth rate: 1.4% (1996 est.)

      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,300 (1996 est.)

      GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 28% services : 70% (1994)

      Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2.1% (1996)

      Labor force: total: 4.126 million by occupation: services 69.7%, industry 27.7%, agriculture 2.6% (1992)

      Unemployment rate: 14% (1996 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: 3.4% (1995 est.)

      Electricity - capacity: 13.59 million kW (1994)

      Electricity - production: 74.4 billion kWh (1995)

      Electricity - consumption per capita: 6,823 kWh (1995 est.)

      Agriculture - products: sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk

      Exports: total value: $108 billion (f.o.b., 1994) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products partners : EU 67.2% (Germany 19%), US 5.8%, former Communist countries 1.4% (1994)

      Imports: total value: $140 billion (c.i.f., 1994) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs partners: EU 68% (Germany 22.1%), US 8.8%, former Communist countries СКАЧАТЬ