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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
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	50 50 N, 4 20 E
Constitution 7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to create a federal state
Corruption	7.4		[20th of 160]
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710
Executive branch > Cabinet Council of Ministers are formally appointed by the monarch
Executive branch > Chief of state King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch
Flag description three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; note: the design was based on the flag of France
Government type federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Independence 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice Council)
Legal system based on civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
Parliamentary seats > Female	23%		[14th of 143]
Political pressure groups and leaders Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries
Status federal democracy
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Time required to start a business > days	27 days		[113rd of 171]
Trademarks, residents	21,010		[15th of 98]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International	none

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