Belgium

THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM is a small and prosperous country in western Europe. One of the so-called Benelux group (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), the country has prospered economically in the years since the end of World War II, in large part because of its strategic location within the region. Belgium is relatively small in area and the country shares borders with France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Access to other economically successful western European countries, especially France and Germany, has worked to Belgium's advantage and helped to bring it to prominence as well. Another decided advantage for Belgium is access to the North Sea by way of its 50-mile coastline. A number of important port cities are located either on the North Sea coast or along navigable rivers flowing inland.

Belgium has a temperate climate with mild winters and cool summers. Rainfall is abundant due to the country's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Approximately 24 percent of the overall area of Belgium is arable. Coastal plains in the northwest transition to a hilly regime south of Brussels and then to mountainous terrain in the Ardennes Forest near the border with Luxembourg. Belgium has reclaimed land along the northwest coast and the country is protected from flooding by a series of concrete dikes.

Belgium is a modern country in every sense of the word. It boasts of a highly diversified economy, one of the highest per capita gross national incomes in western Europe, and life expectancy measures of 76 years for males, 82 years for females, and 79 years overall. Despite these successes, recent estimates indicate that about four percent of the population live below the poverty line. Less than two percent of Belgium's labor force are engaged in agriculture while 25 percent are in industry and 73 percent are found in the service sector.

Although Belgium is small in area, its array of agricultural products is quite varied. The country produces sugar beets, a staple in Europe, a variety of fruits and vegetables, some grains, and meat. The variety of industrial activities in the country is a clear indicator of its economic success: transportation equipment, scientific instruments, textiles, metal products, chemicals, and processed foods are produced in abundance for both domestic consumption and export. Belgium's trading partners are primarily in the western European region, with Germany, France, and the Netherlands leading in both imports and exports. Belgium is wholly dependent on foreign sources of both crude oil and natural gas, crucially important energy sources for its thriving industrial sector.

Belgium has been both proactive and innovative in its approach to poverty. Government surveys of poverty conditions in the country included input from people living in poverty conditions. In addition, the surveys [Page 74]went beyond the collection of the usual poverty measures, such as financial income and job availability, and dealt with the accessibility of citizens' rights among the poor and the emotional aspects of being poor. The primary goals of the investigation were to find out firsthand what the realities of life are for the poor and determine ways to change the conditions that create and sustain poverty. This approach is similar to ones successfully used in conflict resolution, where those involved in the conflict are given the opportunity to take part in its resolution.

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