Capital
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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
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Country Name
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conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium
local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
local short form: Belgique/Belgie
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Dependency Status
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*
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Type of Government
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federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
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Background
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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 member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.
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Branches
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Belgian Armed Forces: Land Operations Command, Naval Operations Command, Air Operations Commands (2010)
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 16% (male 851,958/female 817,583)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 3,480,361/female 3,420,118)
65 years and over: 17.8% (male 769,893/female 1,083,580) (2010 est.)
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Languages
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Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
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Population
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10,423,493 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions
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Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
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Internet Users
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7.292 million (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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about the size of Maryland
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Area
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total: 30,528 sq km
land: 30,278 sq km
water: 250 sq km
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Terrain
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flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
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Climate
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temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
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Natural Hazards
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flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
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