The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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СКАЧАТЬ conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium

       conventional short form: Belgium

       local long form: Royaume de Belgique

       local short form: Belgique

      Data code: BE

      Type of government: constitutional monarchy

      Capital: Brussels

      Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Flemish: provincien, singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen note: constitutional reforms passed by Parliament in 1993 increased the number of provinces to 10 by splitting the province of Brabant into two new provinces, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant

      Independence: 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) is a

       constitutional monarch

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

       1992) was appointed by the king and then approved by Parliament

       cabinet: Cabinet is appointed by the king and approved by Parliament

      Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate (Flemish - Senaat French - Senat): elections last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held by the end of 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (71 total, 40 directly elected; 31 will be indirectly elected at a later date) 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(Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordig: elections last held 21 May 1995 (next to be held by the end of 1999); results - 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 - (150 total) 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

      Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van

       Cassatie, French - Cour de Cassation), judges are appointed for life

       by the Belgian monarch

      Political parties and leaders: Flemish Christian Democrats (CVP -

       Christian People's Party), Johan VAN HECKE, president; Francophone

       Christian Democrats (PSC - Social Christian Party), Gerard DEPREZ,

       president; Flemish Socialist Party (SP), Louis TOBBACK, president;

       Francophone Socialist Party (PS), Philippe BUSQUIN, president;

       Flemish Liberal Democrats (VLD), Herman DE CROO, president;

       Francophone Liberal Reformation Party (PRL), Louis MICHEL,

       president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Olivier MAINGAIN,

       president; Volksunie (VU), Bert ANCIAUX, president; Vlaams Blok

       (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman; National Front (FN), Daniel FERET,

       president; AGALEV (Flemish Greens), no president; ECOLO (Francophone

       Greens), no president; other minor parties

      Other political or pressure groups: 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, ILO, IMF, IMO,

       Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR,

       NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCRO,

       UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA,

       UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

      Diplomatic representation in 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

      US diplomatic representation:

       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: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow,

       and red; the design was based on the flag of France

      Economy———

      Economic overview: This small 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 СКАЧАТЬ