Bassas da India
(French possession)
_Bassas_da_India.jpg)
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: undetermined
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 35.2 km
Maritime claims:
- Contiguous zone: 12 nm
- Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
- Extended economic zone: 200 nm
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: a volcanic rock 2.4 m high
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other (rock)
Environment: surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
Note: navigational hazard since it is usually under water during high tide; located in southern Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
People
Population: uninhabited
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
Belgium
_Belgium.jpg)
See regional map V
Geography
Total area: 30,510 km²; land area: 30,230
km²
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: 1,385 km total; France 620 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km, FRG 167 km
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
- Continental shelf: not specific
- Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line
with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Natural resources: coal, natural gas
Land use: 24% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 21% forest and woodland; 34% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution
Note: majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels; crossroads of Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of the EC
People
Population: 9,909,285 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Belgian(s); adjective—Belgian
Ethnic divisions: 55% Fleming, 33% Walloon, 12% mixed or other
Religion: 75% Roman Catholic; remainder Protestant or other
Language: 56% Flemish (Dutch), 32% French, 1% German; 11% legally bilingual; divided along ethnic lines
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 4,000,000; 58% services, 37% industry, 5% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: 70% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Belgium
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Brussels
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French—provinces, singular—province; Flemish—provinciën, singular—provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liège, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)
Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the process of revising the Constitution, with the aim of federalizing the Belgian state
Legal system: civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Flemish—Senaat, French—Sénat) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Flemish—Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French—Chambre des Représentants)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish—Hof van Cassatie, French—Cour de Cassation)
Leaders: Chief of State—King BAUDOUIN I (since 17 July 1951); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liège (brother of the King; born 6 June 1934);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Wilfried MARTENS, (since April 1979, with a 10-month interruption in 1981)
Political parties and leaders: Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman van Rompuy, president; Walloon Social Christian (PSC), Gérard Deprez, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank Vandenbroucke, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy Spitaels, president; Flemish Liberal
