Western Europe.

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

30,528 sq km (11,787 sq miles).

10 million (UN, 2005).

341 per sq km.

Brussels (Bruxelles, Brussel). Population: 970,000.

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.

The country is a hereditary constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament comprising the 150-member directly elected Chamber of Representatives and the 71-member Senate. Both chambers are elected for a four-year term.

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. Recent history: The country is a hereditary constitutional monarchy with a bicameral Parliament comprising the 150-member directly elected Chamber of Representatives and the 71-member Senate. Both chambers are elected for a four-year term.
The political landscape in Belgium is complicated by the fact that each of the main political parties is split into two with one section representing the Dutch-speaking Flemish community and the other the French-speaking Walloons. A successful coalition must successfully balance the interests of both.
In May 2005, the Government survived a confidence vote, enabling it to shelve a dispute over the voting rights of French-speakers in Dutch-speaking areas around Brussels. Months of negotiations over the issue had failed, sparking a political crisis. The far-right Vlaams Blok, which wanted Flemish independence and campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, increased its share of the vote substantially in regional and European elections in 2004. However, the High Court later ruled that the party was racist and stripped it of the right to state funding and access to television. The party was subsequently reconstituted under a new name, Vlaams Belang, Flemish Interest.

The official languages are Dutch, French and German. Dutch is slightly more widely spoken than French, and German is spoken the least.

Mainly Roman Catholic, with small Protestant and Jewish communities.

Belgians will often prefer to answer visitors in English rather than French, even if the visitor’s French is good. It is customary to bring flowers or a small present for the hostess, especially if invited for a meal. Dress is similar to other Western nations, depending on the formality of the occasion. If black tie/evening dress is to be worn, this is always mentioned on the invitation. Smoking is generally unrestricted.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type.