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Compare Belgium (2005) - Norfolk Island (2005)
Compare Belgium (2005) z Norfolk Island (2005)
| Belgium (2005) | Norfolk Island (2005) | |
 |  | |
| 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
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 |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 16.9% (male 892,995/female 855,177)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,435,282/female 3,373,917) 65 years and over: 17.4% (male 745,178/female 1,061,839) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry |
| Airports | 43 (2004 est.) | 1 (2004 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 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.) |
- |
| Area | total: 30,528 sq km
land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km |
total: 34.6 sq km
land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about the size of Maryland | about 0.2 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. | Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. |
| Birth rate | 10.48 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | NA |
| Budget | revenues: $173.7 billion
expenditures: $174.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.56 billion (2004 est.) |
revenues: $20 million
expenditures: $20 million, including capital expenditures of $2 million (FY99/00) |
| Capital | Brussels | Kingston |
| Climate | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy | subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation |
| Coastline | 66.5 km | 32 km |
| Constitution | 7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to create a federal state | Norfolk Island Act of 1979 |
| 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: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
| Death rate | 10.22 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | NA |
| Debt - external | $28.3 billion (1999 est.) | NA |
| Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of Environment, Sport, and Territories |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Tom C. KOROLOGOS
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 (territory of Australia) |
| 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, Los Angeles, and New York |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - donor | ODA, $1.072 billion (2002) | - |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | NA |
| 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 nearly 100% of GDP. On the positive side, the government has succeeded in balancing its budget, and income distribution is relatively equal. Belgium began circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth in 2001-03 dropped sharply because of the global economic slowdown, with moderate recovery in 2004. | Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs. |
| Electricity - consumption | 78.82 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 9.1 billion kWh (2002) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 16.7 billion kWh (2002) | - |
| Electricity - production | 76.58 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: North Sea 0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Bates 319 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 | NA |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
- |
| Ethnic groups | Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11% | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians |
| Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000) |
| 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 formally appointed by the monarch 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.A-Spirit |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003)
head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Geoffrey Robert GARDNER (since 5 December 2001) cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years; election last held 20 Ocotber 2004 (next to be held by December 2007) election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - 17.2% |
| Exports | 450,000 bbl/day (2001) | $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY99/00) |
| Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados |
| Exports - partners | Germany 19.9%, France 17.2%, Netherlands 11.8%, UK 8.6%, US 6.5%, Italy 5.2% (2004) | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France | three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 25.7% services: 73% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $30,600 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.6% (2004 est.) | NA |
| Geographic coordinates | 50 50 N, 4 00 E | 29 02 S, 167 57 E |
| 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 | most of the 32-km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated |
| Heliports | 1 (2004 est.) | - |
| Highways | total: 149,028 km
paved: 116,540 km (including 1,729 km of expressways) unpaved: 32,488 km (2002) |
total: 80 km
paved: 53 km unpaved: 27 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; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco | - |
| Imports | 1.042 million bbl/day (2001) | $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products | NA |
| Imports - partners | Germany 18.4%, Netherlands 17%, France 12.5%, UK 6.8%, Ireland 6.3%, US 5.5% (2004) | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe |
| Independence | 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I ascends to the throne) | none (territory of Australia) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 3.5% (2004 est.) | NA |
| Industries | engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum | tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.9% (2004 est.) | NA |
| International organization participation | ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, 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, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | UPU |
| Irrigated land | 40 sq km (includes Luxembourg) (1998 est.) | NA |
| 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 Government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice Council) | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions |
| Labor force | 4.75 million (2004 est.) | 1,345 |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1.3%, industry 24.5%, services 74.2% (2003 est.) | tourism 90%, subsistence agriculture 10% |
| 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: 23.28%
permanent crops: 0.4% other: 76.32% note: includes Luxembourg (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
| Languages | Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French) | English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian |
| Legal system | civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law |
| 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 May 2003 (next to be held no later than 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 |
unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.62 years
male: 75.44 years female: 81.94 years (2005 est.) |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: NA% female: NA% |
NA |
| Location | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
| Map references | Europe | Oceania |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit continental shelf: median line with neighbors |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | total: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,146,301 GRT/1,588,184 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 15, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 17, petroleum tanker 9 foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 4, France 4, Greece 4) registered in other countries: 101 (2005) |
- |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| Military branches | Land, Naval, and Air Components (2005) | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $3.999 billion (2003) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.3% (2003) | - |
| National holiday | 21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I | Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856) |
| Nationality | noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian |
noun: Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
| Natural hazards | flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes | typhoons (especially May to July) |
| Natural resources | construction materials, silica sand, carbonates | fish |
| Net migration rate | 1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | NA |
| Pipelines | gas 1,485 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2004) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Flemish parties: Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V [Jo VANDEURZEN]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Bart SOMERS]; GROEN! (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) [Vera DUA]; New Flemish Alliance or NVA [Bart DE WEVER]; Socialist Party.Alternative or SP.A [Caroline GENNEZ]; Spirit [Geert LAMBERT] (new party now associated with SP.A); Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Frank VANHECKE]
Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX, Evelyne HUYTEBROECK, Claude BROUIR]; Humanist and Democratic Center of CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; Reformist Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; other minor parties |
none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Christian, Socialist, and Liberal 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 | none |
| Population | 10,364,388 (July 2005 est.) | 1,828 (July 2005 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 4% (1989 est.) | NA |
| Population growth rate | 0.15% (2005 est.) | -0.01% (2005 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Antwerp, Brussels, Gent, Liege, Oostende, Zeebrugge | none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade |
| Radio broadcast stations | FM 79, AM 7, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) |
| Railways | total: 3,521 km
standard gauge: 3,521 km 1.435-m gauge (2,927 km electrified) (2004) |
- |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% | Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.3%, none 18.1% (2001 census) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
NA |
| 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: country code - 32; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat |
general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 5,120,400 (2002) | 2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,135,500 (2002) | 0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum) (2002) |
| Television broadcast stations | 25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997) | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (2005) |
| Terrain | flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains |
| Total fertility rate | 1.64 children born/woman (2005 est.) | NA |
| Unemployment rate | 12% (first half, 2004) | 0% |
| Waterways | 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2003) | - |
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