| 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
- Lumumba’s tooth possibly stolen in mausoleum break-in, Congolese government saysby Seb Starcevic (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 19, 2024
The tooth was kept in Belgium until it was returned to Congo in 2022.
- Pistorius oder Scholz: Tage der Entscheidung in der SPDby Gordon Repinski (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 18, 2024
Der Kanzler ist beim G20-Gipfel in Rio de Janeiro, während in Berlin die Diskussionen in der SPD weitergehen, ob Scholz noch der richtige Kanzlerkandidat ist. Die Zustimmung für ihn sinkt, für Pistorius hingegen steigt sie weiter. Gordon Repinski analysiert, wie sich der leise Abschied von Scholz möglicherweise bereits abzeichnet. Im […]
- Europe’s farmers should calm down about Mercosurby Alessandro Ford (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 17, 2024
The EU’s trade deal with South America is small potatoes for agriculture.
- Azerbaijan leader’s fossil fuel praise an ‘abuse’ of COP29, Belgium saysby Zia Weise, Suzanne Lynch (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 15, 2024
Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten called Ilham Aliyev's remarks 'inappropriate,' given his role hosting the annual climate summit.
- Brussels police arrest 40 after violent protests against Belgian, French far rightby Pieter Haeck, Ketrin Jochecová (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 14, 2024
Demonstrators against French politician Jordan Bardella's new book turned their anger on Belgian party Vlaams Belang's offices.
- Coups, colonialism and all that jazz: the film that unravels extraordinary cold war truthsby Stuart Jeffries (Belgium | The Guardian) on November 13, 2024
Johan Grimonprez’s documentary Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat reveals the curious link between Black Americans’ fight for civil rights and the assassination of Congo’s first democratically elected Black African prime ministerHalf-way through Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat, John Coltrane and Duke Ellington’s soulful version of In a Sentimental Mood is […]
- Brewers to EU: When all else fails, try beerby Louise Guillot (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 7, 2024
New Brussels beverage featuring Ukrainian hops aims to promote European unity and multiculturalism.
- Belgium’s Lahbib approved by Parliament as new EU crisis management bossby Max Griera, Leonie Cater (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 6, 2024
Her evaluation meeting got delayed twice.
- Belgium’s commissioner hearing: Hadja Lahbib tested on crisis management — live updatesby POLITICO (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 5, 2024
The ex-foreign minister and TV anchor has to convince MEPs she's got what it takes to be a commissioner.
- Belgian comic book withdrawn amid outrage over racist depictionsby Jennifer Rankin in Brussels (Belgium | The Guardian) on November 5, 2024
Publisher ‘profoundly sorry’ for hurt caused by Spirou and the Blue Gorgon as it recalls 30,000 copies from shopsA comic book has been withdrawn from sale by its Belgian publisher after an outcry over racist depictions of black people and “hyper-sexualised” images of women.The publisher Dupuis announced that its graphic novel, Spirou and the Blue […]
- In Pennsylvania, election-weary locals find relief in Belgian beerby Tim Ross (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 5, 2024
Amid the Trump-Harris hostilities in a crucial swing state lies an oasis of calm — an authentic Brussels bar.
- Party’s over: Trump takes fizz out of election night as embassies ditch soireesby Suzanne Lynch (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 4, 2024
U.S. election night 2024 promises to be a sober affair in Europe.
- Brussels is bursting out of its borders. That’s helping the rise of the right.by Sonya Angelica Diehn (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 3, 2024
Multilingualism is coming for Flanders — though not everyone likes that idea.
- Europe’s Greens ask Jill Stein to pull out of US election to prevent Trump victoryby Jakob Hanke Vela, Zoya Sheftalovich (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 1, 2024
"The race for the White House is too close for comfort," write parties from around Europe, calling on Stein to throw her support behind Democrat Kamala Harris.
- Love Trump? Hate MAGA? Where to escape if your team loses the US election.by Ketrin Jochecová, Seb Starcevic, Csongor Körömi, Elena Giordano (Belgium – POLITICO) on November 1, 2024
We've pulled together a handy list of European safe spaces if you need to eject from America after Tuesday's vote.
- Commission eyes transfer of Russian assets to fortify €45B Ukraine loanby Gregorio Sorgi (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 31, 2024
The move would protect Belgium-based Euroclear from Moscow's retaliation.
- Fraud busters investigate European Parliament’s most powerful groupby Sarah Wheaton, Elisa Braun, Eddy Wax, Max Griera (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 30, 2024
Police zero in on European People’s Party chief Manfred Weber’s 2019 bid for Commission president.
- Horrific rape case pushes France to change the crime’s definitionby Victor Goury-Laffont (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 30, 2024
The French justice minister is meeting with lawmakers to legally define nonconsensual sex as rape.
- Audi Brussels to close in early 2025, signaling deepening VW crisisby Csongor Körömi (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 29, 2024
Automaker is still in talks with a potential buyer for the plant.
- US demands premium for supporting €45B loan to Ukraineby Gregorio Sorgi (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 29, 2024
The move addresses the risk Russian assets could be unfrozen early.
- Israel bans UNRWA: The world reactsby Elena Giordano (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 29, 2024
The U.K. is “gravely concerned,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
- The future EU commissioners’ promises: Everything you need to knowby Barbara Moens, Fiona Lally (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 24, 2024
We pored over more than 400 pages of written answers so you don’t have to.
- ‘I’m not going to move for two weeks’: Belgian trio set ultramarathon world recordby Reuters (Belgium | The Guardian) on October 24, 2024
Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert and Frank Gielen run 738kmBelgium win Backyard Ultra world championshipThe Belgian ultrarunners Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert and Frank Gielen set a Backyard Ultra ultramarathon world record in the early hours of Thursday by running nearly 738km in four days and 14 hours in Retie, Belgium. The Backyard Ultra takes place on a looped […]
- Washington and Berlin are slow-walking Ukraine’s bid for a NATO invitationby Stuart Lau, Veronika Melkozerova, Robbie Gramer, Jonathan Lemire (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 23, 2024
Ukraine's Zelenskyy wants an immediate invitation to join the alliance, but key capitals are balking.
- Várhelyi ducks commitment to food, booze health labelsby Helen Collis (Belgium – POLITICO) on October 23, 2024
Progress on Europe's mandatory food and booze labels has stalled, and looks unlikely to be prioritized by designated health commissioner.
