| Belgium is situated in Europe and bordered by France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. The landscape is varied, the rivers and gorges of the Ardennes contrasting sharply with the rolling plains which make up much of the countryside. Notable features are the great forest of Ardennes near the frontier with Germany and Luxembourg and the wide, sandy beaches of the northern coast, which run for over 60km (37 miles). The countryside is rich in historic cities, castles and churches. |
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| 30,528 sq km (11,787 sq miles). |
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| Constitutional monarchy. The Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830. In 1993, Belgium became a federal state comprising three autonomous regions. Head of State: King Albert II since 1993. Head of Government: Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt since 1999. Recent history: In May 2005, the government survived a confidence vote, enabling it to shelve a dispute over the voting rights of French-speakers in Dutch-speaking areas around Brussels. The far-right Vlaams Blok, which wanted Flemish independence and campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, increased its share of the vote substantially in regional and European elections in 2004. However, the high court later ruled that the party was racist, and it was subsequently reconstituted under a new name, Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest). |
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| 10.4 million (2006 estimate). |
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| 341 per sq km. |
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| The official languages are Dutch, French and German. Dutch is slightly more widely spoken than French, and German is spoken the least. English is widely spoken in the Flemish region. |
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| Mainly Roman Catholic (75%), with small Protestant and Jewish communities. |
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| GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October). |
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| Brussels. Population: 1.98 million (metropolitan area, 2005). |
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| 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type. |
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