ties (now
resolved) have impeded progress in tackling environmental challenges

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, 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-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West
European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of
both the EU and NATO

@Belgium:People

Population: 10,241,506 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 919,445; female 877,896)
15-64 years: 66% (male 3,386,193; female 3,334,081)
65 years and over: 16% (male 701,842; female 1,022,049) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.18% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 10.91 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 10.13 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 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 (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.8 years
male: 74.47 years
female: 81.3 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.61 children born/woman (2000 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 58%, French 32%, German 10%, legally bilingual

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA%
female: NA%

@Belgium:Government

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

Data code: BE

Government type: federal parliamentary democracy under a
constitutional monarch

Capital: Brussels

Administrative divisi