 Belgium
Facts and Figures
Source: CIA World Factbook |
| Coordinates |
50 50 N, 4 00 E |
| Area |
total: 30,528 sq km land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km |
| 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 |
| Population |
10,392,226 (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages |
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French) |
| Imports |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products |
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs |
| Hazards |
flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes |
| Resources |
construction materials, silica sand, carbonates |
| Geography |
crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO |
| Nationality |
noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian |
| Capital |
name: Brussels geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Internet Country Code |
.be |
| Internet Users |
5.1 million (2005) |
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