Belgium in brief

• Area: 30,528 km2
• Population: 11.007.020 inhabitants (INS, 01/03/2011)
• Capital city: Brussels
• Official languages: Dutch, French and German
• Political system: Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
• Head of State: HRH King Albert II
• Per capita GDP: Approximately €30,000
• Currency: The Euro since 1 January 2002
• Recognised religions: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Anglicanism, Islam and the Greek Orthodox Church. Secularism is recognised equally alongside the aforementioned religions.
• Belgian National Day: 21 July (anniversary of King Leopold I's accession to the throne)

Belgium - the country

Belgium lies in northwest Europe and is bordered by the Netherlands, France, Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Its capital city, Brussels, is recognised, too, as the de facto Capital of Europe and the cities of Paris, London and Amsterdam are just two hours or so away by train. Belgium itself is strategically located between Europe's economic and urban 'backbone' to the south and the world's primary seaboard, the North Sea, to the north. As such, it lies not only within one of the most populous and trade-intensive regions on the planet but also along a key economic and urban axis.

Belgium - the federal state

Belgium is a federal state made up of three Communities (the French Community, the Flemish Community and the German-speaking Community) and three Regions (the Brussels Capital Region in the centre, the Flemish Region to the north and the Walloon Region to the south). In terms of language, both French and Dutch are spoken in the Brussels Capital Region and the latter is officially bilingual; Dutch is spoken in the Flemish Region, while in the Walloon Region both French and German are spoken although the Region is not officially bilingual.
The country's main federal institutions are the federal government and a bicameral parliament  comprising the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The Communities and Regions also retain their own legislative and executive authority.

Belgium's three Communities are delineated by language and their main powers and responsibilities include education, culture and what are referred to as 'social matters' such as family/ child support and certain aspects of healthcare. By contrast, the three Regions focus more on geographical issues and their powers extend primarily to considerations of a more economic nature such as public works, agriculture, employment, land-use planning and the environment.

Belgium - a wealth of traditions

Creative Belgians have often met with great success.
John Cockerill supplied customers all over the world with steam locomotives, steamboats, trams, blast furnaces and other heavy industrial equipment.
The dynamo, soda and Bakelite, among others, were all invented by Belgians or people of Belgian origin, and today’s rapidly evolving industry is continuing this tradition. Such well-known artists as Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel, Jan Van Eyck, Rogier Van der Weyden and Antoon Van Dyck – to mention just a few of the Flemish masters – rose to prominence in the land that would one day become Belgium. Today, their paintings are to be found all over the world but some of their finest works are on display in a number of Belgium's museums. James Ensor, Félicien Rops, Théo Van Rysselberghe, Paul Delvaux, René Magritte and Constant Permeke were also Belgian. Cartoon strips are considered an art in their own right in Belgium and the latter boasts the greatest number of cartoonists of any country in the world, talented artists following in the footsteps of revered predecessors such as Hergé (Tintin), Peyo (the Smurfs), Edgar P. Jacobs and Bob De Moor (Blake and Mortimer), Morris (Lucky Luke) and many others!

During the Middle Ages, cathedrals and belfries sprung up all over Belgium and can still be admired today in many art cities across the country. Countless castles are to be found dotted all over the Belgian countryside and come the 20th century, the city of Brussels became synonymous with the Art Nouveau movement.
So Belgium has a rich architectural history too. Today, reflecting the past and setting tomorrow’s trends, Belgian talent is finding an outlet in the fine arts, traditional folklore, fashion, design and many more domains besides.
And of course Belgians really appreciate top cuisine, relishing the country's mouth-watering and long-standing culinary traditions.

Belgium - a dynamic economy

With its distinctive way of life, natural resources and numerous growth sectors, Belgium is one of the most dynamic economies both in Europe and worldwide. The country boasts considerable expertise in a wide range of fields – expertise which has largely been the driving force behind its success. Industrial activity in Belgium originally centred around heavy industry associated with the mining and processing of its underground resources.

However, the country has come a long way since those early days and is now active in some of the key industries (metals, glass and textiles) to have shaped economic growth in Europe and made the latter more attractive in economic terms. New sectors continued to spring up throughout the 20th century following the arrival in Belgium of leading groups in a variety of sectors including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, nanoelectronics, automobile manufacturing and household goods among others.
Activity in these new sectors has long ensured considerable socio-economic diversity in Belgium and in so doing has promoted the growth of subcontracting and an efficient service sector offering substantial added value.
Following in its own footsteps as the first country in Continental Europe to embrace the industrial revolution, Belgium has made the most of its geographical location as a gateway to its key neighbours and at the very heart of all Europe's markets.

Diversity and multiculturalism
Belgium has always welcomed migrants from abroad and many have made the country their home over the centuries, including writers, artists and other intellectuals such as Karl Marx, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Baudelaire and Auguste Rodin among others. Its central location in Europe at the crossroads between the Latin and Germanic worlds, its multilingualism and its forward-looking social, political and religious freedom have all contributed to Belgium's cosmopolitan character and fostered a tolerant and multicultural society.

Belgium - logistics centre and a major hub for distribution of goods and services

Belgium's trump card is certainly its enviable geographical location, lying as it does at the very heart of a dynamic region. It is a crucial link in the transportation chain whether by air, sea or land and the country has used this inherent asset to its advantage, becoming a pivotal logistics hub in terms of transportation, assembly, refining, processing and distribution: the seaport of Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe and the fourth largest in the world, while Liège's river port is also one of Europe's key ports. Belgium has airports in Brussels, Liège, Ostend, Charleroi and Antwerp, some of which specialise in freight as well as passenger transport.

Be it seaports, inland ports, canals, airports, or rail, road and motorway networks, Belgium's transport systems are constantly being adapted to meet the needs of its thriving economy. Construction projects are on the go all the time building locks, boat lifts, high-speed trains, multimodal transport systems and more to enable Belgium to remain at the top of its game as a hub for distributing goods and services both at home and abroad, as well as to numerous multinationals who have recognized the benefits to them of establishing their European headquarters in Belgium.

Belgium - an active member of the international country of solidarity

Belgium actively pursues a cooperation-based foreign policy. Its capital city, Brussels, is home to the main institutions of the EU and to NATO and has thus become a centre for international relations. The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is also based in Mons, just south of Brussels.

Belgium is also a well respected member of the UN and was one of the latter's founding members, as it was of both the EU and NATO.  On many occasions, Belgium has demonstrated its commitment to the UN, not least by sending Belgian Blue Helmets on a number of peacekeeping missions. In recent times, Belgian Blue Helmets have been deployed to the Balkans, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lebanon and Afghanistan. However, the purpose of such UN cooperation goes far beyond peace and security alone – a fact that is illustrated by the country's work to safeguard and promote human rights and, more generally, sustainable social, economic and environmental development. Further evidence of Belgium's proactive presence on the international scene was its election to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the period 2007-2008.

Belgium is also at the forefront of cooperation development activity, not only via the EU but also at a bilateral level, and has provided valuable international assistance on countless occasions. Indeed, it is a world leader in terms of per capita development cooperation and will have earmarked 0.7% of its GDP for development cooperation activities well before the 2015 deadline cited in the United Nations' Millennium Declaration.

Brussels - an international city

Over 1,000 public and private international organisations (including the EU, NATO and various Benelux organisations) have established either a head office or permanent representation in Belgium's capital city.

The presence of such international organisations, primarily the EU and NATO, attracts associations, representations and individuals in a number of other sectors to Brussels, for instance diplomats, the international press, lobby groups, think tanks, academic institutions, experts and lecturers, multinationals and service companies among others.

Along with Washington DC, Brussels has the highest number of diplomats and foreign journalists in the world. The Belgian capital has also become a major global centre for conferences.

Invest in Belgium!

It may seem surprising but the figures speak for themselves: in 2006, Belgium received almost USD 72 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) – that's more than mainland China!

There are several reasons for this success, including the country's central geographical location, an open and supportive approach to entrepreneurial activity, a highly skilled, multilingual and flexible workforce and a longstanding tradition of welcoming foreign interests, not to mention a top-class infrastructure, Brussels' central location in terms of international decision-making and the country's so-called 'poles of competence' system linking private companies with public universities and research centres.

Belgium lies at the heart of the European Union. A company located in Belgium has access to 140 million consumers within a radius of just 500 km. It is certainly no coincidence, then, that so many multinationals have chosen to set up European distribution centres in Belgium.

Both the federal and regional authorities, too, have introduced a range of financial and fiscal incentives such as a notional-interest reduction and tax breaks to encourage foreign investment in Belgium and make the country an attractive location for innovation, research and development.

Research and development are top priorities for Belgian managers. Belgium adopted the aforementioned 'poles of competence' model linking businesses with hotbeds of entrepreneurial activity in a bid to encourage synergies between academia and business, and the funding made available for this venture is designed to help apply the findings from basic research in practical contexts.

Last but not least, of course, there is also Belgium's legendary hospitality – another reason why it is a perennial favourite with investors and those seeking the ideal location for their company headquarters and R&D centres. Belgium attracts over 5% of all investment in Europe, an achievement ranking it only fifth behind four of its much larger European counterparts.

Belgium, then, is becoming an even more favoured location among foreign investors – more so than it already was; it's certainly the place to be!

© Federal Public Service Chancellery of the Prime Minister