Belgium Government

Belgium is a federal, representative democracy as well as a constitutional monarchy. The prime minister is the head of government while the king is the head of state. The government exercises the executive power. The legislative role is assumed by the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives. The king appoints the ministers, and alongside the prime ministers, they form the Council of Ministers. The ministers are responsible for running the various ministries allocated to them. The constitution restricts the number of ministers including the prime minister from exceeding fifteen.

The King of Belgians is a monarch and holds office until his death or abdication. The monarch appoints the prime minister who can serve for an unlimited period. The Senate consists of members who represent communities and regions. It plays a minor role in legislative processes. The public elects the members of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. Different parties nominate members in each district depending on the number of seats available in the district. The campaign period is restricted to one month. Belgium is one of the few countries where eligible voters must vote.

The Federal Parliament consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both houses congregate at the Palace of the Nation (Palais de la Nation) in the country’s capital of Brussels. The official prime minister’s office is located at Number 16, Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat. The Royal Palace of Brussels is the official residence of the King of Belgians. It is located at the center of Brussels. However, the palace is not the official residence of the king. Instead, the Castle of Laeken is. The castle is located in the municipality of Laeken, three miles north of the city center.

The political parties in Belgium are divided into Dutch speaking parties, French speaking parties, or German speaking parties. Parties then usually either fall into Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, Liberals, Workers' Party, etc.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Brussels
Languages	Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%
Ethnic Groups	Belgian 75%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 12.8% (2011 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Jewish 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.)
Government	Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Independance	4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
Area	30,528.00 km²
Water Area	250.00 km²
Land Area	30,278.00 km²
Population	11,409,077.00 Most of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas
Location	Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
No. Bordering Countries	4
Bordering Countries	France 556 km, Germany 133 km, Luxembourg 130 km, Netherlands 478 km
GDP(PPP)	$509,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$44,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are chemicals, machinery and equipment, and finished diamonds.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include raw materials, machinery and equipment, and chemicals.
Climate	Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrain	Flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Learn More	Belgium

Belgium Government

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