cloudy
Terrain:
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged
mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: North Sea 0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m
Natural resources:
construction materials, silica sand, carbonates
Land use: arable land: 23.28% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 76.32% note: includes Luxembourg (2001)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (includes Luxembourg) (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal
land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
Environment - current issues:
the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human
activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry,
extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water
pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries;
uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now
resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:
crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals
within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and
NATO
People Belgium
Population:
10,364,388 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 16.9% (male 892,995/female 855,177)
15–64 years: 65.7% (male 3,435,282/female 3,373,917)
65 years and over: 17.4% (male 745,178/female 1,061,839) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.55 years
male: 39.29 years
female: 41.81 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.15% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
10.48 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
10.22 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.62 years
male: 75.44 years
female: 81.94 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.64 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian
Ethnic groups:
Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%
Languages:
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less
than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Belgium
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
