Belgium - Country Code 32
IDD Code: 00
Country Code: 32
ISO: BE
ISO3: BEL
Helpful Information About Belgium
Time
Thursday, November 21, 2024
Capital: Brussels
Time Zone
UTC+01:00
Time Difference
Brussels, Belgium is ()
Daylight Savings Time
Belgium does not follow DST
Weather
Country Map
Country Flag
City Calling Codes
| City | Calling Code |
|---|---|
| Aalst | +32-53 |
| Antwerp | +32-3 |
| Bruges | +32-50 |
| Brussels | +32-2 |
| Charleroi | +32-71 |
| Genk | +32-89 |
| Gent | +32-9 |
| Hasselt | +32-11 |
| Kortrijk | +32-56 |
| La Louviere | +32-64 |
| Leuven | +32-16 |
| Liege | +32-4 |
| Mechelen | +32-15 |
| Mons / Bergen | +32-65 |
| Namen / Namur | +32-81 |
| Ostend | +32-59 |
| Tournai / Doornik | +32-69 |
| Verviers | +32-87 |
About Belgium Country NameBelgium
ContinentEurope
Lat/Long50.50388700, 4.46993600
BackgroundBelgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish 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. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.
Population11,409,077 (July 2016 est.)
LanguagesDutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%
ReligionsRoman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Jewish 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.)
Ethnic GroupsBelgian 75%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 12.8% (2011 est.)
Economy
EconomyBelgium’s central geographic location and highly developed transport network have helped develop a well-diversified economy, with a broad mix of transport, services, manufacturing, and high tech. Industry is concentrated mainly in the more heavily-populated region of Flanders in the north. Belgium is 100% reliant on foreign sources of fossil fuels, and the planned closure of its seven nuclear plants by 2025 should increase its dependence on foreign energy. Its role as a regional logistical hub makes its economy vulnerable to shifts in foreign demand, particularly with EU trading partners. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries.
Belgium’s GDP grew by 1.4% in 2016, unemployment ended at 8.4%, and the budget deficit was 2.7% of GDP. The economy largely recovered from the March 2016 terrorist attacks, which mainly impacted the Brussels region tourist and hospitality industry. Prime Minister Charles MICHEL's center-right government has pledged to further reduce the deficit in response to EU pressure to decrease Belgium's high public debt of about 107% of GDP, but such efforts could also dampen economic growth. In addition to restrained public spending, low wage growth and higher inflation promise to curtail a more robust recovery in private consumption.
The government has pledged to pursue a reform program to improve Belgium’s competitiveness, including changes to tax policy, labor market rules, and welfare benefits. These changes have generally made Belgian wages more competitive regionally, but risk worsening tensions with trade unions and triggering extended strikes.
Belgium’s GDP grew by 1.4% in 2016, unemployment ended at 8.4%, and the budget deficit was 2.7% of GDP. The economy largely recovered from the March 2016 terrorist attacks, which mainly impacted the Brussels region tourist and hospitality industry. Prime Minister Charles MICHEL's center-right government has pledged to further reduce the deficit in response to EU pressure to decrease Belgium's high public debt of about 107% of GDP, but such efforts could also dampen economic growth. In addition to restrained public spending, low wage growth and higher inflation promise to curtail a more robust recovery in private consumption.
The government has pledged to pursue a reform program to improve Belgium’s competitiveness, including changes to tax policy, labor market rules, and welfare benefits. These changes have generally made Belgian wages more competitive regionally, but risk worsening tensions with trade unions and triggering extended strikes.
GDP$470.2 billion (2016 est.)
CurrencyEuro
Communications
Internet TLD.be
Internet Users9.631 million
Land Lines4,488,711
Mobile Phones12.938 million
Broadcast MediaA segmented market with the three major communities (Flemish, French, and German-speaking) each having responsibility for their own broadcast media; multiple TV channels exist for each community; additionally, in excess of 90% of households are connected to cable and can access broadcasts of TV stations from neighboring countries; each community has a public radio network coexisting with private broadcasters (2009)