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

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СКАЧАТЬ 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, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS

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

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

       WMO, WTrO, ZC

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Alexis REYN

       chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

       consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Paul CEJAS

       embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels

       mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710

      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 Wallonia. 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. Belgium's public debt fell from 127% of GDP in 1996 to 122% of GDP in 1998 and the government is trying to control its expenditures to bring the figure more into line with other industrialized countries. Belgium became a charter member of the European Monetary Union (EMU) in January 1999.

      GDP: purchasing power parity—$236 billion (1998 est.)

      GDP—real growth rate: 2.8% (1998 est.)

      GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$23,400 (1998 est.)

      GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 1.9% industry: 27.2% services: 70.9% (1996)

      Population below poverty line: NA%

      Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 20.2% (1992)

      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1998 est.)

      Labor force: 4.283 million (1997)

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

      Unemployment rate: 12% (1998 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: 9.7% (1995)

      Electricity—production: 71.066 billion kWh (1996)

      Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 41.73% hydro: 0.33% nuclear: 57.93% other: 0.01% (1996)

      Electricity—consumption: 75.266 billion kWh (1996)

      Electricity—exports: 5.4 billion kWh (1996)

      Electricity—imports: 9.6 billion kWh (1996)

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

      Exports: $145.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

      Exports—commodities: iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products

      Exports—partners: EU 67.2% (Germany 19%), US 5.8% (1994)

      Imports: $137.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

      Imports—commodities: fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs

      Imports—partners: EU 75% (Germany 22.1%), US 5% (1997)

      Debt—external: $22.3 billion (1998 est.)

      Economic aid—donor: ODA, $1 billion (1995)

      Currency: 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes

      Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1—34.77 (January

       1999), 36.229 (1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996), 29.480 (1995),

       33.456 (1994)

       note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common

       currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some

       member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed

       rate of 40.3399 Belgian francs per euro; the euro will replace the

       local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

      Fiscal year: calendar year

      Communications

      Telephones: 5.691 million (1992 est.); 1.7 million cellular

       telephone subscribers (1998)

      Telephone system: 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: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations—2

       Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat

      Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 77, shortwave 1 (Belgium's single shortwave station, Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal, transmits its programs internationally in Dutch, English, French, and German, using 21 shortwave frequencies)

      Radios: 100,000 (1992 est.)

      Television broadcast stations: 24 (in addition, there are Dutch programs on cable, TV-5 Europe by satellite relay, and American Forces Network by relay from Germany) (1997)

      Televisions: 3,315,662 (1993 est.)

      Transportation

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