Education
Adult illiteracy is virtually nonexistent. Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 18. The teaching language is that of the region—French, Dutch, or German.
Belgium has two complete school systems operating side by side. One is organized by the state or by local authorities and is known as the official school system. The other, the private school system, is largely Roman Catholic. In 1995 private school enrollment accounted for 55.2% of all primary enrollment and 65.8% of secondary enrollment. For a long time, the rivalry between the public and private systems and the question of subsidies to private schools were the main issues in Belgian politics. The controversy was settled in 1958, and both systems are presently financed with government funds along more or less identical lines.
Since 1971, new constitutional guidelines have strengthened the autonomy of Wallonia and Flanders in educational administration and policymaking. Schools in both regions provide compulsory primary education for children from ages 6 through 12, followed by six years of secondary education.
In 1996, primary schools enrolled 742,796 students. The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level was 13 to 1 in 1999. Secondary level schools had 1,058,998 students and approximately 127,000 teachers in 1996. Higher education centers on the eight main universities: the state universities of Ghent, Liège, Antwerp, and Mons; the two branches of the Free University of Brussels, which in 1970 became separate private institutions, one Dutch (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and the other French (Université Libre de Bruxelles); the Catholic University of Brussels; and the Catholic University of Louvain, which also split in 1970 into the Katholicke Universiteit Leuven (Dutch) and the Université Catholique de Louvain (French). The higher-level institutions had 358,214 students in 1996.
Government expenditure for education rose rapidly after the school agreement of 1958 and accounted for about 6.0% of the government's budget in the latter part of the 1990s. As of 1999, public expenditure on education was estimated at 3.1% of GDP.
Economy
Belgium's economy is reliant on services, transportation, trade, and industry. Coal mining, which has declined in recent years, and the production of steel, chemicals, and cement are concentrated in the Sambre and Meuse valleys, in the Borinage around Mons, Charleroi, Namur, and Liège, and in the Campine coal basin. Liège is a major steel center. A well-established metal-products industry manufactures bridges, heavy machinery, industrial and surgical equipment, motor vehicles, rolling stock, machine tools, and munitions. Chemical products include fertilizers, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and plastics; the petrochemical industry is concentrated near the oil refineries of Antwerp.
Textile production, which began in the Middle Ages, includes cotton, linen, wool, and synthetic fibers; carpets and blankets are important manufactures. Ghent, Kortrijk, Tournai, and Verviers are all textile centers; Mechelen, Bruges, and Brussels are celebrated for their lace. Other industries include diamond cutting (Antwerp is an important diamond center), cement and glass production, and the processing of leather and wood. Over 75% of Belgium's electricity is produced by nuclear power.
Belgian industry is heavily dependent upon imports for its raw materials. Most iron comes from the Lorraine basin in France, while nonferrous metal products made from imported raw materials include zinc, copper, lead, and tin.
Exports include iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, and petroleum products. Industrial centers are linked with each other and with the main ports of Antwerp and Ghent by the Meuse and Scheldt rivers and their tributaries, by a network of canals (notably the Albert Canal), and by a dense railroad system.
Belgium has much fertile and well-watered soil, although agriculture engages only a small percentage of the workforce. The chief crops are wheat, oats, rye, barley, sugar beets, potatoes, and flax. Cattle and pig raising as well as dairying (especially in Flanders) are also important. Processed foods include beet sugar, cheese, and other dairy items; beer and other beverages are manufactured.
Climate
Belgium has temperate weather, warm in summer (May to September) and cool to cold in winter, with snow very likely.
Brussels has a maritime temperate climate, characterised by warm summers and mild winters. The city has a high average annual rainfall, and visitors can expect a downpour any time of year. Temperatures range from highs of around 80°F (27°C) in summer to 45°F (7°C) during the middle of winter. Snow is possible, but not frequent, in winter.
List of Universities in BELGIUM
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