World Factbook
Belgium
Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German)
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: three equal vertical bands of black (left side), yellow, and red history: the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are from the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)
Capital
name
Brussels
etymology
the name is of Germanic origin, from broca (marsh) and sali (room or building)
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
50 84 N, 4 35 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Belgium
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state)
amendment process
"revisions" proposed as declarations by the federal government in accord with the king or by Parliament followed by dissolution of Parliament and new elections; adoption requires two-thirds majority vote of a two-thirds quorum in both houses of the next elected Parliament
Country name
etymology
the name derives from the Belgae, an ancient Celtic tribal confederation that inhabited an area between the English Channel and the west bank of the Rhine in the first centuries B.C.
local long form
Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German)
local short form
Belgique/Belgie/Belgien
conventional long form
Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form
Belgium
Independence
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
Legal system
civil law system based on the French Civil Code; judicial review of legislative acts
Government type
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof (in Dutch) and Cour Constitutionelle (in French) (consists of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) and Cour de Cassation (in French) (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, fiscal, and armed forces; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a chairperson and 5-6 judges)
subordinate courts
Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, immigration, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace
judge selection and term of office
Constitutional Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by Parliament; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by the High Council of Justice, a 44-member independent body of judicial and non-judicial members; judges appointed for life
Executive branch
cabinet
Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch
chief of state
King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013)
head of government
Prime Minister Bart DE WEVER (since 3 February 2025)
election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister, which the legislature approves
National holiday
Belgian National Day (ascension to the throne of King LEOPOLD I), 21 July (1831)
National color(s)
red, black, yellow
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
16 (15 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Belfries of Belgium (c); Historic Brugge (c); The Grand Place, Brussels (c); Major Town Houses of Victor Horta (c); Notre-Dame Cathedral, Tournai (c); Spa, Liege (c); Primeval Beech Forests - Sonian Wood (n); Stoclet Palace (c)
Political parties
Flemish parties: Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&V Vooruit or Forward (formerly Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A) Groen or Green (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) New Flemish Alliance or N-VA Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi Les Engages (formerly Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH) Movement for Reform or MR Socialist Party or PS Workers' Party or PVDA-PTB
Legislative branch
note
note: the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this results in six governments, each with its own legislative assembly
legislature name
Federal Parliament (Parlement fédéral - Federaal Parlement - Föderales Parlament)
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"La Brabançonne" (The Song of Brabant)
history
adopted 1830; according to legend Louis-Alexandre DECHET, an actor at the theater where the revolution against the Netherlands began, wrote the lyrics with a group of young people in a Brussels cafe
lyrics/music
Louis-Alexandre DECHET [French] and Victor CEULEMANS [Dutch]/Francois VAN CAMPENHOUT
National symbol(s)
golden rampant lion
Administrative divisions
3 regions (French: régions , singular - région ; Dutch: gewesten , singular - gewest ); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), R é gion de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Région Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Région Wallonne (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)
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; the 2012 sixth state reform transferred additional competencies from the federal state to the regions and linguistic communities
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
House of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants)
term in office
5 years
number of seats
150 (all directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
6/9/2024
expected date of next election
June 2029
percentage of women in chamber
41.3%
parties elected and seats per party
New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) (24); Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) (20); Movement for Reform (MR) (20); Socialist Party in Wallonia (PS) (16); Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB*PVDA) (15); LES ENGAGÉS (14); Vooruit (13); Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V) (11); Other (17)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Senate (Sénat - Senaat - Senat)
term in office
5 years
number of seats
60 (all indirectly elected)
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
7/18/2024
expected date of next election
July 2029
percentage of women in chamber
47.5%
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 338-4960
chancery
1430 K Street NW, Washington DC 20005
telephone
[1] (202) 333-6900
chief of mission
Ambassador Frédéric BERNARD (since 25 February 2025)
consulate(s) general
Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York
email address and website
Washington@diplobel.fed.be https://unitedstates.diplomatie.belgium.be/en
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[32] (2) 811-4500
embassy
Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
telephone
[32] (2) 811-4000
mailing address
7600 Brussels Place, Washington DC 20521-7600
chief of mission
Ambassador Bill WHITE (since 17 November 2025)
email address and website
uscitizenBrussels@state.gov https://be.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction