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election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit

       15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH

       5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5,

       VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected

       senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD

       15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR

       11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit

       23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8 Ecolo 4, other 2

       note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered

       devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of

       government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a

       complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six

       governments each with its own legislative assembly; for other

       acronyms of the listed parties see the Political parties and leaders

       entry

       elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 May 2003

       (next to be held no later than May 2007)

      Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de

       Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the

       Government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice

       Council)

      Political parties and leaders:

       Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V [Jo VANDEURZEN]; Ecolo

       (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX, Evelyne HUYTEBROECK,

       Claude BROUIR]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Bart SOMERS];

       Flemish Socialist Party.Alternative or SP.A [Steve STEVAERT];

       Francophone Humanist and Democratic Center of CDH [Joelle MILQUET];

       Francophone Reformist Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Francophone

       Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; GROEN! (formerly AGALEV,

       Flemish Greens) [Vera DUA]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; New

       Flemish Alliance or NVA [Bart DE WEVER]; Spirit [Els VAN WEERT];

       note - new party now associated with SP.A; Vlaams Belang or VB

       [Frank VANHECKE]; other minor parties

      Political pressure groups and leaders:

       Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation of

       Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing

       bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and

       medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural

       interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax

       Christi and groups representing immigrants

      International organization participation:

       ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC,

       EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,

       ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,

       IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS

       (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,

       UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB

       (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Franciskus VAN DAELE

       FAX: [1] (202) 333–3079

       consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York

       telephone: [1] (202) 333–6900

       chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Tom C. KOROLOGOS

       embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels

       mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710

       telephone: [32] (2) 508–2111

       FAX: [32] (2) 511–2725

      Flag description:

       three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red;

       the design was based on the flag of France

      Economy Belgium

      Economy - overview:

       This modern private enterprise economy has capitalized on its

       central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and

       diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated

       mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north. With few natural

       resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw

       materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its

       economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Roughly

       three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt

       is about 100% of GDP, and the government has succeeded in balancing

       its budget. Belgium, together with 11 of its EU partners, began

       circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth in

       2001–03 dropped sharply because of the global economic slowdown.

       Prospects for 2004 again depend largely on recovery in the EU and

       the US.

      GDP:

       purchasing power parity - $299.1 billion (2003 est.)

      GDP - real growth rate:

       1.1% (2003 est.)

      GDP - per capita:

       purchasing power parity - $29,100 (2003 est.)

      GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.9% industry: 26.3% services: 71.8% (2003)

      Investment (gross fixed):

       19.7% of GDP (2003)

      Population below poverty line:

       4% (1989 est.)

      Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 23% (1996)

      Distribution of family income - Gini index:

       28.7 (1996)

      Inflation rate (consumer prices):

       1.6% (2003 est.)

      Labor force:

       4.73 million (2003)

      Labor force - by occupation:

       agriculture 1.3%, industry 24.5%, services 74.2% (2003 est.)

      Unemployment rate:

       8.1% (2003 est.)

      Budget:

       revenues: $151.6 billion

       expenditures: $151.1 billion, including capital expenditures of

       $1.56 billion (2003)

      Public debt:

       102% of GDP (2003 est.)

      Agriculture

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