GENERAL INFORMATION
Area
30,528 sq km (11,787 sq miles).
Population
10,263,414 (official estimate 2001).
Population Density
336.2 per sq km.
Capital
Brussels (Bruxelles, Brussel).
Population: 964,405 (2001).
Government
Constitutional monarchy. The Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830. In 1993, Belgium became a federal state comprising three autonomous regions.
Head of State: King Albert II since 1993.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt since 1999.
Language
The official languages are Dutch, French and German. Dutch is slightly more widely spoken than French, and German is spoken the least.
Religion
Mainly Roman Catholic, with small Protestant and Jewish communities.
Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type.
Communications
Telephone
Fully automatic IDD. For operator services, dial 1324. Country code: 32. Outgoing international code: 00. There are call boxes in all major towns and country districts. Some coinless cardphones and credit card phones are also available. Telecards are available from newsagents, railway stations and post offices.
Mobile telephone
GSM 900 and 1800 networks provide coverage all over Belgium. Main operators include BASEand Proximus
Internet
Internet cafes are widely available. ISPs include Belgacom
Post
Airmail takes two to three days to other West European destinations. Poste Restante facilities are available in main cities. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600.
Press
Principal daily newspapers are La Lanterne, La Meuse, Le Soir (French) and De Gentenaar, De Standaard, Het Laatste Nieuws, Het Nieuwsblad (Dutch). There is an English-language magazine, The Bulletin, printed in Belgium.
Radio
BBC World Service and Voice of America can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
Public Holidays
Jan 1 2005: New Year’s Day.
Mar 28: Easter Monday.
May 1: Labor Day.
May 5: Ascension Day.
May 15: Whit Sunday.
May 16: Whit Monday.
Jul 11: * Flemish Community Holiday.
Jul 21: Independence Day.
Aug 15: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Sep 27: * French Community Holiday.
Nov 1: All Saints’ Day.
Nov 11: Armistice Day.
Dec 25: Christmas Day.
Jan 1 2006: New Year’s Day.
Apr 17: Easter Monday.
May 1: Labor Day.
May 25: Ascension Day.
Jun 4: Whit Sunday.
Jun 5: Whit Monday.
Jul 11: * Flemish Community Holiday.
Jul 21: Independence Day.
Aug 15: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Sep 27: * French Community Holiday.
Nov 1: All Saints’ Day.
Nov 11: Armistice Day.
Dec 25: Christmas Day.
Note
*Observed by the respective communities.
Special Events
The following is a selection of special events occurring in Belgium in 2005; for further information, contact Tourism Brussels-Ardennes and Tourism Flanders-Brussels (see General Info section):
Jan 21-30: 50th Belgium Antiques Fair.
Feb 6-8: Carnaval de Binche, Hainaut.
Feb 13: Grand Feu de Bouge, spectacular bonfire on the first Sunday of Lent, Namur.
Mar 6: Carnaval du Laetare, Stavelot.
Mar 8-Sep 8: "Made in Belgium", exposition celebrating 175 years of independence, Brussels.
Mar 28: 129th Cavalcade in Herve, Liege.
Apr 29-30: Liege Jazz Festival.
May 7: Belgium Gay Pride, Brussels.
May 14-16: Brussels Jazz Marathon/350th Military March at Saint Roch, Thuin.
May 16: Matrimonial High Tea, Ecaussines.
Jun 11-12: Days of the 4 Processius, Tournai.
Jun 18-19: 7th Napoleonic Bivouac at Waterloo, yearly reconstruction of a Napoleonic bivouac and the battle of Placenoit.
Jun 22-25: European March of Memory & Friendship, 30km march.
Jul 1: Ommegang Pageant, Brussels.
Dec: European Christmas Markets, countrywide.
Contact Information:
Location
Western Europe.
Country dialing code
32.
Office de Promotion du Tourisme (Belgian Tourist & Information Office - Brussels & Wallonia)
rue Marché-aux-Herbes 63, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: (2) 504 0390. Fax: (2) 513 0475.
Toerisme Vlaanderen (Tourism Flanders-Brussels)
Grasmarkt 63, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium
Tel: (2) 504 0390. Fax: (2) 513 0474.
Brussels International – Tourism and Congress
Hôtel de Ville, City Hall, Grand-Place, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: (2) 513 8940. Fax: (2) 513 8320.
Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium
103-105 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9AB, UK
Tel: (020) 7470 3700 (general enquiries) or (09065) 508 963 (recorded visa information; calls cost £1 per minute) or 547 777 (visa appointments; calls cost £1.50 per minute). Fax: (020) 7470 3795.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1300 and 1400-1700.
Office de Promotion du Tourisme (Belgian Tourist Office – Brussels & Wallonia)
217 Marsh Wall, London E14 9FJ, UK
Tel: (0906) 302 0245 (calls cost 60p per minute) or (0800) 954 5245 (brochure request line; toll-free in UK) or (020) 7531 0391 (trade enquiries only). Fax: (020) 7531 0393.
Toerisme Vlaanderen (Tourism Flanders - Brussels)
Flanders House, 1a Cavendish Square, London W1G 0LD, UK
Tel: (020) 7307 7730 (travel trade and press only) or (0800) 954 5245 (brochure request line; toll-free in UK) or (09063) 020 245 (live operator; calls cost 60p per minute). Fax: (020) 7307 7731.
British Embassy
rue d’Arlon 85 Aarlenstraat, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: (2) 287 6211. Fax: (2) 287 6360 (press and public affairs section) or 6270 (consular section).
Consulates in: Liège and Ghent.
Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium
3330 Garfield Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 333 6900. Fax: (202) 333 3079 or 333 5457 (consular section).
Consulates General in: Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York.
Belgian Tourist Office
220 East 42nd Street, Suite 3402, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 758 8130. Fax: (212) 355 7675.
Embassy of the United States of America
Regentlaan 27 boulevard du Régent, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: (2) 508 2111 or 788 1200 (visa information and appointments service) or 508 2537 (consular section). Fax: (2) 511 2725.
Embassy of Belgium
360 Albert Street, Room 820, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7, Canada
Tel: (613) 236 7267. Fax: (613) 236 7882.
Consulate in: Toronto
Consulate General in: Montréal.
Honorary Consulates in: Edmonton, Halifax (Dartmouth), Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Wallonia–Brussels Tourism Promotion Office (Belgium)
43 rue de Buade, bureau 525, Québec City, Québec G1R 4A2, Canada
Tel: (418) 692 4939 or (877) 792 4939 (toll-free in USA and Canada). Fax: (418) 692 4974.
Canadian Embassy
2 avenue de Tervueren, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: (2) 741 0611. Fax: (2) 741 0643.
|
