human activities: 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, 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, 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

People Belgium

Population: 10,274,595 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.3% (male 911,729; female 871,470) 15-64
years: 65.6% (male 3,395,885; female 3,341,536) 65 years and over: 17.1%
(male 716,673; female 1,037,302) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.15% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 10.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 10.08 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

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 (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 81.62 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.61 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 7,700 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian

Ethnic groups: Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%

Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25%

Languages: Dutch 60%, French 40%, German less than 1%, legally bilingual
(Dutch and French)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write to