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BELGIUM

AREA: 30,528 sq km (11,787 sq miles).
POPULATION: 10,143,047 (1995).
POPULATION DENSITY: 332.3 per sq km.
CAPITAL: Brussels (Bruxelles, Brussel). Population: 948,122 (1995).

GEOGRAPHY: Belgium is situated in Europe and bordered by France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. The landscape is varied, the rivers and gorges of the Ardennes contrasting sharply with the rolling plains which make up much of the countryside. Notable features are the great forest of Ardennes near the frontier with Germany and Luxembourg and the wide, sandy beaches of the northern coast, which run for over 60km (37 miles). The countryside is rich in historic cities, castles and churches.

GOVERNMENT: Constitutional monarchy. The Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830. In 1993, Belgium became a federal state comprising three autonomous regions. Head of State: King Albert II since 1993. Head of Government: Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt since 1999.

LANGUAGE: The official languages are Flemish, French and German; Flemish is slightly more widely spoken than French. German is spoken by fewer than 1% of the population.

RELIGION: Mainly Roman Catholic, with small Protestant and Jewish communities.

TIME: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).