partners:
EC 73%, US 4.8%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, former Communist
countries 1.8% (1991)
External debt:
$31.3 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.6% (1992 est.)
Electricity:
17,500,000 kW capacity; 68,000 million kWh produced, 6,790 kWh per capita
(1992)
Industries:
engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and
beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
Agriculture: accounts for 2.3% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production - beef, veal,
pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain,
tobacco; net importer of farm products
Illicit drugs:
source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors;
increasingly important gateway country for cocaine entering the European
market

*Belgium, Economy

Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion
Currency:
1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 33.256 (January 1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148
(1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

*Belgium, Communications

Railroads:
Belgian National Railways (SNCB) operates 3,568 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 2,207 km electrified
Highways:
103,396 km total; 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717 km
national highway; 1,362 km provincial road; about 38,000 km paved and 51,000
km unpaved rural roads
Inland waterways:
2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
Pipelines:
petroleum products 1,167 km; crude oil 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km
Ports:
Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge
Merchant marine:
23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 96,949 GRT/133,658 DWT; includes 10
cargo, 5 oil tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 5 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
Airports:
total:
42
usable:
42
with permanent-surface runways:
24
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
14
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
3
Telecommunications: highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated
domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; extensive
cable network; limited microwave radio relay network; 4,720,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 3 AM, 39 FM, 32 TV; 5 submarine cables; 2 satellite
earth stations - Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and