|
|
|
|
| Population : 10,3 million
Surface area : 32,545 km²
Density : 315 inhabitants/km²
Capital : Brussels
Belgium is an Euroland country. |
|
Belgium, a central location,
one country, three regions in the center of Europe |
|
|
|
|
|
Belgium is a highly developed land
sophisticated trading country, located in the heart of northern Europe. Founded in 1831,
Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary monarchy. Today Belgium is a true
federal state, reorganized into three Regions (Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels Capital
Region) and three Communities (French, Dutch and German speaking population) each with
their own legislative and executive power.
French and Dutch are the main national languages. In addition, the first language of about
one percent of Belgium's population is German. Many people speak English too. The
multilingual make-up of the country makes Belgians the perfect working partners for
businessmen newly arrived from outside Europe.
A crossroads of several cultures, Belgium has the advantage of a central location within
Europe and an extraordinarily well-developed infrastructure. Her communications network is
second to none, offering rapid, efficient transport by air, sea, road and rail. The
facilities available in and around Brussels, the capital of Belgium, have already
convinced a large number of multinational and international companies to base their
European headquarters here, alongside the many European institutions.
Hotels, international and national banks, efficient telephone and other communication
services, conference facilities, trade fairs - all are in plentiful supply and tuned to
the demanding and rapidly evolving needs of local and international business.
Belgium's open trading policies and efficient communications have helped make the Belgian
market one of the toughest and most competitive in Europe, if not the world. To prosper in
this demanding environment requires a high level of resourcefulness, creativity and
craftsmanship for which Belgian companies have become known the world over. |
|
|
|
|
|
A favourable context for international trade
|
|
|
|
|
|
Predestined by geography to engage in foreign trade, Belgium owes the exceptional openness of its economy to Europe and indeed to the rest of the world not only to the smallness of its domestic market and its central position in Europe but also to the dynamism and the ability to adapt of its companies and people.
More than 80 % of Belgium’s GDP is derived from foreign sales, which is one of the highest percentages among industrialized nations. Add in the services sector, which is also of vital importance to the national economy, and the Belgian export rate rises to well over 80%. This means that three out of every four people work in the export business.
In addition to being an export champion, Belgium also fulfils an important role as a transit and distribution centre for other European Union member countries.
For this reason in particular and thanks to high Belgian productivity, the favourable terms governing the setting up of companies in Belgium and the hospitality of its people, the country has attracted a large number of foreign businesses, which make a significant contribution to the country’s economic prosperity, as, moreover, do the 1,200 international organizations which have set up their headquarters in Belgium. |
|
|
|
|
|
International Services |
|
|
|
|
|
Services are of vital importance to the Belgian economy. In fact,
the country's tertiary sector supplies around two thirds of jobs and of gross value added.
Services also make a substantial contribution to the Belgian exports.
The importance of services in Belgium comes as no surprise, given the characteristic
features of the Belgian economy. Its size, its geographical location at the very heart of
Europe, its comprehensive infrastructure and the development of its industry account for
the fact that trade and transport are key areas in Belgium.
Historically, the development of banking and insurance activity has always been closely
linked with that of commercial activity. Lastly, the high level of education and training
in Belgium means that its citizens provide a pool of skilled labour geared to the needs of
the most highly sophisticated tertiary activities, which employ large numbers of clerical
staff, executives and graduates in general.
To speak of international services in Belgium is to refer more specifically to two cities,
two major centres of activity. First and foremost of course there is Brussels, the
country's capital but also the headquarters of the European Union.
Then there is Antwerp, Belgium's second city, but perhaps even more importantly the
world's third biggest port and hence a commercial centre in the finest tradition. |
|
|
|
|
|
An exceptional infrastructure |
|
|
|
|
|
Roads : the main European highways cross Belgium.
Railways : the densest network on the continent and an important development of high-speed trains (HST).
• The Eurostar from Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel.
• Thalys between Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam.
• French TGVs provide direct connections to various cities in the south of France.
Sea ports : Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ghent, Brussels, Ostend and Liège, the
biggest port concentration in Europe.
Air links : Brussels National Airport (Zaventem) and several regional airports like Liège Airport, Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Ostend and Antwerp.
...and of course, linked to the World Wide Web, with a
selection of several Belgian sites. |
|
|
|
|
|
