Area Total | 30,528 sq km |
Climate | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy |
Natural Resources | construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land |
Imports | Netherlands 17.3%, Germany 13.8%, France 9.5%, US 7.1%, UK 4.9%, Ireland 4.2%, China 4.1% (2017) – raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products |
Government | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy |
Capital | Brussels |
Population | 11.6 million (July 2018 est.) |
Ethnicity | Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.) |
Language | Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1% |
Exports | GGermany 16.6%, France 14.9%, Netherlands 12%, UK 8.4%, Italy 4.9%, US 4.8% (2017) – chemicals, machinery and equipment, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs |
News about Belgium
- Europe seeks to capitalize on America’s Trump-driven brain drainby Aitor Hernández-Morales, Giedrė Peseckytė, Pieter Haeck (Belgium – POLITICO) on April 2, 2025
The EU’s body for scientific research, as well as local, regional and national governments, are mobilizing to poach top U.S. scholars.
- France, Belgium scoff at anti-DEI letter from Trump administrationby Giorgio Leali, Paul de Villepin, Joe Stanley-Smith (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 30, 2025
"We have no lessons to learn from the boss of America," said Belgian Deputy PM Jan Jambon.
- Huawei corruption scandal: Police search European Parliament Strasbourg officesby Max Griera, Elisa Braun (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 27, 2025
Belgian prosecutors are investigating whether Huawei made illegal payments to get an open letter written, signed by eight European parliamentarians.
- Trump’s deal with Putin faces European reality checkby Gabriel Gavin, Giovanna Faggionato, Clea Caulcutt, Nicholas Vinocur (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 26, 2025
Top leaders meeting in Paris want to show the U.S. and Russia can't carve up the continent by cutting out the EU and Ukraine.
- Netherlands tightens US travel advice for LGBTQ+ peopleby Csongor Körömi (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 25, 2025
German and Finnish authorities have taken similar steps, and Belgium is planning to do the same, as the Trump administration removes some protections for sexual minorities.
- Meet the Mafia-busting MEP taking the fight against organized crime to Brusselsby Elena Giordano, Alessandro Ford (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 25, 2025
Giuseppe Antoci battled the Italian mob. But can he take on EU policymaking?
- Belgian FM: EU should fight fire with fire in Trump’s trade warby Camille Gijs, Pieter Haeck (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 24, 2025
Targeting Big Tech could be among the EU’s options to hit Washington where it hurts, Belgium’s foreign minister says.
- The Netherlands leads call for EU to clamp down on vapesby Mari Eccles (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 21, 2025
E-cigarettes and nicotine pouches aren't covered in existing rules.
- The EU’s funniest manby Hanne Cokelaere (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 21, 2025
Belgian comedian (and Prime Minister) Bart De Wever's 9 best quotes from the European Council summit.
- Seizing frozen Russian assets is ‘an act of war,’ says Belgian PMby Gregorio Sorgi, Hanne Cokelaere (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 21, 2025
Bart De Wever warns that handing the money to Ukraine would spook financial markets and trigger retaliation from Moscow.
- Nordic countries dominate world happiness rankings (again)by Dato Parulava (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 20, 2025
Fourteen of the top 20 nations are European, but Western nations are less happy now than a decade ago, according to the World Happiness Report.
- EU rifts open even before Trump trade war gets rollingby Camille Gijs (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 20, 2025
An early show of European unity is being tested as capitals seek cover from U.S. president’s tariff onslaught.
- Belgian public transport companies quit Elon Musk’s Xby Ketrin Jochecová (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 19, 2025
Get your service delay info somewhere else!
- Qatargate reforms helped us identify Huawei bribery scandal, Parliament president saysby Max Griera (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 18, 2025
Belgian authorities on Tuesday charged four people on counts of corruption and criminal organization.
- Huawei bribery scandal: 4 charged with corruptionby Antoaneta Roussi, Elisa Braun (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 18, 2025
Searches also took place at the offices of the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday.
- ‘Punching allies in the face’: Trump sparks US weapons conundrum for Europe by Laura Kayali, Joe Gould, Robbie Gramer, Lucia Mackenzie (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 18, 2025
The U.S. president’s repeated attacks have raised worries about Washington’s reliability, but decades of dependence on American equipment has no quick fix.
- Rwanda and Belgium cut diplomatic ties as EU adopts sanctionsby Hanne Cokelaere, Camille Gijs (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 17, 2025
Belgium has sided with the Democratic Republic of Congo as Rwandan-backed rebels have captured swaths of the country rich in natural resources.
- Huawei bribery scandal: What we know so farby POLITICO (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 17, 2025
China's 5G darling and the European Parliament are caught in a sprawling corruption probe in Belgium.
- Macron to EU colleagues: Stop buying American, buy Europeanby Giorgio Leali (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 16, 2025
"Those who buy Patriot should be offered the new-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those who buy the F-35, should be offered the Rafale," French president says.
- Saving steel: The fight to keep Europe’s industrial waste on its shoresby Marianne Gros, Giovanna Coi (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 13, 2025
EU steelmakers, facing steep decline, want Brussels to intervene to give them more access to scrap metal. Recyclers aren't happy.
- Russia is conducting ‘state-sponsored terrorism’ against Europe, EU chief diplomat warnsby Antoaneta Roussi, Laurens Cerulus (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 12, 2025
Investigation showed pro-Russia groups were offering crypto payments in exchange for hybrid attacks across Europe.
- Belgium wanted a drug shortages bill. It’s not happy with the EU’s plan.by Rory O’Neill, Helen Collis, Claudia Chiappa, Mari Eccles (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 12, 2025
Belgium first called for a law to tackle drug shortages in May 2023.
- Belgian satirist who wanted to ‘ram’ knife down Jews’ throats not guilty of antisemitismby Ketrin Jochecová (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 11, 2025
“Polemical” writing style of Herman Brusselmans does not constitute criminal conduct, court rules, in verdict condemned by Jewish groups.
- The EU and its sovereignty: Almaraz power plant is a turning pointby FERNANDO SÁNCHEZ, PRESIDENT OF THE PLATFORM ‘SÍ A ALMARAZ, SÍ AL FUTURO’ (‘YES TO ALMARAZ, YES TO THE FUTURE’) (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 10, 2025
Losing Almaraz would be a loss for both the region and Europe. Let’s not harm our competitiveness and energy security when they are needed most.
- ECB resistance wavers as pressure mounts to seize Russian assetsby Ben Munster (Belgium – POLITICO) on March 10, 2025
ECB President Christine Lagarde has reiterated the central bank's cautious stance, but opposition is growing at the Russian frontier.