military age (18) annually: 76,006 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: 892 billion rubels, 1% of GDP (1995); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
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@Belgium———
Map—
Location: 50 50 N, 4 00 E—Western Europe, bordering the North
Sea, between France and the Netherlands
Flag——
Description: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side),
yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France
Geography————
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France
and the Netherlands
Geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total area: 30,510 sq km
land area: 30,230 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 1,385 km
border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,
Netherlands 450 km
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: median line with neighbors
exclusive fishing zone: median line with neighbors (extends about 68
km from coast)
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrain: flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast lowest point: North Sea 0 m highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m
Natural resources: coal, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 20%
forest and woodland: 21%
other: 34%
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: Meuse River, a major source of drinking water,
polluted from steel production wastes; other rivers polluted by
animal wastes and fertilizers; industrial air pollution contributes
to acid rain in neighboring countries
natural hazards: flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal
land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Geographic note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West
European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of
the EU
People———
Population: 10,170,241 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 18% (male 930,919; female 886,632)
15–64 years: 66% (male 3,380,105; female 3,326,853)
65 years and over: 16% (male 663,760; female 981,972) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.33% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 10.3 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.09 years male: 73.86 years female: 80.51 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian
Ethnic divisions: Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%
Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%
Languages: Dutch 56%, French 32%, German 1%, legally bilingual 11%
(divided along ethnic lines)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
total population: 99%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government—————
Name of country:
