The Concert of Europe sanctioned the creation of Belgium in 1830 on the condition that the country remain strictly neutral. The Concert of Europe describes the broad co-operation between Europes great powers after 1815. ... A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ...

• Because of its location at the crossroads of Western Europe, Belgium has historically been the route of invading armies from its larger neighbors. With virtually defenseless borders, Belgium has traditionally sought to avoid domination by the more powerful nations which surround it through a policy of mediation.

• During the two World Wars Belgium tried, but was unable, to follow a policy of neutrality. In 1948, Belgium signed the Treaty of Brussels with the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and one year later became one of the founding members of the Atlantic Alliance.

• Belgium remains a strong proponent of NATO. It cooperates closely with the United States within the alliance framework, in addition to supporting European defense efforts through the Western European Union (WEU). Both NATO (since 1966) and the EU have their headquarters in Brussels; SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) is in the south of the country, near Mons. Since January 1993, the WEU has been headquartered in Brussels.

• At the same time the Belgians, perceiving their diminutive role on the international scene, are strong advocates of strengthening economic and political integration within the EU. Recently, having federalized their own country, many Belgians view themselves as the ultimate "European federalists." Belgium actively seeks improved relations with the new democracies of central and eastern Europe through such fora as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, EU association agreements, and NATO's Partnership for Peace with the former Warsaw Pact countries and several others.

• Belgium retains a special but often stormy relationship with its former colonies, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

Disputes - international: none The Brussels Pact A Western Union Signed on 17th March between Belgium, Britain, France, Luxemburg and the Netherlands, the Brussels Pact was similar to NATO in the sense that it promised a mutual defence against any aggression from any quarter. ... NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on April 4, 1949. ... The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 1949. ... Not to be confused with the European Union, the Western European Union (WEU) is said by some to be a partially dormant European defence and security organization composed of those states members of both NATO and the EU. Interestingly, however, New York Universitys published work (Holyworth and Jolyon) Defending... The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 1949. ... SHAPE Emblem Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the central command of NATO military forces. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 1949. ... Partnership for Peace is a NATO project aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in both Europe as well as the Asian part of the former Soviet Union. ... Map of Warsaw Pact member countries. ...

Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Cocaine is a crystalline alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Asian heroin Black tar heroin Bayer Heroin (TM) Primary worldwide producers of heroin. ... A piece of Morrocan hashish compared to a popcorn Hashish (often shortened to hash, and also referred to by countless slang terms such as dope) is a psychoactive drug derived from the cannabis plant. ... Cannabis is a plant also known as Cannabis sativa, hemp, or marijuana. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

Reference

Much of the material in this article comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website. World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ...