Kingdom of Belgium Royaume de Belgique Koninkrijk Belgie
The Kingdom of Belgium is a Western European nation bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands. With its capital in Brussels, Belgium is comprised of ten provinces and three administrative regions. The people of Belgium are ethnic Flemish and Walloon. On October 4, 1830, Belgium declared its independence from the Netherlands. On July 21, 1831 King Leopold I ascended the throne and the date is celebrated as the national holiday.
Belgium has only recently devolved into a federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch. The Monarch is the Head of State. The Prime Minister is Head of Government. Parliament is made up of two houses, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
In 2000, Belgium adopted three tiers of government: Federal, Regional and Linguistic Community. Each have autonomous governing bodies with premiers and parliaments.
Religious Adherents [Link]
Christian 84.40%
Non-religious 9.50%
Muslim 3.60%
Atheist 1.90%
Buddhist 0.20%
Jewish 0.20%
Confucianist 0.10%
