Compare Belgium (2003) - Niue (2004)

Compare Belgium (2003) z Niue (2004)

	Belgium (2003)	Niue (2004)

Administrative divisions	10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch: provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions; Dutch: gewesten); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Brussels* (Bruxelles), Flanders, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams-Brabant, Wallonia, West-Vlaanderen	none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order
Age structure	0-14 years: 17.2% (male 905,856; female 865,589) 15-64 years: 65.6% (male 3,400,419; female 3,346,182) 65 years and over: 17.2% (male 725,162; female 1,045,880) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk	coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Airports	42 (2002)	1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 25 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 7 (2002)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 15 (2002)	-
Area	total: 30,510 sq km land: 30,230 sq km water: 280 sq km	total: 260 sq km land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about the size of Maryland	1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. It has 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.	Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to about 2,100 in 2004), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.
Birth rate	10.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $113.4 billion expenditures: $106 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.17 billion (2000)	revenues: NA expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Capital	Brussels	Alofi
Climate	temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy	tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Coastline	66 km	64 km
Constitution	7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state	19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium conventional short form: Belgium local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie local short form: Belgique/Belgie	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island
Currency	euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries	New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Death rate	10.07 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$28.3 billion (1999 est.)	$418,000 (2002 est.)
Dependency status	-	self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen Franklin BRAUER embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710 telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111 FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725	none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Franciskus VAN DAELE chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York	none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Disputes - international	none	none
Economic aid - donor	ODA, $764 million (1997)	-
Economic aid - recipient	-	$2.6 million from New Zealand (2002)
Economy - overview	This modern private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north. With few natural resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Roughly three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt is about 100% of GDP, and the government has succeeded in balancing its budget. Belgium, together with 11 of its EU partners, began circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth in 2001-03 dropped sharply due to the global economic slowdown. Prospects for 2004 again depend largely on recovery in the EU and the US.	The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although Premier LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that Niue will shut down the offshore banking industry. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about $2.6 million.
Electricity - consumption	78.18 billion kWh (2001)	2.79 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	6.712 billion kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	15.82 billion kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	74.28 billion kWh (2001)	3 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 38.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 59.3% other: 1.8% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: North Sea 0 m highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
Environment - current issues	the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges	increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
Environment - international agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%	Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans)
Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999), 36.3 (1998)	New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.1620 (2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999)
Executive branch	chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch and approved by Parliament elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and then approved by Parliament note: government coalition - VLD, MR, PS, SP, AGALEV, and ECOLO	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000) head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May 2002) cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2005) election results: Young VIVIAN elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 70%, Hunukitama HUNUKI (AI) 30%
Exports	450,000 bbl/day (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs	canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
Exports - partners	Germany 18.6%, France 16.3%, Netherlands 11.6%, UK 9.6%, US 7.9%, Italy 5.4% (2002)	New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2000)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France	yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross
GDP	purchasing power parity - $299.7 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $7.6 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 1.3% industry: 24.4% services: 74.3% (2001)	agriculture: NA industry: NA services: 55%
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $29,200 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	0.7% (2002 est.)	-0.3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates	50 50 N, 4 00 E	19 02 S, 169 52 W
Geography - note	crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO	one of world's largest coral islands
Heliports	1 (2002)	-
Highways	total: 148,216 km paved: 116,687 km (including 1,727 km of expressways) unpaved: 31,529 km (2000)	total: 234 km paved: 86 km unpaved: 148 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 23% (1996)	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs	growing producer of synthetic drugs; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; money laundering related to trafficking of drugs, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco	-
Imports	1.042 million bbl/day (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals and metal products, foodstuffs	food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs
Imports - partners	Germany 17.2%, Netherlands 15.6%, France 12.8%, UK 7.3%, Ireland 7%, US 6.4%, Italy 4% (2002)	New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2000)
Independence	4 October 1830 a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands; 21 July 1831 the ascension of King Leopold I to the throne	on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand
Industrial production growth rate	4.5% (2000 est.)	NA
Industries	engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal	tourism, handicrafts, food processing
Infant mortality rate	total: 4.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	total: NA male: NA female: NA (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.7% (2002 est.)	1% (1995)
International organization participation	ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC	ACP, FAO, PIF, Sparteca, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	61 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	40 sq km (includes Luxembourg) (1998 est.)	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the monarch, although selected by the Government)	Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue
Labor force	4.44 million (2001)	NA (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	services 73%, industry 25%, agriculture 2% (1999 est.)	most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Land boundaries	total: 1,385 km border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% other: 75% note: includes Luxembourg (1998 est.)	arable land: 15.38% permanent crops: 11.54% other: 73.08% (2001)
Languages	Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)	Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Legal system	civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations	English common law note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 June 2003 (next to be held in NA May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit 15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH 5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5, VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR 11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit 23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8 Ecolo 4, other 2 note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments each with its own legislative assembly; for other acronyms of the listed parties see the Political parties and leaders entry	unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives) elections: last held 21 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11; note - all 20 seats were reelected
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 78.29 years male: 74.97 years female: 81.78 years (2003 est.)	total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: NA% female: NA%	definition: NA total population: 95% male: NA female: NA
Location	Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands	Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
Map references	Europe	Oceania
Maritime claims	continental shelf: median line with neighbors exclusive economic zone: median line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast) territorial sea: 12 NM	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 32,215 GRT/55,725 DWT ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 10, petroleum tanker 4, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Finland 1, Netherlands 3 (2002 est.)	none
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Components, Federal Police	no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$3.077 billion (FY01/02)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.4% (FY01/02)	-
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 2,497,423 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 2,059,131 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - military age	19 years of age (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 60,921 (2003 est.)	-
National holiday	21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I	Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Nationality	noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian	noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean
Natural hazards	flooding is a threat in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes	typhoons
Natural resources	coal, natural gas	fish, arable land
Net migration rate	0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	gas 1,485 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2003)	-
Political parties and leaders	AGALEV (Flemish Greens) [Dirk HOLEMANS]; Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V [Yves LETERME]; note - used to be the Flemish Christian Democrats or CVP; Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUK, Evelyne HUYTEBROECK, Claude BROUIR]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Karel DE GUCHT]; Francophone Humanist and Democratic Center of CDH (used to be Social Christian Party or PSC) [Joelle MILQUET]; Francophone Reformist Movement or MR (used to be Liberal Reformation Party or PRL) [Antoine DUQUESNE]; Francophone Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; New Flemish Alliance or NVA [Geert BOURGEOIS]; note - new party that emerged after the demise of the People's Union or VU; Social Progressive Alternative Party or SP.A [Steve STEVAERT]; note - was Flemish Socialist Party or SP; Spirit [Els VAN WEERT]; note - new party that emerged after the demise of the People's Union or VU; Vlaams Blok or VB [Frank VANHECKE]; other minor parties	Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]; Alliance of Independents or AI [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants	NA
Population	10,289,088 (July 2003 est.)	2,156 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	4%	NA
Population growth rate	0.14% (2003 est.)	0.01% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Antwerp (one of the world's busiest ports), Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur, Oostende, Zeebrugge	none; offshore anchorage only
Radio broadcast stations	FM 79, AM 7, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	total: 3,471 km standard gauge: 3,471 km 1.435-m gauge (2,631 km electrified) (2002)	-
Religions	Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%	Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 75%, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	NA (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal and compulsory	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat	domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: country code - 683
Telephones - main lines in use	4.769 million (1997)	1,100 est (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	974,494 (1997)	400 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)	1 (1997)
Terrain	flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast	steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Total fertility rate	1.62 children born/woman (2003 est.)	NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	7.2% (2002 est.)	NA (March 1999)
Waterways	1,570 km (route length in regular commercial use) (2001)	-

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