State structure

  • Political system: Federal parliamentary democracy
  • Head of State: H.M. King Philippe
  • Head of Government: Charles Michel – Prime Minister
  • National Motto: Unity makes strength
  • National Anthem: The Brabançonne
  • Flag: Three vertical bands of black, yellow and red
  • National Day: 21 July
  • Regions: Flemish Region, Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region
  • Communities: Flemish Community, French Community and German-speaking Community
  • Provinces: 10 - Walloon Brabant, Flemish Brabant, Namur, West Flanders, East Flanders, Liège, Limbourg, Hainaut, Antwerp, Luxembourg
  • Municipalities: 589 Belgian municipalities

  

Geography

  • Capital: Brussels
  • Surface area: 30,528 Km²
  • Maritime territory: 3,462 km² of the North Sea
  • Population density: 365 inhabitants/Km²
  • Land use: 26% arable land, 23% forests, 17% pastures, 14% open space, 8% residential land, 7% used for transport
  • Major cities: Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Brussels
  • Rivers: Meuse, Escaut, Yser
  • High point: 694m - Signal de Botrange
  • Adjacent countries: France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg
  • Time zone: GMT + 1 hours and GMT + 2 hours in summer

  

Population

  • Population: 11,150,516 inhabitants
  • Geographic distribution: 57.5 % of inhabitants in Flanders, 32.1 % in Wallonia and 10.4 % in the Brussels-Capital Region
  • Breakdown by age bracket: 20.3% aged between 0 and 17 years, 61.8% between 18 and 64, 17.9% aged 65 and over
  • Life expectancy: 82.9 for women and 77.9 for men
  • Foreign population: 1,214,605 foreign nationals, which is 10.9 % of the total residential population
  • Official languages: Dutch, French, German
  • Education level: 10.3% university, 17.8% higher education, 34.9% upper-secondary, 19.5% lower secondary, 17.5% primary

  

Economy

  • Currency: Euro
  • GDP: $524.8 billion (in 2013)
  • Breakdown of GDP: 69% services, 15% industry, 10% various, 5% construction, 1% agriculture/fishing
  • Workforce structure: 43% services, 24% commerce, 21% industry, 12% construction
  • Average price of building plots: €110.9/m²
  • Employment (people aged 20 to 64 years): 67.2%
  • Average monthly salary: €3,258 gross
  • Unemployment: 8.5 % of the active population

  

(Figures at 1st January 2014 – Sources: www.statbel.fgov.be)

Information about Belgium