Profile in Belgium
Country Name   Kingdom of Belgium   
Government   federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Country Area   30,528 sq km  
Region   Europe
Location   Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands 
Population   10,403,951 (July 2008 est.)
Religion   Roman Catholic 
Capital   Brussels
Major Provinces   Antwerpen, Ghent, Charleroi

Official Language   Dutch, French

Viewow’s Traveler Notes in Belgium
International Dialling Code   +32
Internet Country Code   .be
Time zone   GMT +1
Monetary Unit   Euro

Weights and Measures   The metric system is in use
Electric Power   230 V / 50 Hz
Electric Plugs   E

E : Round pin plug and receptacle with male grounding pin

View of Geography in Belgium
Coordinates   50 50 N, 4 00 E
Land Area   30,278 sq km
Water Area   250 sq km
Land Boundaries   1,385 km   
Border Countries   France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km
Costline Lenghts   66.5 km
Highets Point   Signal de Botrange 694 m
Lowest Point   North Sea 0 m
Terrain   flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Climate   emperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Average Tempretures in Summer   18°C (64°F) in July

Average Tempretures in Winter   3°C (37°F) in January 

View of People in Belgium
National Name   Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie 
Nationality   Belgian

Anthem   La Brabançonne (The Song of Brabant), named after the Duchy of Brabant

Flag   The flag, adopted in 1831, is a tricolor of black, yellow, and red vertical stripes

Ethnicity   Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%
Languages   Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
Religious   Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
Independance Day   21 July (1831)

View of Demographics in Belgium
Population Density   343.6% per sq km (July 2008 est.)
Population Growth   0.106% (2008 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate   deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Total Fertility Rates   1.65 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Life Expectancy   79.07 years
Birth Rate   10.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death Rate   10.38 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex Ratio   0.9325 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Divorces   29,183 (annual divorces), 0.28% (2006)
Literacy Rate   99% (2003 est.) 
Literacy Rate (female)   99% (2003 est.)
Suffrage   18 years of age

View of Economy in Belgium

GDP (ppp)   $376 billion (2007 est.)
Budget   revenues: , expenditures:
Exports   $322.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports   $322.9 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Invenstment   21.3% (of GDP - 2007 est.)
Unemployment Rate   7.5% (2007 est.)
Labor Force   4.96 million (2007 est.)
Inflation Rate   1.8% (2007 est.)
Growth Rate   2.7% (2007 est.)
Arable Land   27.42% (2005)
Industries   engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum
Agriculture   fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk, sugar beets, fresh vegetables
Natural Resources   construction materials, silica sand, carbonates

View of Some Facts in Belgium
Main Lines Phones   4.719 million (2006) 
Mobile Phones   9.66 million (2006)
Internet Hosts   3.195 million (2007)
Internet users   4.8 million (2005)
Airports  43 (2007)
Gsm   GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / UMTS 2100
Gsm Operator   Proximus, Mobistar, BASE
Railways   3,536 km (2006)
Highways   150,567 km (2004)
Waterways   2,043 km (2008)
Merchant Marine   85 ships (1000 GRT or over) (2008)
Ports and Terminals   Antwerp, Gent, Liege, Zeebrugge

Business Week in Belgium

--- Offices

Monday - Friday   8:30a.m. to 5:30p.m.

--- Retails

Monday - Friday   9a.m. to 6p.m. or 7p.m. , Department stores may stay open until 8p.m. or 9p.m.

Saturday   9a.m. to 6p.m. or 7p.m

Sunday   closed

--- Banks

Monday - Friday    9a.m. to 3:30 or 4p.m and some may close during the lunch hour

Saturday - Sunday   closed

--- Government

Monday - Friday   9a.m. to noon and 2p.m. to 5p.m.

Official Holidays of Belgium

New Year's Day   January 1

International Labor Day   May 1

Flemish Community Holiday   July 11

National Day   July 21

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary   August 15

French Community Holiday   September 27

All Saints' Day   November 1

Armistice Day   November 11

Christmas Day   December 25

Easter

Easter Monday

Ascension

Whit Sunday

Whit Monday

The distance between the North Sea and the farthest edge of the Belgian Ardennes marks the longest distance in this tiny country. The land between these two extremes is dotted with farms, bustling modern cities, and rivers that help link Belgium to the rest of Europe. The country’s position in the middle of Western Europe has made it a centre for trade and commerce.

Belgium covers 30,510 square kilometres. It borders France to the south and west, the Netherlands to the north, and Germany to the east. The tiny country of Luxembourg is on Belgium’s south-eastern border.