Name:
Conventional: Kingdom of Belgium
Capital: Brussels
Government:
Parliamentary Democracy under a Constitutional Monarchy
Chief of state: King Albert II (since August 9, 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister Yves Leterme (since March 20,
2008)
Administrative Divisions: Three Regions and 10 Provinces
Three Regions:
- Flemish Region (Population: 6,078,600 (2006 est.) - Area:
13,522 sq. km)
- Waloon Region (Population: 3,413,978 (2006 est.) - Area: 16,844
sq. km)
- Brussels-Capital Region (Population: 1,031,215 (2006 est.) -
Area: 161 sq.km)
Provinces by Region:
- Flemish Region: East Flanders, West Flanders, Antwerp, Limburg
and Flemish Brabant
- Walloon Region: Brabant Wallon, Hainaut, Luxembourg, Liège and
Namur
Population: 10,584,534 (2007 est.)
Area: 11,787 sq. miles
Language: French, Flemish and German
Location: Northwest Europe, bordering the North Sea, France, Luxembourg, Germany and Netherlands
Border countries: France 401 miles, Netherlands 286 miles, Germany 95 miles, Luxembourg 93 miles
Climate: Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy