BELGIUM

CAPITAL : Brussels
Historical Background
 Belgium facts:
A brief history. A brief introduction to the history of
Belgium. Belgium became independent from the
Netherlands in 1830. It was occupied by Germany during
World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half
century as a modern, technologically-advanced European
state and a member of NATO and the EU.
 The country of Belgium belonged to Holland until 1830.
Northern Belgium has rich farmlands. In the 1500s, women
began making beautiful lace here. Women in the Bruges area
still make lace today
BELGIUM FLAG
 The hoist side stripe of the national flag of Belgium
is black in color. Black, gold and red colors of the
flag are symbolic of the country's coat of arms. The
black color represents the shield; gold stands for
the lion, and red denotes the lion's claws and
tongue.
Location and Geography.
 The country is located at the western end of the
northern European plain, covering an area of 11,780
square miles (30,510 square kilometers)
 The neighboring states are France, Luxembourg,
Germany, and the Netherlands.
 The two main rivers are the Schelde and the Meuse,
both of which begin in France and flow toward the
Netherlands. The land rises progressively toward the
south.
 Flanders (northern part of the country) is less hilly
than Wallonia (southern part).
People
 Called “Belgian “
 Population: 11,443,830
 MALE: 49.366%
 FEMALE: 50.634%
 Life Expectancy
 MALE: 78.81 years
 FEMALE: 83.544 years
 Literacy Rate
 MALE 99%
 FEMALE 99%
 Languages: The main languages are Dutch and French;
they are also the joint official languages. Although German
is also recognized as the third national language, it is not
used frequently in the national administration
 Religion: 58% of Belgians, are nominally Roman
Catholic. Muslims, other Christians and other
minority religions comprise 14% of the population.
27% are agnostic, atheist or other non-believers.
Political Aspect
 The Politics of Belgium takes place in a framework of a
federal, representative democratic, constitutional
monarchy, whereby the King of the Belgians is the Head
of State and the Prime Minister of Belgium is the head of
government in a multi-party system. Executive power is
exercised by the government.
 Belgium · King since 2013
 Philippe of Belgium
 Prime Minister since 2014
 Charles Michel
Economic Stability
 Brussels is located in Belgium, a country of the
European Union (EU). Thus, its currency is the Euro.

 1.00=60.08
 The modern, private enterprise economy of
Belgium has capitalised on its central geographic
location, highly developed transport network, and
diversified industrial and commercial base. The first
country to undergo an industrial revolution on the
continent of Europe in the early 19th century,
Belgium developed an excellent transportation
infrastructure of ports, canals, railways, and
highways to integrate its industry with that of its
neighbors.
Main Crops
 Agriculture in Belgium is mainly divided between
crop production and raising livestock. The nation's
main crops include barley, corn, potatoes, sugar
beets, wheat, and assorted fruits and vegetables.
Sugar beets, potatoes, and barley are the main
staples.
 exports accounted for about 77.8% of total Belgian
economic output.
1. Vehicles: US$45 billion (11.4% of total exports)
2. Pharmaceuticals: $41.8 billion (10.6%)
3. Organic chemicals: $29.4 billion (7.4%)
4. Machinery including computers: $28.9 billion (7.3%)
5. Mineral fuels including oil: $27.3 billion (6.9%)
6. Plastics, plastic articles: $26.9 billion (6.8%)
7. Gems, precious metals: $18.7 billion (4.7%)
8. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $13.9 billion
(3.5%)
9. Electrical machinery, equipment: $13.7 billion (3.5%)
10. Iron, steel: $13.3 billion (3.4%)
 Optical, technical and medical equipment was the
fastest-growing top product category up 57.1%
from 2009 to 2016.
 In second place was gems and precious metals up
37.5%, mainly driven by improved global sales of
diamonds and gold.
 The value of Belgium’s exported vehicles gained
28.4%. Organic chemicals followed with an 8.4%
increase.
Military Strength
 The Belgian Armed Forces (Dutch: Defensie; French: La
Défense) is the national military of Belgium. The
Belgian Armed Forces was established after Belgium
became independent in October 1830.
 Military age 18 years of age (2005)
 Active personnel l30,000
 Reserve personnel l1,673
 Budget € 3.0 Billion
 Leadership

 Commander-in-Chief King Philippe

 Minister of Defense Steven Vandeput (N-VA)
 Chief of Defense General Marc Compornol
 International Relations
 Foreign relations of Belgium. Belgium is a
country in Europe and member of major
international organizations like the European Union
and NATO which are both headquartered in
Brussels, Belgium. As a federal state, the
Communities and Regions have their own foreign
relations and are able to conclude treaties
themselves.
Where to go in Belgium?
Leuven Town Hall

Mons Belfry
 Grand Place
Canals of Bruges

Belfry of Bruges