Country Information

BELGIUM

Country Name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium
local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
local short form: Belgique/Belgie

Government Type

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Capital

Brussels

Administrative divisions

10 provinces (French: provinces, singular – province; Dutch: provincies, singular – provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions; Dutch: gewesten); Brussels* (Bruxelles) capital region; Flanders* region (five provinces): Antwerpen (Antwerp), Limburg, Oost Vlaanderen (East Flanders), Vlaams-Brabant (Flemish Brabant), West Vlaanderen (West Flanders); Wallonia* region (five provinces): Brabant Wallon (Walloon Brabant), Hainaut, Liege, Luxembourg, Namur 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

Independence

4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands)