Belgium

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, longstanding tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. The capital city of Brussels is home to numerous international organizations, including the EU and NATO.

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

50 50 N, 4 00 E

Europe

about the size of Maryland

66.5 km

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land

57 sq km (2013)

most of the population is concentrated in the northern two thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world, with approximately 97% living in urban areas

flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the EU and NATO

Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.)

Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 2.3%, other Christian, 2.8%, Muslim 6.8%, other 1.7%, atheist 9.1%, nonbeliever/agnostic 20.2% (2018 est.)

0.45% (2025 est.)

9.09 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

9.55 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

most of the population is concentrated in the northern two thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world, with approximately 97% living in urban areas

2.122 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.057 million Antwerp (2023)

29.2 years (2020 est.)

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

1.46 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.71 (2025 est.)

6.53 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

5.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

22.1% (2016)

0.3% (2023 est.)

52.4% (2021 est.)

urbanization; possible risks from industry and intensive farming; air and water pollution

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

12.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

18.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

3 regions (French: <em>régions</em>, singular - <em>région</em>; Dutch: <em>gewesten</em>, singular - <em>gewest</em>); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), R<em>é</em>gion de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Région Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Région Wallonne (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)

civil law system based on the French Civil Code; judicial review of legislative acts

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

<strong>Flemish parties:</strong> <br>Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&amp;V <br>Vooruit or Forward (formerly Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A)<br>Groen or Green (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens)<br>New Flemish Alliance or N-VA <br>Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD <br>Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB <br><br><strong>Francophone parties:</strong> <br>Ecolo (Francophone Greens) <br>Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi <br>Les Engages (formerly Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH)<br>Movement for Reform or MR <br>Socialist Party or PS <br>Workers' Party or PVDA-PTB

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)

Belgian National Day (ascension to the throne of King LEOPOLD I), 21 July (1831)

<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of black (left side), yellow, and red<br><br><strong>history:</strong> the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are from the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)

golden rampant lion

red, black, yellow

<p>high-income, core EU and eurozone economy; slow growth with weakened domestic consumption and export demand; high public debt and structural deficits linked to social spending; aging workforce with weak productivity growth and participation rates</p>

$664.564 billion (2024 est.)

sugar beets, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, maize, chicken, barley, pears (2023)

engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

-0.6% (2024 est.)

5.416 million (2024 est.)

12.3% (2022 est.)

22.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

France 20%, Netherlands 15%, Germany 14%, Italy 6%, USA 5% (2023)

refined petroleum, natural gas, vaccines, cars, packaged medicine (2023)

Netherlands 20%, Germany 13%, France 11%, USA 7%, Ireland 4% (2023)

cars, natural gas, vaccines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)

a segmented market with the three major linguistic communities (Flemish-, French-, and German-speaking) each responsible for their own broadcast media; multiple TV channels exist for each community;&nbsp; over 90% of households are connected to cable and can access TV broadcasts from neighboring countries; each community has a public radio network coexisting with private broadcasters

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48 (2025)

112 (2025)

Belgian Armed Forces (Defensie or La Défense): Land Component, Marine (Naval) Component, Air Component, Medical Component, Cyber Command (2025)

approximately 23,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)

the armed forces have a mix of weapons systems from European suppliers and the US; Belgium has an export-focused defense industry that focuses on components and subcontracting (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; maximum age varies by position; conscription abolished in 1995 (2025)

has on average about 1,000 personnel deployed on foreign missions, including more than 300 ground forces deployed in Eastern Europe for the defense of NATO's eastern flank (2025)

the Belgian military's responsibilities include territorial defense, humanitarian/disaster relief, assistance to the police if required, international peacekeeping missions, and support to its NATO and EU security commitments, which Belgium considers vital components of its national security policy; outside of the country, the military operates almost always within an international organization or a coalition; Belgium was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) establishing NATO in 1949; it hosts the NATO headquarters in Brussels; Belgium also cooperates bilaterally with neighboring countries, such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands, in conducting joint patrols of their respective air spaces and in a composite combined special operations command with Denmark and the Netherlands (2025)

Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy-Interfederal Space Agency of Belgium (BIRA-IASB; established 1964; IASB added 2017); Belgium Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) (2025)

builds satellites, particularly research/science/technology and remote sensing platforms; researches, develops, and produces a wide variety of space technologies, including telecommunications, optics, robotics, scientific instruments, and space launch vehicle components; founding member of the ESA and participates in a variety of ESA and EU projects, such as Space Surveillance and Tracking, Copernicus Earth observation, and Galileo global navigation satellite system; hosts the European Space Security and Education Center (established 1968); participates in international astronomy efforts, particularly through the European Southern Observatory (ESO); has worked with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities outside Europe, including those of Argentina, China, India, Russia, South Africa, UAE, Vietnam, and the US (2025)

1986 - joined first European Earth Observation program; founding member of European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites<br><br>1992 - first Belgian astronaut in space on the US Space Shuttle<br><br>2001 - first remote sensing satellite (PROBA-1) launched by India<br><br>2024 - signed US-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices for space exploration

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)