Belgium Information / Belgium Health Insurance

Official Name: Known officially as Kingdom of Belgium, or commonly as Belgium.

Capital city: Brussels, the capital of Belgium, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, is a multicultural and multilingual city at the very heart of the EU.

Location: Belgium lies in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands.

Size: The total land area of Belgium is 30,528 square kilometers and this ranks 147th globally. The size is roughly slightly larger than Maryland in the USA.

Climate: Climate in Belgium is temperate. Summers in the country are cool, while winters is mild. Mild rainfall is consistent throughout the year.

Population: Belgium has an estimated population of 10.4 million people and ranks 79th globally. The country has a population growth rate of 0.094%.

Life expectancy at birth: The average life expectancy at birth for citizens of Belgium is 79.22 years, ranking at 33rd globally. Females have a longer average life span at 82.53 years, while Males average at 76.06 years from birth.

Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: Potential health risks in Belgium include Tetanus, Swine Flu (H1N1) and Influenza A.

Major Illnesses: Potential health risks in Belgium include Tetanus, Swine Flu (H1N1) and Influenza A.

Ethnic Groups: Belgium is mainly comprised of Flemish ethnics at 58% of the population. Other ethnic groups include Walloon at 31%, mixed or other at 11%.

Languages: There are three official languages in Belgium, namely Dutch at 60%, French at 40% and German at less than 1%. Belgium is an officially bilingual country, and all signs must be printed in both Dutch and French.

Religion: The major religion in Belgium is Roman Catholic accounting for 75% of the population and other religion includes Protestant at 25%.

Government: Belgium is a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The Belgian Parliament consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives (the Chamber). The House has 150 directly elected members. The Senate has 71 members.

Head of State: The Head of State in Belgium is King Albert II. His primary political function is to designate a political leader to attempt to form a new cabinet following either an election, the resignation of a government, or a parliamentary vote of no confidence. The King plays a ceremonial and a symbolic unifying role, representing a common national Belgian identity.

Head of Government: The Head of Government in Belgium is the Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, who is appointed by the Head of State. The Prime Minister and his ministers administer the Government and the various public services. Ministers must defend their policies and performance in person before the House.

Military: The Federal Armed Forces of Belgium consists of three branches namely Land Operations Command, Naval Operations Command and Air Operations Command. The suitable age for male or female voluntary military service is 18 years of age.

Economy: Belgium is one of the world’s most highly industrialised countries. It was the first country to undergo an industrial revolution. A great portion of the country’s economy depends on world trade, about 75% of the trading is with EU countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain. Due to lack of natural resources in Belgium, the country relies on most traditional industrial sectors such as steel, textiles, refining, chemicals, food processing, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, and machinery fabrication.