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Official Name: Belgium
- Geography: situated in Western
Europe. Western 2/3rd of the country
consists of flat grassland. Southeastern
1/3rd are the Ardennes hills. Borders
Germany
in the East, the
Netherlands in the North and
France
in the South. Belgium has extensive
political, economic and military
relations with its tiny neighbour
Luxembourg and has a small colonial
empire (Belgian Congo in Africa).
- History: Belgium was on the
winning side of the Great War. She has followed her own
style of diplomacy to stay out of the next
European war by following a policy of
strict neutrality.
- Political system: democratic
- Head of Government: Prime minister P.E. Janson
- Head of State: King Leopold II
- Treaties: Non-aggression Treaty of Locarno with Germany
- Economic system: capitalist
- Economy: small. Many coal mines in the East.
- Demography: medium birth rate.
Population of about 5 mln, of which 50%
are Dutch-speaking Flemish, 45%
French-speaking Walloons and 5% Germans.
- Morale: average.
- Armed forces: 91,441 men.
Reserves: 690,000. Quality of the army is
reasonable. Tiny airforce and navy.
- Status: Belgium is one of the
minor powers.
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