##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Ireland (2001) - Belgium (2004)
Compare Ireland (2001) z Belgium (2004)
| Ireland (2001) | Belgium (2004) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow | 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 |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
21.57% (male 425,328; female 403,204) 15-64 years: 67.08% (male 1,290,002; female 1,286,312) 65 years and over: 11.35% (male 188,868; female 247,124) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 901,486; female 863,092)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 3,424,438; female 3,364,057) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 739,479; female 1,055,724) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products | sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk |
| Airports | 44 (2000 est.) | 42 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
17 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
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.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
27 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.) |
total: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total:
70,280 sq km land: 68,890 sq km water: 1,390 sq km |
total: 30,528 sq km
land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than West Virginia | about the size of Maryland |
| Background | A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for the 26 southern counties; the six northern counties (Ulster) remained part of Great Britain. In 1948 Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland, approved in 1998, was implemented the following year. | 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. |
| Birth rate | 14.57 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 10.59 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$25.7 billion expenditures: $19.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2 billion (2000) |
revenues: $151.6 billion
expenditures: $151.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.56 billion (2003) |
| Capital | Dublin | Brussels |
| Climate | temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy |
| Coastline | 1,448 km | 66.5 km |
| Constitution | 29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite | 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state |
| Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Ireland |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie local short form: Belgique/Belgie |
| Currency | Irish pound (IEP); euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Ireland at a fixed rate of 0.787564 Irish pounds per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002 |
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 |
| Death rate | 8.07 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 10.2 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $11 billion (1998) | $28.3 billion (1999 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael J. SULLIVAN embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [353] (1) 668-7122/668-8777 FAX: [353] (1) 668-9946 |
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 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Sean O'HUIGINN chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-3939 FAX: [1] (202) 232-5993 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco |
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 |
| Disputes - international | Northern Ireland issue with the UK (historic peace agreement signed 10 April 1998); disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM | none |
| Economic aid - donor | ODA, $245 million (2000) | ODA, $1.072 billion (2002) |
| Economy - overview | Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth averaging a robust 9% in 1995-2000. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 38% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. Over the past decade, the Irish government has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to curb inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in launching the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10 other EU nations. The Irish economy is in danger of overheating, with the tight labor market driving up wage demands and inflation. | 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 because of the global economic slowdown. Prospects for 2004 again depend largely on recovery in the EU and the US. |
| Electricity - consumption | 18.414 billion kWh (1999) | 78.18 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 50 million kWh (1999) | 6.712 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 290 million kWh (1999) | 15.82 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 19.542 billion kWh (1999) | 74.28 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
94.42% hydro: 4.23% nuclear: 0% other: 1.35% (1999) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m |
lowest point: North Sea 0 m
highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m |
| Environment - current issues | water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff | 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 |
| Environment - international agreements | party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation |
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 | Celtic, English | Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11% |
| Exchange rates | Irish pounds per US dollar - 1.0658 (January 2001), 1.0823 (2000), 0.9374 (1999), 0.7014 (1998), 0.6588 (1997), 0.6248 (1996) | euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 31 October 1997 (next to be held NA November 2004); prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and appointed by the president election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote - Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6% note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats |
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 |
| Exports | $73.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | 450,000 bbl/day (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products | machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs |
| Exports - partners | EU 59% (UK 19%, Germany 9%, France 7%), US 20% (2000) | Germany 19.5%, France 17.4%, Netherlands 11.7%, UK 9%, US 6.7%, Italy 5.4% (2003) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red | three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $81.9 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $299.1 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
4% industry: 38% services: 58% (1999) |
agriculture: 1.9%
industry: 26.3% services: 71.8% (2003) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $21,600 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $29,100 (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 9.9% (2000 est.) | 1.1% (2003 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 53 00 N, 8 00 W | 50 50 N, 4 00 E |
| Geography - note | strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 97 km of Dublin | crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO |
| Heliports | - | 1 (2003 est.) |
| Highways | total:
92,500 km paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,457 km (1999 est.) |
total: 148,216 km
paved: 116,687 km (including 1,727 km of expressways) unpaved: 31,529 km (2000) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
2% highest 10%: 27.3% (1997) |
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 23% (1996) |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe | 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 | $45.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | 1.042 million bbl/day (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing | machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products |
| Imports - partners | EU 54% (UK 29%, Germany 6%, France 5%), US 18%, Japan 5%, Singapore 4% (2000) | Germany 17.7%, Netherlands 16.5%, France 13.2%, UK 7.5%, US 5.9%, Ireland 5.7% (2003) |
| Independence | 6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty) | 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I ascends to the throne) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 14% (2000 est.) | -1.5% (2003 est.) |
| Industries | food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal; software | engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum |
| Infant mortality rate | 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.36 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.6% (2000) | 1.6% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC | 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 |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 22 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 40 sq km (includes Luxembourg) (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet) | 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) |
| Labor force | 1.82 million (2000 est.) | 4.73 million (2003) |
| Labor force - by occupation | services 64%, industry 28%, agriculture 8% (2000 est.) | agriculture 1.3%, industry 24.5%, services 74.2% (2003 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total:
360 km border countries: UK 360 km |
total: 1,385 km
border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km |
| Land use | arable land:
13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 68% forests and woodland: 5% other: 14% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 23.28%
permanent crops: 0.4% other: 76.32% note: includes Luxembourg (2001) |
| Languages | English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard | Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French) |
| Legal system | based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
| Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held NA August 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); House of Representatives - last held 6 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 29, Fine Gael 16, Labor Party 4, Progressive Democrats 4, others 7; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 76, Fine Gael 53, Labor Party 19, Progressive Democrats 4, Democratic Left 4, Green Alliance 2, Sinn Fein 1, independents 7; note - seats by party in the House of Representatives as of 1 January 2001 were as follows: Fianna Fail 76, Fine Gael 54, Labor Party 21, Progressive Democrats 4, Green Alliance 2, Socialist Party 1, Sinn Fein 1, independents 7 |
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; for other acronyms of the listed parties see the Political parties and leaders entry |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
76.99 years male: 74.23 years female: 79.93 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 78.44 years
male: 75.26 years female: 81.75 years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% (1981 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: NA female: NA |
| Location | Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Maritime claims | continental shelf:
not specified exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit continental shelf: median line with neighbors |
| Merchant marine | total:
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 115,554 GRT/135,391 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 22, container 2, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,146,301 GRT/1,588,184 DWT
by type: bulk 1, cargo 8, chemical tanker 11, container 6, liquefied gas 18, petroleum tanker 6 foreign-owned: Denmark 6, Finland 1, France 2, Netherlands 3 registered in other countries: 69 (2004 est.) |
| Military branches | Army (includes Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (Garda Siochana) | Army, Naval, and Air Operations Commands |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $738 million (2001 est.) | $3.999 billion (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.75% (2001 est.) | 1.3% (2003) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
1,004,469 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 2,509,538 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
809,808 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 2,068,221 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 17 years of age | - |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
32,287 (2001 est.) |
males: 61,270 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March | 21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I |
| Nationality | noun:
Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural) adjective: Irish |
noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian |
| Natural hazards | NA | flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes |
| Natural resources | zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver | coal, natural gas, construction materials, silica sand, carbonates |
| Net migration rate | 4.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Pipelines | natural gas 7,592 km (transmission 1,158 km; distribution 6,434 km) (2000) | gas 1,485 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2004) |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Left [Proinsias DE ROSSA]; Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Michael NOONAN]; Green Party [Mary BOWERS]; Labor Party [Ruairi QUINN]; Progressive Democrats [Mary HARNEY]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Tom FRENCH] | Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V [Jo VANDEURZEN]; Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX, Evelyne HUYTEBROECK, Claude BROUIR]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Bart SOMERS]; Flemish Socialist Party.Alternative or SP.A [Steve STEVAERT]; Francophone Humanist and Democratic Center of CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; Francophone Reformist Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Francophone Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; GROEN! (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) [Vera DUA]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; New Flemish Alliance or NVA [Bart DE WEVER]; Spirit [Els VAN WEERT]; note - new party now associated with SP.A; Vlaams Belang or VB [Frank VANHECKE]; other minor parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | 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 |
| Population | 3,840,838 (July 2001 est.) | 10,348,276 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 10% (1997 est.) | 4% (1989 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 1.12% (2001 est.) | 0.16% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford | Antwerp (one of the world's busiest ports), Brugge, Gent, Hasselt, Liege, Mons, Namur, Oostende, Zeebrugge |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998) | FM 79, AM 7, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios | 2.55 million (1997) | - |
| Railways | total:
1,947 km broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (38 km electrified; 485 km double track) (1998) |
total: 3,518 km
standard gauge: 3,518 km 1.435-m gauge (2,631 km electrified) (2003) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998) | Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 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 (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay domestic: microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 1.59 million (2001) | 5,120,400 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 2 million (2001) | 8,135,500 (2002) |
| Television broadcast stations | 4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001) | 25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast | flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast |
| Total fertility rate | 1.9 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.64 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% (2000) | 8.1% (2003 est.) |
| Waterways | 700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998) | 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2003) |
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