The 1999 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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СКАЧАТЬ signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air

       Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,

       Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change-Kyoto

       Protocol

      Geography—note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West

       European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of

       both the EU and NATO

      People

      Population: 10,182,034 (July 1999 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 17% (male 895,987; female 853,494)

       15–64 years: 66% (male 3,389,572; female 3,318,266)

       65 years and over: 17% (male 703,933; female 1,020,782) (1999 est.)

      Population growth rate: 0.06% (1999 est.)

      Birth rate: 9.98 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Death rate: 10.43 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Net migration rate: 1.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 6.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.53 years male: 74.31 years female: 80.9 years (1999 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 1.49 children born/woman (1999 est.)

      Nationality: noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian

      Ethnic groups: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%

      Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

      Languages: Flemish 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual

       11%

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 99% (1980 est.)

       male: NA%

       female: NA%

      Government

      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

      Data code: BE

      Government type: federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch

      Capital: Brussels

      Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (French: provinces, singular—province; Flemish: provincien, singular—provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams Brabant, West-Vlaanderen note: the Brussels Capitol Region is not included within the 10 provinces

      Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)

      National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King

       LEOPOLD I 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); Heir Apparent

       Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch

       head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March

       1992)

       cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch and approved

       by Parliament

       elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed

       by the monarch 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 by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; 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 popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies—last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held in June 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

      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, AsDB,

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

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